Don Leitch

Past Chair

He/Him

Don Leitch was elected Chair of the Board of Directors of Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet (RWB) in June 2017. Don is currently the Clerk of Executive Council, the Deputy Minister to the Premier, Secretary of Cabinet and Head of Manitoba’s Public Service, a position he previously held for over eleven years.

Don served as a Deputy Minister in British Columbia with responsibility for economic development, international investment and trade, small business, and tourism. He also led the initiative to establish Travel Alberta as a Crown Corporation and was its first CEO. More recently, Don served as President and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba from 2014-2020.

In addition, Don brings a wealth of volunteer experience having worked on numerous boards, commissions, and task forces provincially and nationally, including the boards of the Forks-North Portage Development Corporation, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the Multiple Sclerosis Society, and the Poverty Reduction Council at the United Way of Winnipeg. For over a decade, Don has also served on the International Advisory Committee of the RWB.

He was awarded the 2000 Lieutenant Governor’s Gold Medal for Excellence in Public Administration (Manitoba), and the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

Don earned a Master’s degree in Natural Resources Management and a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Manitoba.