Zahid Salman elected Chair of CLHIA Board

Zahid Salman, President and Chief Executive Officer, GreenShield, has been elected Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association (CLHIA). 

Zahid joined GreenShield in September 2018 and has led its transformation into Canada’s first “payer provider,” integrating health care and insurance to deliver a differentiated value proposition to its clients. As a non-profit, GreenShield reinvests 15–20 per cent of its pre tax earnings to improve health outcomes for underserved communities, in service of its mission of Better Health for All. Under Zahid’s leadership, the organization has grown more than 2.5 times and now serves eight million Canadians.

With over 30 years of international leadership experience, Zahid has been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Admired CEOs with an approach that blends strong financial performance with measurable social impact. An actuary by training, Zahid holds the FCIA and FSA designations, completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School, and earned his ICD.D through the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Zahid serves on multiple GreenShield Boards, is a member of the Business Council of Canada, and sits on Catalyst Canada’s Advisory Board. He has also held leadership roles on several not for profit boards, including the Alzheimer’s Society of York Region, the York Region Children’s Aid Society, and the Saint Elizabeth Healthcare Foundation.

The Chair of the Board is elected annually by CLHIA’s Council along with the election of our board of directors:

• Zahid Salman (Chair), GreenShield
• Fabrice Morin, (Chair Elect), Canada Life Assurance Company
• Bernard Naumann, Munich Reinsurance Company, Most Recent Past Chair
• Denis Ricard, iA Financial Group, Past Chair
• Bernard Lord, Medavie Blue Cross
• Rino D’Onofrio, RBC Life Insurance Company
• Jean-François Chalifoux, Beneva Inc.
• Kayte Fredrickson, Teachers Life Insurance Society (Fraternal)
• Matt Berman, Foresters Financial
• Fabien Jeudy, Equitable Life Insurance Company of Canada
• Jessica Tan, Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
• Chantal Gagné, Desjardins Sécurité financière, compagnie d’assurance vie
• John Adams, Primerica Life Insurance Company of Canada
• Patrick Graham, Manulife (effective July 1,2026)
• Stephen Frank, Canadian Life and Health Insurance Association