After a Decade of Recognizing Inspirational & Ethical Leaders in Canada’s Financial Services Industry, the Alexander S. Melvin Award Looks to the Future
Award for inspirational & ethical leadership recognizes new challenges for industry leaders, expands selection committee and invites nominations
TORONTO, October 16, 2025 – As the Alexander S. Melvin Award marks its tenth anniversary, the selection process will reflect new challenges and opportunities for leaders in Canada’s financial services industry. The award committee will also be expanded to include representation from CAILBA (Canadian Association of Independent Life Brokerage Agencies), RDBA (Registered Deposit Brokers Association) and Advocis (The Financial Advisors Association of Canada).
Alexander S. Melvin, who passed away in 2015, was co-founder of CANNEX and a leader of Canadian financial services associations and committees. A tireless advocate for transparency around products and pricing for Canadians, Melvin was the archetype for inspirational and ethical leadership the award has recognized since 2016.
“Inspirational and ethical leadership is a timeless concept, but the context in which it is demonstrated has and will continue to change,” said Dennis Craig, chair of the 2026 Alexander S. Melvin Award Committee. “It is important we recognize the adoption of artificial intelligence, digital currencies and policies around them, as well as the geopolitical landscape. These present significant new ethical challenges and opportunities for inspiring leadership.”
Past award winners include David Newman, principal director of Fiscal Agents Savings and Investments, Dennis Craig, vice president, brokerage distribution, MGA & national accounts at RBC Insurance, Gord Mooney, president emeritus of General Bank of Canada, and Terri Botosan, chief executive officer of HUB Financial Inc.
“This award is about recognizing people whose behaviors will inspire the next generation of industry leaders in ways that support Canadians’ trust in the financial services industry,” said CANNEX CEO, Lowell Aronoff, who co-founded CANNEX with Melvin. “Technology has always been part of the award criteria; the decisions being made today will be hugely consequential for financial services institutions and their clients.”
The Alexander S. Melvin Award Committee invites the nomination of leaders in the Canadian banking and insurance industries for its 2026 honoree through January 16, 2026. The award, which includes a donation to a charitable organization selected by the winner, will be announced and presented in April. The award is underwritten by CANNEX.
Nominations can be proposed by companies or individuals for leaders who have made the industry better through innovation, technology, entrepreneurial spirit, collaborative leadership and mentoring, as well as through their leadership of financial service institutions, the implementation of significant industry initiatives and new technologies, and the fostering of diversity of thought and culture. For more information and to submit nominations visit the Alexander S. Melvin Leadership Award website.
About the Alexander S. Melvin Leadership Award
Since 2016, the Alexander S. Melvin Leadership Award has recognized individuals in the Canadian financial services industry who, through their inspirational and ethical leadership, have changed the industry for the better. Named after industry leader Alex Melvin, who passed away in 2015, the award is given to outstanding professionals who embody his inspirational and ethical leadership and who demonstrate a collaborative spirit and willingness to help others succeed.
About CANNEX
CANNEX Financial Exchanges, Ltd. supports the exchange of pricing and data for annuities and bank products including term deposits and guaranteed interest contracts (GICs). The firm’s data gives financial institutions the ability to evaluate and compare various guarantees associated with savings and retirement products. For more information about CANNEX, visit www.cannex.com.