New CEO named for one of B.C.'s largest developers, owned by unions and pensions | Daily Hive

Catherine Roome. (Prospera Credit Union)

Catherine Roome has been appointed as the new permanent president and CEO of one of British Columbia’s largest real estate development firms, Concert Properties.

She replaces Christine Bergeron, who passed away this past February after a battle with cancer.

“Catherine is a highly accomplished, transformational leader with a strong track record of delivering results across a range of organizations,” said Ivan Limpright, chair of Concert Properties, in a statement today.

“She brings values that align with our culture, along with a proven ability to develop exceptional teams. Her forward-thinking leadership, financial discipline and expertise in navigating complex environments make her exceptionally well suited to lead Concert well into the future.”

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Roome has a wide range of experience in the private and public sectors, including on boards — currently sitting on the boards of Prospera Credit Union, engineering firm McElhanney, BC Hydro wholly owned company Powerex, and BC Hydro’s Site C project oversight committee. She was also on the board of TransLink’s Metro Vancouver Transit Police force in 2015/2016.

Up until 2022, after a decade in the role, she was the head of independent BC systems and equipment regulator Technical Safety BC. More recently, she co-founded Pulse Technologies.

For about a year, up until Spring 2024, she also served as the interim leader of Atira Women’s Resource Society. At the time, the embattled non-profit organization was transitioning its leadership and operating procedures following a scandal that involved BC Housing, and Roome was appointed to help rebuild public and government trust in the organization.

“I’m honoured to join Concert Properties at an exciting time for the company,” says Roome.

“What drew me to Concert is the outstanding team and its commitment to building people-first communities, while delivering stable returns to its owners — represented by over 200,000 working Canadians who depend on Concert for their retirement.”

Concert Properties is jointly owned by 49 Canadian union and pension management plans. The Vancouver-based company owns, develops, and manages a wide range of building uses, including condominiums, rental housing, office space, industrial space, and other commercial uses.

According to its website, the developer has built over 12,000 homes across the country since it was founded in 1989, owns $6.6 billion in assets under their control, and owns and manages more than 12.5 million sq. ft. of commercial space.

Earlier this year, Concert Properties, in partnership with Peterson Group, received Vancouver City Council’s rezoning application approval for the Langara Gardens project, which will add 2,600 new homes to the site on the Cambie Corridor.

langara gardens 7051 ash crescent vancouver

Revised concept of Langara Gardens at 7051 Ash Cres., Vancouver. (James Cheng Architects/Concert Properties/Peterson Group)

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