TORONTO, June 15, 2018 – York University today recognized the many contributions of Canadian corporate leader and rights advocate Annette Verschuren, who received an honorary doctor of laws degree at a York University Spring Convocation ceremony for graduates in the Faculty of Health and Faculty of Environmental Studies.

Passionate about modern energy technologies and corporate development, Verschuren, chair and CEO of NRStor Inc., is an industry leader inspiring environmental accountability, business development, and women’s rights. She is also an advocate for mental health.

Raised on Cape Breton Island, she quickly made her mark with both the Cape Breton Development Corporation and the Canada Development Investment Corporation. She served as president of The Home Depot Canada and Asia from 1996 to 2011, before founding NRStor Inc., an energy storage technology company. She is also the co-founder of Michaels of Canada.

Verschuren is passionate about volunteering. She has contributed her expertise to Habitat for Humanity, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the Rideau Hall Foundation, and numerous other philanthropic causes. Women’s rights are paramount to her development and she regularly mentors young women. She spoke at the 2017 International Women’s Day celebrations in Halifax.

A past Chair of Ontario’s Clean Energy Task Force, Verschuren is an adviser to the Eco-Fiscal Commission, founder of Smart Prosperity, and was invited by the Prime Minister to serve with the U.S./Canadian Women’s Business Council. She is the proud Chancellor of Cape Breton University, and was made an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2011 for her corporate social responsibility. In 2012, she was appointed co-chair of the 2012 Governor General’s Leadership Conference.

York University champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. York students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world’s most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. York U is an internationally recognized research university – our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, York is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni. York U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Janice Walls, Media Relations, York University, 416 455 4710, wallsj@yorku.ca