The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) has named Annesley Wallace as its next president and CEO, effective April 1, 2025.

She will succeed Jeff Wendling, who is retiring after leading the organization since 2020. HOOPP ranks among Canada’s largest institutional commercial real estate investors.

Wallace brings extensive experience in investment management and pension administration. She currently serves as executive vice-president of strategy and corporate development, as well as president of power and energy solutions at oil and gas pipeline firm TC Energy.

Her past roles include executive vice-president and global head of infrastructure at OMERS, where she oversaw a $32-billion global infrastructure portfolio. As OMERS’ chief pension officer, she led initiatives to enhance member engagement, improve digital services, and elevate the overall experience for more than 500,000 plan members.

“One of the many reasons I am excited about joining HOOPP is that the organization is uniquely positioned for success,” Wallace said in a news release. “HOOPP is a top-performing pension plan, operating as part of a defined benefit system that is admired globally. It has an exceptionally strong purpose and talented people. It also has a very bright future, given its current funded status and scale, mandate in the healthcare sector and opportunities for growth across membership and employer groups.”

Dan Anderson, chair of HOOPP’s board, expressed confidence in Wallace’s leadership.

“The search by our board for this critically important position was extensive, and we met with numerous highly qualified candidates,” Anderson said. “Annesley is our preferred candidate, and we know she is the right person to lead the organization and to continue our mission of providing retirement security to more than 460,000 healthcare workers in Ontario.”

Wallace will officially join HOOPP on March 1, 2025, for a one-month transition period working alongside Wendling before assuming full leadership duties in April.

“We are building on an incredibly strong platform, owing to Jeff’s leadership and the strength of the team at HOOPP,” Wallace said. “We will continue to build on HOOPP’s success by delivering the best value and experience in retirement for healthcare workers of Ontario.”

HOOPP board vice-chair Gerry Rocchi thanked Wendling for his five years as CEO and 26 years of service to the organization.

“Jeff helped HOOPP solidify its place as one of the top-performing pension plans in the world and keep us fully funded through some of the most challenging market conditions in history,” Rocchi said.

Wallace holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in engineering from Queen’s University and an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University.

Pictured: Annesly Wallace, incoming president and CEO at HOOPP

Photo: Courtesy of HOOPP