Six past TEI presidents from Canada share their stories: spanning four decades, there's a lot to learn from these former head honchos.

AuthorLevin-Epstein, Michael
PositionTax Executives Institute - Discussion

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In this special issue focused on Canada, it seemed only appropriate that the Roundtable we convened also reflect a Canadian bent. To that end, we invited the six living TEI presidents from Canada to discuss their tenures at the helm of the organization, including Vincent Alicandri (2008-09), David Burn (1986-87), Drew Glennie (2002-03), Reginald Kowalchuk (1991-92), David Penney (2011-12), and G. Maxwell Phillips (1976-77). Tax Executive Senior Editor Michael Levin-Epstein moderated the session.

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Michael Levin-Epstein: David Penney, why don't you kick off the proceedings?

David Penney: I was international president (of TEI) in 2011-12, and I'm retired. I retired in 2013 as General Motors' tax head in Canada after twenty years. What I'm doing now--being retired is a wonderful occupation--but I'm very active in the local Rotary club, I'm the president-elect there and will be going to a Chicago conference later in the spring and generally enjoying that and my summer home.

Vincent Alicandri: I was the 2008-09 international president, and, like David, I'm retired. I retired December 31, 2012. During the last fourteen years of my working life, I was the vice president of corporate tax for Hydro One Networks Inc. Now I'm kept busy studying Italian, working out, and babysitting our grandsons (not all at the same time), and doing some traveling.

G. Maxwell Phillips: I was president in 1976-77, an active time in TEI. I am now fully retired at the tender age of 86; I think I've earned that. I'm enjoying a quiet life at home, basically. I haven't been active in TEI affairs for the last few years. In fact, last year, I spent most of it in the hospital. But I've enjoyed my time with TEI, and I think it's a fine organization.

Reginald Kowalchuk: I was international president of TEI from 1991-92. I retired from the Bank of Nova Scotia in June 2002 after serving as senior vice president, taxation, for the bank's global operations in fifty-two countries. To me, retirement is a fine second career with many activities to enjoy, particularly traveling to unique destinations.

David Burn: I retired in 2001 as vice president of taxation at Nortel Networks. It, like my prior employers--Bank of Montreal, Massey Ferguson, and Scotiabank--was a strong supporter of my time invested in TEI. The late Mac McKie, Canada's first international president, insisted I join the Toronto Chapter of TEI in 1969. The Chapter had seventy members then and now has in excess of 300. I recall there was considerable dispute over Mac's nomination, as he had never chaired the Federal Tax Committee. Needless to say, the precedent-setting removal of that hurdle opened the door for many of his successors. My interest in TEI continues, and I have attended virtually every Annual Conference and Region 1 Conference since retirement.

Different Tenures, Different Times

Levin-Epstein: Let's talk about your tenure heading TEI.

Phillips: I became president at a time when things were getting very interesting in Canada. Canada had had a tax act, which I think was about 145 pages long since 1949, and it was time to have it updated. A Royal Commission was formed in 1966 under the chairmanship of Mr. Kenneth Carter (the Carter Commission), and it came up with a bill which, in 1970, became law. The 145 pages became nearly 1,000 pages of complicated, new literature. We had to learn a completely new language. But as a result of that, we in Canada decided that we should talk to the Executive Committee of TEI and say, "Hey, guys, up until now you've only made submissions to the Treasury Department as it affected tax administration, not as it affected tax law. We have the unique opportunity of trying to influence, to what extent we can, the tax law in Canada. Please, can we go ahead with that aspect?" Well, eventually the Executive Committee listened to us and thought about it and said yes, go ahead. Thereafter, the Washington group also went to the Treasury Department on tax law problems. It grew the Institute significantly at that time.

In 1970, we had a Canadian conference in Ottawa of which I was asked to be the chairman, and it dealt extensively with tax reform in Canada. In 1971, I was at meetings where discussions took place about forming a chapter in Calgary, and, similarly in '72, discussions took place about forming a Vancouver Chapter. So as you can see, it was a very active time. In 1974, Lee Hill, who was then international president, asked me to chair a committee to look at the workings of TEI, specifically the conferences and how we could get the membership more involved. One of the things I was able to recommend was that, up until then, being a vice president of a region had been a largely symbolic gesture appointed by the then-managing director. We recommended that as representatives of regions, they should generate interest within that region and stimulate it to the extent that the Institute would then know who in the region can be trained to become officers of the Institute. I think it worked quite well.

In 1976, when I was president, I was also a member of the Institute of Taxation in England. I thought it would be an interesting idea to see if they were interested in joining TEI, and I invited the then-president of the Institute of Taxation, a Mr. Reg Pickerill, to come and join us at the March conference in 1977. He was most impressed, and when I was next in London, he invited me...

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