Neil Gross, a former executive director of the Canadian Foundation for the Advancement of Investor Rights (FAIR Canada), has been appointed chair of the Investor Advisory Panel (IAP), effective August 1.

Gross has served on the Ontario Securities Commission’s IAP since November 2017, and is a lawyer with more than three decades of experience focused on investor protection issues. He currently provides consulting services to investment firms and regulatory agencies on strategic reforms, governance and complaint-handling processes.

The IAP advises and comments on proposed rules, policies and investor protection initiatives, while considering the views of a broad range of investors through consultation with investors and organizations representing investors.

Gross replaces Letty Dewar who served as chair for four years. The IAP currently has seven members and will be issuing a call for new members in September.

The mandate of the OSC is to provide protection to investors from unfair, improper or fraudulent practices, to foster fair and efficient capital markets and confidence in the capital markets, and to contribute to the stability of the financial system and the reduction of systemic risk.