Canada's History Appoints Bob Cox as President & CEO

Veteran publisher to expand digital and print audiences while ensuring all Canadians see themselves reflected in Canada’s history.

Canada’s National History Society today announced the appointment of Bob Cox as President & CEO. An innovative newspaper publisher and veteran editor and journalist, Cox succeeds Janet Walker, who retires after eight successful years leading the Society.

Cox’s selection follows a national search and interview process with members of our Board of Directors. Passionate about history and storytelling, Cox joins the Society after leading the Winnipeg Free Press for fifteen years.

“Bob is a capable leader with experience in the not-for-profit sector,” said Bruce MacLellan, Board Chair of Canada’s National History Society. “We are keen to work with Bob to build audience and strengthen our relationships all across Canada.”

While at the Winnipeg Free Press, Cox led the team in building new revenue models, expanding digital content, and increasing community connection and engagement. Prior to this, he enjoyed a successful career as a journalist and editor in four provinces and five cities, including positions at the Canadian Press and the Globe and Mail. “We are in an important time for our mission and work. When our accurate and complete history is understood, it can build common purpose and shared values and our nation can thrive,” added MacLellan.

Cox’s appointment comes at a time of renewal for the History Society, which bade farewell in August to both Walker and outgoing Board Chair Sasha Mullally, who gave seven years of distinguished service to the Board.

The Society also welcomed three new Board members:

• Jennifer Moore Rattray, a member of Peepeekisis Cree Nation, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) in Manitoba and a former Executive Director of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls.
• James Cowan is a senior executive with Macquarie, a global financial services group, and has experience in accounting, investments, fundraising, and board governance.
• Professor Amani Whitfield of the University of Calgary is a senior scholar and the author of several books on Black Loyalists, slave systems in Maritimes, and Black refugee experiences in Atlantic Canada. He previously taught at the University of Vermont.

About Canada’s National History Society

Canada’s History Society is a national charitable organization that seeks to inspire and encourage all Canadians to engage more deeply with their country’s past. We share the stories behind the history through our magazines, Canada’s History and Kayak: Canada’s History Magazine for Kids, digitally at CanadasHistory.ca, as well as through our education and award programs, including the Governor General’s History Awards. We believe all Canadians should see themselves reflected in our publications and programs.

For more information, please contact:
Mark Reid
Director of Content & Communications
mreid@canadashistory.ca
P: 204.509.1867