Paul Sobey appointed university chancellor

Paul Sobey, ex-president and CEO of Sobeys parent Empire Cos., will serve as the next chancellor of Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, the university announced.

In Dec. 2013, Sobey retired from Empire Cos. after a 34-year career with the company.

Sobey currently sits as a trustee of The Sobey Foundation, The Sobey Art Foundation, and as chair of the Frank H. Sobey Awards for Excellence in Business Studies. He is also a former member of Saint Mary’s Board of Governors, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Commerce by the university.

“I am honored and humbled by the opportunity to represent Saint Mary's as its new Chancellor,” Sobey said in a press release. “Not only is it among the finest post-secondary institutions in Atlantic Canada and a national leader in business education, but I have been a proud father and uncle to several Saint Mary's students and alumni. I look forward to seeing Saint Mary's continue to grow as a national university.”

Sobey’s father, David Sobey, served as the university’s first lay chancellor from 2008 to 2010.