ELISABETH LANG T he first woman in Canada’s history to be appointed Superintendent of Bankruptcy, Elisabeth Lang is a public servant in the true sense of the expression – a large part of her career has been spent working as a lawyer in the Federal Government and her passion has always been to improve people’s lives. “I’ve always been focused on achieving results for the benefit of Canadians,” says Elisabeth, who was named to the highest role at the agency in charge of the country’s insolvency system in October. “I think that the mandate of the OSB that deals with ensuring that all players fulfil their roles and responsibilities as they should has always been of particular interest to me,” says Elisabeth. “Again, because the system relies on that balancing and the people playing those roles to function properly. I’m also interested in providing tools to Canadians in debt to support them in managing that debt and finding the right solutions to their problems as quickly as possible.” Elisabeth is certainly well-qualified for the role. Much of her more than 20-year career in the legal profession has been centred on the Canadian financial system; the insolvency system in particular. She spent nearly a decade as Deputy Superintendent, Program Policy and Regulatory Affairs at the OSB and has extensive experience working within the government’s legal system. Most recently, Elisabeth worked as an Associate Deputy Commissioner in the Competition Bureau after a stint as Chief of Staff to the bureau’s Commissioner. What she also brings to the job is an agenda that embraces consensus-building and she is sharply focused on maintaining and strengthening an insolvency regime that has functioned well through good and bad times for many decades. EMBRACING DIVERSITY Elisabeth is keen to ensure that the insolvency community at large is representative of Canada’s shifting demographics and she plans to look closely at issues of equity and diversity. “One of my areas of interest is looking at perhaps increasing the diversity and representativeness of the industry, particularly being the first woman Superintendent of Bankruptcy that’s been appointed,” she says, noting that the role was filled on an acting basis by Deputy Superintendent Patricia Alférez in 2008. “We’ve had a Superintendent since 1932, so I think we should have had a woman before now. But the reality is that I am the first one, so it’s a personal area of interest for me in terms of gender but also beyond that in terms of representing Canadians. Because they are the industry’s clientele – they will need to be able to see themselves to be served properly.” Elisabeth plans to work closely with CAIRP Chair Chantal Gingras, among others, to explore opportunities to promote diversity in the administration of the insolvency system. “When I was at the CAIRP Exchange in Toronto, I was really encouraged by the number of women who approached me and wanted to chat with me about their work and their experience.” Chantal, who first met Lang in 2013 during her first term as a CAIRP Board member, says she has always appreciated the ability to have a frank and open discussion with Lang on insolvency industry issues. “I feel we most often advance each other’s critical thinking on matters and sometimes we agree to disagree and just move on,” says Chantal. “Having previously worked at the OSB from 2007 to 2016, she has a deep understanding of the insolvency industry. In my past experience, she demonstrated the attributes required of the Superintendent, namely: integrity, honesty, and she’s an effective communicator who always seems passionate and committed.” Elisabeth’s mission is to collaborate – a word she uses often – with the OSB’s partners to get Canadians the information that they need and to help them when they are in serious financial distress. Inclusion is the key to ensuring that the public is being served, she stresses, and that means not only community outreach to the diverse ethnicity of a shifting population, but an improved understanding of the needs of a modern Canada. “We want to find the right solutions to solve their particular debt problems as quickly and directly as possible,” she says. “So, we’ll engage at the federal and provincial level and across private industry to reach as many Canadians as possible. And we’re looking at some new and innovative tools to help Canadians find the information and that solution while also continuing to promote some of our existing tools.” Change is good, especially when it is designed to improve the experience of people who genuinely need help, she says. But she is also aware that it is of paramount importance that the OSB keep a sharp focus on supporting the fundamental goal of the insolvency system - to rehabilitate individuals and corporations, to get the tens of billions of dollars in assets that flow through the system back into the economy and into productive use. The system works, she says: any changes must be executed carefully and precisely. ENGAGEMENT, ENFORCE- MENT, ORGANIZATIONAL EXCELLENCE “My three areas of focus are engagement, enforcement, and organizational excellence. And I see all three of these as needing immediate attention,” Elisabeth says. “We will be focusing on these three areas at our OSB planning meeting and I hope to consult with Licensed Insolvency Trustees (LITs) on our 2019-20 priorities before finalizing them. With a view to being more transparent, on the note that we’re better if we have more people’s views.” Elisabeth says she was thrilled to take on the demanding role of Superintendent because it will give her a chance to lead an organization she knows very well, “with a mandate that I’m extremely passionate about and it gives me the chance to make a difference for the benefit of Canadians.” “It was wonderful to receive a great welcome from the employees here, as well as the stakeholders – it was really, really positive feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, so that was gratifying.” Among Elisabeth’s priorities is the cultivation and expansion of relationships between the OSB and all of those stakeholders. While government departments are often seen as cold, efficient bureaucracies, Elisabeth says she sees an opportunity to forge meaningful connections between the professionals who work within the insolvency system and the office that oversees it. Volume 19 Issue 1 Rebuilding Success 15