Gordon Thiessen

Gordon Thiessen
Gordon Thiessen
Born	August 14, 1938 (age 88); South Porcupine, Ontario, Canada
Occupation(s)	Economist, banking professional
Years active	1963–2001
Known for	Sixth Governor of the Bank of Canada (1994–2001)

Gordon George Thiessen (born August 14, 1938) is a distinguished economist and banking professional who held the position of the sixth governor of the Bank of Canada from 1994 until 2001. He followed John Crow in this role and was succeeded by David A. Dodge.

Thiessen was born in South Porcupine, Ontario and grew up in Saskatchewan. He obtained an Honours BA degree in 1960 and a MA degree in economics in 1961, both from the University of Saskatchewan. After a brief period teaching economics, he began his career at the Bank of Canada in 1963. He later earned a Ph.D. in Economics from the London School of Economics in 1972.

Throughout his tenure at the Bank of Canada, Thiessen progressed through several key positions including Adviser to the Governor (1979), Deputy Governor (1984), and Senior Deputy Governor (1987), ultimately ascending to the role of Governor.

In recognition of his significant contributions, particularly his support to the Swedish Central Bank (Sveriges Riksbank) in formulating policies to control inflation following the flotation of the Swedish Krona in 1993, Thiessen was honored with Sweden’s Order of the Polar Star in 1996. Additionally, he received an honorary Doctor of Laws (LL.D) degree from the University of Saskatchewan in 1997.

After completing his term as Governor, Thiessen served on various corporate boards, including those of IPSCO starting in 2001 and Manulife Financial beginning in 2002. His achievements were further recognized when he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada in 2002. He also received both the Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal that year and the Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012.

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