Longtime Winnipeg chamber leader Angus named U of M chancellor

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This article was published 14/03/2025 (240 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Dave Angus has been appointed to a three-year term as the new chancellor of the University of Manitoba.

The president of Winnipeg-based employee benefits company Johnston Group, and former longtime president and CEO of the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, says he has a deep appreciation for the contributions the university makes to the community.

Angus will succeed Anne Mahon, an author and community volunteer working with marginalized people. She held the position for two terms.

The chancellor is the unpaid ceremonial head of the university, whose main responsibility is in conferring every degree and diploma it issues. As well, the appointment includes a seat on the U of M board of directors.

Angus said he is particularly enthusiastic about the chancellor’s role as an ambassador for the university.

“As an ambassador, my role will be to facilitate more engagement between the university and the business community and community organizations, to make sure the university is around the most important tables where the most important conversations are happening, because it brings value there,” he said.

“I’m really looking forward to that role.”

Angus believes the economic impact the university has in the community is not well-understood and said he’s excited to spread the word about a “really valuable resource.”

Michael Benarroch, U of M president and vice-chancellor, said he and Angus worked closely when he was dean of the Asper School of Business and Angus was at the chamber.

“He was extremely supportive of the work we were doing at the U of M,” Benarroch said. “He was always looking for better ways to support business, to support economic development, to support students and to create an environment where our students would want to stay in Manitoba and prosper here. It was a very positive relationship.”

Angus is known for the self-deprecating humour — “Apparently they didn’t check my grade-point average” — and deft handling of government-community relationships he displayed as head of the chamber.

He is a graduate of the U of M’s business faculty (before it became the Asper School of Business) and said it was only after reflection did he realize how much of an impact that experience had on him.

Angus said it is an important time for the whole country, regarding what the economy will look like going forward.

“There are some great thought leaders at the university that need to be brought into the thinking about where we go,” he said. “I think the timing is really important right now for the university to step forward and be engaged with business, as well as with government.”

Benarroch agreed: “A strong University of Manitoba will contribute greatly to the strength of our province, not just today, but also as we look to the future.”

It’s important the province takes full advantage of the university, he added, calling it Manitoba’s “jewel.”

“And vice versa,” Benarroch said. “The University of Manitoba understands the needs of the province, business, non-profits, government, the city (of Winnipeg), northern Manitoba, southern Manitoba, the whole province. This is somewhere Dave will have a huge impact in assisting and promoting the university and in helping the province.”

Angus said he is impressed with the inclusivity that exists at the university, including integrating Indigenous culture into a lot of what the school does and making it a welcoming place for about 2,000 Indigenous students

“That is meaningful,” he said. “I love that about the university. It defines who we are as Manitoba … and it’s right.”

As the president of a large organization like the Johnston Group, he’s able to commit time to such a volunteer appointment because it fits into the values of company founder and CEO Dave Johnston.

“I work for an employer that supports this kind of community contribution,” Angus said. “Dave Johnston is exactly the same way in terms of his activity and community work. I am lucky to be in a position that I’m in.”

Benarroch said the university will benefit from Angus’s extensive network, not just in the business community, but also through his years of association with the United Way and Canadian Museum for Human Rights.

“I think of my time at the university and what it enabled me to do in my career, and it’s significant,” said Angus. “One thing that’s often misunderstood is the value of the network you build at university that carries with you.

“I’m really grateful for what the university gave me. Part of this is the chance for me to give back.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca