Founder of the McLean Group in 1972, David McLean has played an integral role in the evolution and growth of the enterprise and remains Chairman of the Board. Mr. McLean became full time Chairman and CEO in 1985, leaving a successful law practice to lead the management teams, which he continued to do until the appointment of his son, Jason, as President and Chief Executive Officer in 2010.

An outspoken champion of entrepreneurship, education and community service, Mr. McLean is a distinguished leader in the Canadian business and academic communities whose career has earned him four Honourary Doctorate of Laws (Universities of Alberta and British Columbia, Simon Fraser University and Royal Roads University), an appointment to the Order of British Columbia and, more recently, his appointment as Fellow of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD Fellow, 2006).

In 1994, following his leadership role in the transformative privatization of CN Railway, (the then largest IPO in Canadian history), Mr. McLean was appointed to the Board of Directors of Canadian National Railway Company and later elected Chairman (December 1994), a position he retains, by annual vote, more than a decade later.  Mr. McLean has served as Chairman of the Vancouver Board of Trade, Chairman of the 170,000 member Canadian Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Board of Coastland Wood Industries.  For many years he was Chairman and Director to Concord Pacific Group Inc., a public real estate company listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange which was privatized in 2002.  Additionally, Mr. McLean has served as a Director for De Havilland Aircraft of Canada, Northwestel Inc., Canac Consultants Limited and NuWest Group.

With a lifelong interest in education, Mr. McLean has served as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the University of British Columbia and is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the Institute of Canadian Studies at the University of California at Berkley.  Founding Chairman of the Centre of North American Business Studies at Simon Fraser University, he also co-chairs the University of Alberta’s capital campaign.

Mr. McLean's environmental, philanthropic and community interests include a commitment to preserving Canada’s wetlands (Ducks Unlimited Canada), the Kidney Foundation of Canada, the Sunny Hill Foundation of Canada, the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, and the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award’s Charter for Business.