 Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia in 1965 and a MBA from the University of California, Berkeley in 1967.Since 1999, he is a member of the board of directors of Scotiabank.In 2002, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada "for his ability to bring together diverse interests" and having "served as Canada's lead negotiator in international trade talks".