October 7, 2005 Source: University of New Brunswick - Saint John:
http://www.unb.ca/news/view.cgi?id=856 UNBF TO HONOUR CROWN PRINCE OF BHUTAN AND RBC EXECUTIVE October 7, 2005
UNB Fredericton News Release: D388
Sandra Howland, Public Relations Officer, (506) 458-7968 Two distinguished individuals will receive honorary degrees from the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton on Thursday, Oct. 20. His Royal Highness Chhoetse Penlop Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck, the Crown Prince of Bhutan, will receive an honorary doctor of laws degree while Barbara Stymiest, chief operating officer of RBC Financial Group will be named doctor of letters honoris causa. These honours will be conferred during UNBF’s 51st Convocation. The public is welcome to attend the ceremony which begins at 4:30 p.m. in the Aitken University Centre. His Royal Highness will deliver the Convocation Address to 400 graduating students. Four members of the university community will also be recognized at the ceremony. Honorary emeritus designations will be awarded to Peter Kent, former dean of arts and professor of history, and Norman Whitney retired professor of biology and forestry. Barbara Gill of the faculty of education and Allan Reid of the department of culture and language studies will be presented with Allan P. Stuart Awards for Excellence in Teaching. His Royal Highness Chhoetse Penlop Jigme Khesar Namgyal Wangchuck was formally installed as the heir to the Golden Throne of the Himalayan Kingdom of Bhutan in 2004. Educated in Bhutan, the United States and Great Britain, he graduated from Oxford in 2003 with a master's degree in politics and international relations. His installation as the 16th Chhoetse Penlop in Bhutan's 357-year history, assures the continuity of the monarchy in Bhutan. His Royal Highness has an unwavering interest in youth issues and the well being of Bhutanese youth. In 2002, he represented Bhutan at the 27th UN General Assembly and addressed the leaders of 190 member nations during the UN special session for children, one of the most important international conferences ever held to create a world fit for children. His Royal Highness, who is chancellor of the Royal University of Bhutan, will receive an honorary degree on the 20th anniversary of UNB's relationship with Bhutan. Since 1985 UNB has played a central role in helping Bhutan to have the fastest developing system of education in the world. Barbara Stymiest has an impressive track record in business. After graduating with honours from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western, she held a number of increasingly responsible positions with Ernst & Young. She went on to serve as executive vice-president and chief financial officer of the Bank of Montreal’s investment banking division, then as CEO of the TSX Group, which owns and operates Canada's two national stock exchanges. In 2004, she was appointed chief operating officer of RBC Financial Group, Canada’s largest bank and one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies. As a member of RBC’s group executive, she is one of seven people responsible for the overall performance of the enterprise, which employs more than 60,000 people and last year reported revenues of $17.4 billion. Ms. Stymiest is an elected fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario and has been active in a number of professional and charitable organizations. In 2003 and 2004 she was named as one of Canada's Top 100 Most Powerful Women by the Women's Executive Network. - 30 -
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