Longtime British Columbia executive Catherine Roome has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Vancouver-based Concert Properties, the firm announced Tuesday.

Roome will assume the position as of May 26, taking over from interim CEO John Dooling.

Dooling will again be able to focus solely on his responsibilities as managing director and chief financial officer.

“Catherine is a highly accomplished, transformational leader with a strong track record of delivering results across a range of organizations,” said Concert’s board chair, Ivan Limpright, in the announcement. “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.” 

Roome has over three decades of leadership experience across infrastructure, regulation and public-interest organizations. 

Roome's career and experience

She previously served as president and CEO of Technical Safety BC for over a decade, an industry regulatory agency. Most recently, she was interim CEO of Atira Women’s Resource Society, B.C.’s largest supportive housing organization. 

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

“I’ve spent recent weeks listening to Concert's shareholders and stakeholders. What I’ve learned is that the company has strong fundamentals, valuable assets and committed people. My focus will be to align our stakeholders around a clear strategic direction, execute with discipline and advance the company’s corporate goals.” 

Roome also brings extensive governance and capital planning experience to the role. She is a past director of B.C. Hydro and is board chair of its energy trading subsidiary, Powerex, where she has contributed to oversight of major capital programs and long-term investment strategy.

She also chairs the operating board for McElhanney and is a board director for Prospera Credit Union. 

Roome also serves as co-president of the International Women’s Forum (IWF) British Columbia.

Dooling had served in the interim CEO’s role since former president and CEO Christine Bergeron had to take medical leave due to a battle with cancer. Bergeron passed away in February.

Concert Properties was founded in 1989 and has grown into a major developer, owner and operator of commercial and multifamily real estate. Its $6.6-billion portfolio and projects span rental apartments, condominium homes, industrial and office properties. 

Concert is owned by union and management pension plans and institutional investors representing over 200,000 Canadians.