Ontario Nominates New WSIB Chair and President

Ontario Nominates New WSIB Chair and President

Nominees will lead the agency in helping injured workers, supporting safe employers and modernizing services

January 21, 2022

Labour, Training and Skills Development


TORONTO — Ontario has nominated Grant Walsh as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) and Jeffery Lang as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Walsh and Mr. Lang will play key leadership roles in implementing important initiatives at the WSIB, such as using best practices and scientific evidence to help identify and recognize occupational illnesses, implementing surplus distributions and premium rate reductions for safe employers, and delivering a better customer service experience for workers and businesses.

“I want to thank outgoing Chair of the Board Elizabeth Witmer and outgoing interim President and CEO Tom Bell for completing their terms and for their outstanding leadership, which has improved the long-term financial sustainability of the WSIB,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development. “I look forward to working with Mr. Walsh and Mr. Lang to ensure Ontario’s workers and businesses receive the level of support and service that they deserve.”

Mr. Walsh is a Board Member of the WSIB and was previously the Chairman of Canada Lands Company Limited, a self-financing federal Crown corporation specializing in real estate and development, and attractions management. He also served as the President and CEO of St. Peter’s Health System.

“It is a distinct honour to have been nominated to serve as the Chair of WSIB,” said Grant Walsh. “I have committed to Premier Doug Ford and Minister Monte McNaughton to pursue excellence in service; support the enhancement of workplace safety; and, be an effective steward of financial resources. Service, safety, and stewardship are our corporate objectives.”

Mr. Lang is currently a Board Member of the WSIB and CEO of a manufacturing company in Southwestern Ontario. He has extensive experience in employee benefits and pensions practices, as he previously served in a senior management role for one of the largest insurance broking firms in Canada. He is a co-founder and Board Chair for the Canadian Economic Development Assistance for South Sudan, a registered charity whose mission is to help South Sudan create a sustainable economy through local agricultural and economic training. He also previously served as a Board Member for Pathway Skills Development, a not-for-profit organization that offers programs and services to help employment seekers overcome challenges to employment. Mr. Lang also chaired the Alzheimer’s Foundation of London and Middlesex and the Boys & Girls Club of London.

“It is a privilege to be nominated to lead the WSIB at such a critical period in the organization’s history,” said Jeffery Lang. “In the coming weeks and months, I look forward to hearing from and meeting with the workers and families who rely on us most, and the businesses we serve. I also welcome the opportunity to work with Minister McNaughton to drive change within the organization so we can deliver timely, efficient and reliable services for the workers and businesses in our great province.”

The WSIB administers a no-fault compensation system for workers and employers for workplace injuries and illnesses. The WSIB’s goal is to work with others to eliminate all workplace fatalities, injuries and illnesses.


Quick Facts

  • Ontario is also nominating Peter George and Sandra Wrycraft to the Board of Directors for the WSIB.
  • The WSIB was established in 1915 through an act of the Ontario legislature.
  • The WSIB provides disability and survivor benefits, monitors the quality of health care, and assists in early, safe return to work for workers injured on the job or made ill by an occupational disease.
  • The WSIB is an independent agency overseen by the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development. It is entirely funded by employers.

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