CGB Executive Profile: Rod Phillips

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Executive Profile: Rod Phillips


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In the job for nearly two months, Rod Phillips likes what he sees at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

As the new President and Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Phillips was at the helm of the agency when OLG announced in late June that it had earned $6.724 billion in Fiscal 2011, the highest consolidated gross gaming revenue in the agency’s 36-year history.

Building on this record success, Mr. Phillips is looking forward to leading Canada’s fifth largest Crown Corporation by revenue as it continues to transform its business operations to be more lean, efficient and accountable, thereby paving the way for even greater results in the years to come.

“While OLG has made significant improvements over the past year, we still have work to do in making sure that we continue to offer the best in lottery and gaming entertainment, while also being more transparent and accountable to taxpayers,” said Mr. Phillips, adding, “I’m ready to invest the necessary time and resources over the coming months to ensure we remain on a successful path for the future.”

Before joining OLG, Mr. Phillips held senior positions within the private and government sectors while remaining an active member of his community. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Shepell·fgi, one of North America’s leading providers of health and productivity solutions for employees and organizations. Under his leadership, Shepell·fgi offered integrated services improving the health and productivity of eight million employees and their families from over 7,000 organizations in Canada and 54 other countries.

Prior to joining Shepell·fgi, Mr. Phillips was a founder of the Goodmans Venture Group, and also worked as a principal with KPMG Consulting.

No stranger to politics, Mr. Phillips previously assumed the role of Chief of Staff to Mayor Mel Lastman during his first term as leader of the newly amalgamated City of Toronto from 1997-2000. He was also a Senior Advisor to the Honourable Elizabeth Witmer while she served as Ontario’s Minister of Labour.

As an active community member, Mr. Phillips has volunteered with several charitable initiatives. His experience includes acting as Founding Chair of Toronto’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s Transforming Lives gala, serving as past President of the Canadian Club of Toronto, and sitting on several boards with major non- profit organizations in Toronto.

Mr. Phillips believes his combination of private sector, government, and community building experience has prepared him well to lead OLG, noting, “From my time in government, I gained a strong appreciation and understanding of what the public expects from its Crown Corporations – hard work, efficient service, and accountability. From a business perspective, I know we must continue to grow our profits, especially when so many community groups across Ontario depend on OLG proceeds to help fund vital public services.”

With his focus on making OLG a stronger and more profitable agency, Mr. Phillips and his newly-streamlined executive team will be busy in the coming months to meet the agency’s renewed mandate, including its highly- anticipated launch of Internet gaming in 2012.

“We are entering a very competitive global market,” said Mr. Phillips. “But we are confident that we will offer our customers a superior online gaming experience. We’re very excited for our launch.”

In the long-term, Mr. Phillips has an ambitious, yet achievable goal in mind, stating, “Through the hard work of our employees, I want OLG to be the best-managed and most efficient lottery and gaming corporation in the world.”