Eleanor (Ellie) Clitheroe is Executive Director of the Canadian Thomas Merton Center. Born in Montreal, Quebec, she obtained a Bachelor of Common Law (LL.B.) and a Master in Business Administration (MBA), University of Western Ontario in London, 1977, 1980, and a Bachelor of Civil Law (B.C.L.), McGill University, 1978. She is currently a candidate for Doctor of Philosophy in Theology, Wycliffe College, Toronto School of Theology, University of Toronto. She holds an Honourary Doctorate of Laws, Trinity Western University (LL D), 2004.
She is Chancellor Emerita of University of Western Ontario and is a director of Canadian Friends of the Ecole Biblique, Opportunity International Canada, Sanctuary, Media Voice Generation and Canadian Green Power. She has been a director of Alcan, TD Canada Trust, Dofasco, Suncor, and Inco, with responsibility on sub committees of Audit, Governance, Human Resources, and Safety and Environment at different times.
Ms. Clitheroe was counsel with Gauthier & Associates from 2002 -2006 and from 1998 to 2002, Chief Executive Officer, President and a Director of Hydro One, the transmission and distribution system for electricity in Ontario. From 1993 to 1998, she was the CFO of Ontario Hydro, including responsibility for the Ontario Hydro Pension Plan. Between 1981 and 1989, she held a variety of positions with CIBC, including Vice President, Corporate Treasury. She served as Assistant and Deputy Minister of Finance with Province of Ontario, 1989 and 1993. She articled at Tory, Tory Deslauriers and Binnington. She has also been an associate of the legal firm of Gauthier and Associates.
She speaks widely on matters of sailing, ethics, women, and her faith. She taught Ethics courses at the university and community level. She was a director of King Bay Chaplaincy, and both spoke and taught there. She was a founding member of the Center for Ethics and Corporate Policy, and the MBA Women's Association. As a young person, she was involved in mission work (Bolivia) and church camp with the Baptist church, volunteered at Maimonides Hospital and led Girl Scouts. She has spoken at Ontario Prayer Breakfast, Oakville Prayer Breakfast, Women's Executive Network, Missionfest, Women's Christian Leadership, International Women's Forum, Federation of Christian Farmers, appeared on Vision 360, Listen Up TV, and CTV and taught and preached at St. Patrick's and St. Cuthbert's Anglican Churches as an intern. She has taught Advanced Sailing and Navigation for Humber College and the Canadian Yachting Association and scuba diving under National Association of Underwater Instructors.
She speaks and writes on matters of sailing, ethics, business, and her faith.
