MONTREAL, March 31, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - At the latest meeting of the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA), held in Toronto on March 26 and 27, 2015, Louis Morisset, President and Chief Executive Officer, Autorité des marchés financiers, was appointed Chair of the CSA for a two-year term, ending March 31, 2017.

"It is an honour to have been appointed by my colleagues to lead the CSA in these challenging times. The CSA plays a fundamental role in the Canadian capital markets and I am committed to diligently pursue our work of coordinating and harmonizing securities regulation across Canada," said Louis Morisset. "Efficiency of Canadian capital markets, effective law enforcement and confidence of Canadian investors will continue to be the driving force of our organization, which is more than ever essential in the current context."

Morisset succeeds William S. Rice, Chair and CEO of the Alberta Securities Commission, who served as Chair of the CSA since January 2011. "I would like to congratulate and warmly thank Bill Rice for the significant role he has played as CSA Chair over the past four years.  His strong leadership and commitment to the organization have been remarkable," said Morisset.

CSA members appointed Don Murray, Chair of the Manitoba Securities Commission, to a two-year term as Vice-Chair of the CSA. "We will continue to apply the CSA's strategic principles and pursue our efforts toward the implementation of a more harmonized and streamlined securities regime in Canada," noted Murray. CSA members also renewed the term of Howard I. Wetston, Q.C., Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission, as Chair of the Policy Coordination Committee for the same period.

The CSA, the council of securities regulators of Canada's provinces and territories, coordinate and harmonize regulation for the Canadian capital markets. Their mandate is to protect investors from unfair or fraudulent practices through regulation of the securities industry. Part of this protection is educating investors about the risk, responsibilities and rewards of investing.

SOURCE Autorité des marchés financiers