Massey Henry Seeking Chief Legal Officer for Peoples Group
June 25, 2025 – Toronto-based executive search firm Massey Henry was recently retained once again by Peoples Group to lead its search for a chief legal officer (CLO). Reporting to the president CEO, the chief legal officer is a core member of the executive leadership team, responsible for developing and executing the company’s legal strategy, ensuring alignment with business objectives and the organization’s core values of transparency and integrity.
As a trusted partner and advisor to the CEO, the CLO collaborates with the CEO and broader executive team to shape and advance the organizational vision, mission, and corporate strategy. The CLO provides expert, strategic legal advice and counsel to the board of directors, CEO, and broader senior management team across a broad range of complex matters, including employment law, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. The CLO fosters a performance-driven culture, manages external counsel, and proactively anticipates legal risks, effectively safeguarding the company’s reputation and operations in an increasingly complex regulatory landscape. The CLO ensures the company operates with integrity and strictly follows all relevant legal guidelines, driving a culture of ethical, strategic decision-making across the enterprise.
Massey Henry is looking for a seasoned executive leader, with 20+ years of progressive leadership experience, including seven years in senior-level positions. The CLO must bring deep expertise in corporate law, broad financial services industry experience, and strong analytical, business planning, and problem-solving skills. Those applying must have deep corporate law expertise with 20+ years of progressive leadership experience, including seven years in senior-level positions. They should have exceptional interpersonal relationship building skills and an ability to influence others absolute leadership capabilities including resolve and personal integrity.
In addition, candidates must have strong leadership capabilities with a proven track record and supervising and training employees at all levels across the organization including organizing prioritizing and scheduling work assignments. They will have a proven track record in supervising and coordinating the work of legal professionals, paraprofessionals, and consultants.
Last November, Massey Henry helped to recruit Liam Mason as the chief risk officer of Peoples Group. Mr. Mason is a seasoned financial services executive, with an extensive background in risk and credit management, treasury, legal affairs, and liquidity risk, across the North American banking sector. With over 35 years in the industry, Mr. Mason has a wealth of experience and expertise, having served previously as the chief risk officer at Laurentian Bank of Canada, responsible for overall risk management. He was chairman of the board for a number of group companies including Laurentian Bank Securities, B2B Bank, Trust and Dealer Services companies. He was also chair of credit committee and corporate risk committee.
Last September, Massey Henry placed Tim Wilson as the new CFO of Peoples Group. Current CFO Samson Lim is retiring later this year. “Massey Henry is pleased to have once again served as a trusted partner of Peoples Group — this time in the appointment of Tim Wilson as chief financial officer,” Massey Henry said in a LinkedIn post. “Tim is a strategic senior finance executive with experience across the banking, retail, payments, and wealth management sectors, including with organizations such as Equitable Bank, VISA, and RF Capital Group. Congratulations and all the best in your new role, Tim.”
Providing a Tailored Suite ff Financial Solutions
Peoples Group has been providing a tailored suite of financial solutions and delivering world-class customer interactions, since 1985. We have grown substantial market share in the insured commercial lending space and are the leading issuer of prepaid payment cards as well as an innovative merchant acquirer.
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Launched in 2021, Massey Henry is an executive search and board advisory firm specializing in financial services and the public sector. Michael Henry is the founder and managing partner of the firm. He said the firm’s aim was to set a new standard for executive recruiting with a streamlined, collaborative approach that enables organizations to recruit diverse top talent for urgent, transformational roles.
Mr. Henry specializes in leadership recruitment for financial institutions, asset management, insurance, financial and risk management, and securities and non-securities regulation organizations across Canada. In addition to his core executive search work, Mr. Henry serves as an advisor to boards of directors on their overall composition, capabilities, and succession planning strategies at public sector and financial services institutions.
Using artificial intelligence technology combined with sector expertise, Massey Henry provides candidate research and a diverse candidate pool, while using custom criteria to assess each candidate for fit. Clients have 24/7 access to their search process which is designed to enhance decision-making and reduce timelines by half.
The firm is backed by an experienced advisory board of top leaders, including George Cooke, board chair of OMERS; Bill Hatanaka, board chair of Ontario Health; Johanne Brossard, board director and former president and CEO of ING Direct Canada; Eric Wetlaufer, board director of Investment Management Corporation of Ontario and the TMX Group; Lynne Kilpatrick, board director and senior retail banking executive; and Sharon Pel, past chair and current member of the OPTrust board of trustees. She also currently serves as a board member with ATS Corporation, where she is chair of the corporate governance and nominating committee.
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Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
