Canadian IT consultancy CGI Inc. says it will nominate George Cope, the outgoing chief executive of BCE Inc., for election to its board of directors.
The nomination will take place at CGI’s next annual meeting on Jan. 29, the company said in a press release Thursday.
Mr. Cope, 58, is planning to step down as CEO of BCE, which he has led since 2008, on Jan. 5. He’ll be passing the reins to Mirko Bibic, who is currently the company’s chief operating officer.
Montreal-based CGI provides business consulting services, systems integration and intellectual property solutions and has more than 77,000 employees around the world. It reported a profit of $1.3-billion on revenue of $12.1-billion during the three-month period ended Sept. 30.
“CGI is a Canadian success story and I look forward to contributing to its growth as a strategic leader in the global IT marketplace,” Mr. Cope said in a statement.
Mr. Cope took the helm at BCE at a time when the legacy telephone operator was grappling with a decline in its primary business. He led a turnaround that included restructuring the management ranks, investing in its landline and wireless networks and overhauling its marketing strategy.
He has also led the company through a number of acquisitions, including Astral Media, CTV, Manitoba Telecom Services, and a 37.5-per-cent stake in Toronto sports team conglomerate Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment Ltd.
Mr. Cope began his telecom career in the 1980s when he joined wireless startup Clearnet after graduating from the the University of Western Ontario. He helped the company go public before selling it to Telus Corp. in 2000 for $6-billion.
Last June, when Mr. Cope announced his retirement, he said he intended to stay involved in commercial and charitable communities.
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Alexandra Posadzki