A successful corporate lawyer and business leader who is known for giving back to the community is being honoured by the Toronto Branch of the Queen’s University Alumni Association.

Sheila Murray, Law’82 (Com’79) – the president of the independent wealth management company of CI Financial – is the recipient of this year’s Toronto Branch Award. 

Faculty and students at Queen's Law also congratulated her in a video to be played at the ceremony:

Murray is honoured to be this year’s recipient and feels her experiences at Queen’s helped prepare her for a successful career.  

“Queen’s is a very special part of my life. I know that I could not have achieved and had the professional career I have been able to have without the benefit of my Queen’s education,” says Murray.

She started her career as a Bay Street lawyer with an emphasis on mergers and acquisitions. Her experience with securities law has helped her transition into the role of business executive. In February, she was named president of CI Financial (a company with $141 billion in assets).

Murray has also given back to her alma mater, sitting on the Queen’s Law Dean’s Council and Initiative Campaign Cabinet, the university’s recent fundraising drive that raised more than $640 million.

She also donates her time to organizations outside of Queen’s. Recently, Murray was appointed to Ontario’s New Business Law Advisory Council, which was created to modernize the province’s business laws. Last year she was named one of the honorary chairs for the One Walk to Conquer Cancer in support of Princess Margaret Cancer Centre.

The Toronto Branch Award is given to Toronto-area alumni who have distinguished themselves in their careers, in their volunteer work, in the arts, or in other ways they have contributed to society. 

Previous Toronto Branch Award recipients include Bell Media President Mary Ann Turcke (Sc’88, MBA’97), Academy Award-winning filmmaker Brigitte Berman (Arts’71, Ed’72), and current Queen’s Chancellor Jim Leech (MBA’73).

The Toronto Branch Award dinner takes place on Nov. 30. Online registration is now open.