By Sterling Bank & Trust

Sterling Bank & Trust has announced the appointment of former Ontario Premier Michael Harris as a director of the integrated banking and financial services firm specializing in development and real estate-related investment vehicles. The new appointment increases the role Mr. Harris will play in helping to set policy direction for the growing award-winning firm with more than $9 billion in assets under administration and offices in Nassau, Bahamas and The Cayman Islands.

Mr. Harris, who also serves as director on other boards of Sterling, was recently named Canada’s number one premier since 1981, topping a field of 80, including four sitting premiers. The honour was based on leadership, economic policies and organizational skills with votes tallied on actual results in job growth, balanced budgets and business investment.

“Mike has been an excellent director in his previous roles, showing the leadership skills, discipline, wisdom and insight that made him so well-liked as well as highly respected when he was premier of a region with a population of over 13 million,” said David Kosoy, Sterling Chairman and CEO. “We are pleased that he has agreed to expand the position he will play going forward as Sterling Bank & Trust continues to recognize promising opportunities for growth on behalf of our more than 1500 high net worth clients.”

Mr. Harris, the former Member of Provincial Parliament and Premier, currently serves as a senior business advisor in the Corporate/Commercial and Government Relations & Ethics Groups at the Law Firm of Fasken Martineau in Toronto, Ontario. He holds numerous directorships or advisory positions in the health and financial sectors with Canadian-based companies, some with a global reach such as Colliers International, and his counsel is often sought for his advice on governance and government relations.

According to Stephen Tiller, Sterling Global Financial President, and a strong supporter of community programs, Harris is also a good fit for the firm’s quiet commitment to philanthropic causes, particularly for the underprivileged or underserved.

“Mike Harris’s passion for the community is shown through his involvement with various organisations and institutions. He is a former Director of the Tim Horton Children’s Foundation and St. John’s Rehab Hospital and currently holds the position of Senior Fellow with The Fraser Institute and Director of New Haven Learning Centre,” said Tiller. “Mike is also the Honorary Chairman of fundraising initiatives for Nipissing University, Canadore College and North Bay Regional Health Centre.”

Sterling Global Financial is the corporate umbrella of Sterling Bank (Bahamas) Ltd., Sterling Trust (Cayman) Ltd., and several funds, including the multiple award-winning Sterling Mortgage Income Fund, two-time winner of AI Barclay’s Best Hedge Fund Since Inception Award. Among the fund’s current projects are Ocean Terraces, West Bay Street, Marriott Courtyard, downtown Nassau, THIRTY SIX, the first new condo development on Paradise Island in a decade and Beach House Villas, Paradise Island. In 2016, the fund also provided financing for land assembly for a major multi-use redevelopment in an iconic section of South Boston.