Chancellor

Chancellor Brian Lawson

Mr. Brian Lawson was appointed the 13th Chancellor of Trinity College, effective April 27, 2023.

Brian LawsonChancellor Lawson is a dedicated alumnus (Class of 1982) and long-serving volunteer at both Trinity College and the University of Toronto. Chancellor Lawson is known for his wisdom and generosity of spirit, and he exemplifies the College’s commitment to making a positive difference.

Chancellor Lawson is a Vice-Chair of Brookfield Corporation and was named Canada’s CFO of the Year in 2013. He and his wife Joannah are committed Trinity College volunteers and in 2019, they helped launch the Living Trinity Campaign with a leadership gift to the Lawson Centre for Sustainability and the Integrated Sustainability Initiative. Previously, they established the Joannah & Brian Lawson Centre for Child Nutrition at the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Chancellor Lawson was first appointed to Governing Council at the University of Toronto in 2014. He served as Chair of both the Business Board and the Audit Committee of the University of Toronto before serving as Chair of Governing Council during 2021-2022, and is a Co-Chair of the Defy Gravity campaign. Chancellor Lawson is a member of the Corporation of Trinity College and among other volunteer roles, he is also a director and supporter of Community Food Centres Canada. In recognition of outstanding volunteerism with the College over the years and exemplary leadership in the community, in 2022 Trinity College conferred the degree of Doctor of Sacred Letters (honoris causa) upon Brian and Joannah Lawson.

As Trinity College’s highest-ranking volunteer officer, the Chancellor presides over Matriculation Convocation and the Faculty of Divinity Convocation, chairs the meetings of Corporation, and sits as an ex officio member of the Board of Trustees and other Board committees. The Chancellor also plays an essential ambassadorial role in advancing the interests of the College within the local, national and international arenas.

The appointment of the 13th Chancellor was approved at the Spring Meeting of the Corporation of Trinity College on April 27, 2023, effective immediately for a four-year term. The installation ceremony for Chancellor Lawson is scheduled for Trinity College Matriculation Convocation on September 6, 2023.

>> April 27, 2023: View Trinity’s Appointment Announcement for the 13th Chancellor of the College