New Board chair excited to see bold bicentennial plans to fruition 

Hutcheson’s tenure overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic, which meant virtual meetings with the Board and Principal Sam McKinney to address how the school should best navigate that unprecedented situation.  

“Students, faculty and staff, and management had to adapt and communicate in different ways, and I was proud of the way we were able to continue to deliver world-class education,” Hutcheson reflects. “We tried to keep the lights on for our teams, orchestras and musical productions as best we could. People rose to the challenge and I think we did an extraordinary job getting through that period.”

Otherwise, the Board and Hutcheson — whose day job is president and CEO of the OMERS pension plan — focused on setting the stage for the next five years, as the College approaches its 200^th anniversary in 2029.

“We want the school in the best position, not only in Canada, but among the global comparators and competitors of great boys’ schools,” he says. “This means a terrific physical plant, strong balance sheet, the best leaders, teams and programming, world-leading financial assistance, and being set up to succeed for the next 200 years.” 

He is particularly proud of the relationship he fostered with McKinney. 

“We communicated every week — often several times — to make sure we were in lockstep and in service of our students and the school,” he says. “I’ve never seen a great institution succeed if the chair and leader weren’t close. I’m pleased to say we have Sam for the foreseeable future, and that consistency is what the school needs.”

Hutcheson cites the paramount importance of the Board hearing from community voices — particularly students.  

“It helped us lead and guide the school by listening to the boys — getting them in and hearing about their lived experience and what they felt about issues of the day, such as inclusion and diversity, pluralism, and tensions in geopolitics,” he says.

And when they didn’t have students in the room, they would place a UCC blazer over a chair as a constant reminder of whom they were serving. It’s a tradition Willoughby says he will continue. 

Willoughby is a senior corporate partner with Torys LLP, and his transition to chair seems like the logical next step after serving the College as chair of the UCC Campaign Cabinet, the Plan 200 committee, and the UCC Foundation Board of Trustees. 

He feels well-prepared for this new responsibility, but adds, “One of the great things about volunteering with an institution like UCC is that there are fantastic people involved, and you are always learning from them.”

Being the chair who will see the school’s bicentennial ambitions through to fruition might seem like plenty of weight on his shoulders, but he says, “It’s more me standing on the shoulders of all the terrific work and folks who have gone before and continue to be committed to the vision. It has been a heavy lift for many years already by the school and by many volunteers, supporters and donors.” 

He outlines the four pillars of Plan 200 guiding the momentum the College is building. 

“The first is construction of the Rogers Building, which will link the Prep with the Upper School and with the community,” he explains. “Second is the evolution of our leading financial assistance program. Third is innovative programming for head, heart, and humanity.

“The fourth is engagement with our UCC community and with community programs, such as learn-to-row at the College’s Lindsay Boathouse, and bringing students from other schools to our campus. The new building will facilitate that kind of community engagement,” he says. “And the more ambitious engagement part is trying to push forward education and share those learnings for the benefit of other Canadians and beyond — all part of giving meaning to UCC’s responsibility to be a ‘private school with public purpose.’” 

Although Hutcheson has stepped down from his post, the former chair says, “It’s like the song ‘Hotel California’: ‘You can check out any time you like/But you can never leave.’ I committed to Rich and others to continue, particularly on the fundraising, until we uncork our 200^th anniversary in the way the community has dreamt about it being uncorked.”   

Regarding his friend and predecessor, Willoughby says, “Blake is one of the outstanding Canadian leaders, and UCC has been fortunate to have him as chair during challenging times. He also played a lead role in giving meaning to the College’s vision statement to reflect the pluralism and promise of Canada, and our Plan 200 initiatives. There were many accomplishments and happily, Blake is not going anywhere until Plan 200 is accomplished!” 

“It has been an honour of a lifetime to serve as UCC’s chair,” says Hutcheson. “Knowing the school is now under Rich’s capable leadership gives me great confidence in our collective and exciting future!”

Says Principal Sam McKinney, “It’s a privilege to work alongside extraordinary community members like Blake and Richard to ensure we’re creating the best possible environment to prepare compassionate, globally minded young leaders to make a positive impact on their world. I'm truly grateful for their vision, dedication, and generosity with their time and talents.”