President Leanne Andree Assistant Vice President & Senior Counsel Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada 227 King St S PO Box 1601 Stn Waterloo Waterloo ON N2J 4C5 leanne.andree@sunlife.com

It is my privilege to serve as president of the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association this year. This role provides me with the honour of working with a great staff whose vision, hard work and tireless dedication to the CCCA has resulted in unprecedented growth and success for our organization.

I also have the privilege of working with a board of directors who bring an incredible degree of business acumen and experience from their varied roles within their own corporate lives. Together, this creates an unbeatable combination, and I’m excited and very humbled to be a part of this.

I’ve been asked why I’ve committed so much volunteer time to the CCCA over my career, especially when I’m already a busy professional, a mother of three, and the spouse of a lawyer (some or all of which must sound familiar to many of you). The answer is easy. Although I’ve dedicated many volunteer hours over the years to the CCCA, I’ve received far more than I have given.

It’s only as a result of my involvement with the CCCA that I have the opportunity to share ideas and learn from leaders in our profession. And it’s only as a result of my involvement with the CCCA that I have the ability to easily access any number of colleagues from any number of industries to seek advice on business or legal issues. The CCCA provides me the important opportunity to be both a mentor and a mentee.

Each conference I attend gives me a chance to step back from my day-to-day work life and look at how others have succeeded, the lessons they’ve learned, and the issues they’ve faced. This is a tough profession: our employers expect excellence, and we expect excellence of ourselves. We’re all striving for perfection, both professionally and personally, and to find the right balance.

My life is made infinitely easier through the ability to share ideas and network with colleagues, to learn from those with more experience than I have, and to set an example and be available for those newer to the profession or the in-house bar than I am. I’m a better lawyer and a better businessperson as a result of my involvement with the CCCA. That’s why the CCCA is important to me, and why it’s my privilege to serve as your president for 2008-2009.

Leanne Andree

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