Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce named former Finance Minister Bill Morneau to its board, adding one of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s most influential lieutenants from his first years in office. 

Morneau served as Trudeau’s finance chief after the Liberal Party swept to power in 2015. He resigned in 2020 amid a public rift with the prime minister over the government’s decision-making on COVID-19 programs. Before joining the government, Morneau led Morneau Shepell, a human resource and pension-services provider that was later renamed LifeWorks.

“Bill Morneau is an accomplished leader with extensive government, public policy and business experience along with strong international expertise,” CIBC Chair Kate Stevenson said in a statement Tuesday. Morneau joins the board on Nov. 1, the Toronto-based bank said.

Another former finance minister, John Manley, was on CIBC’s board for 16 years before retiring last year. 

After leaving office, Morneau entered the race to become secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development but withdrew in January 2021, citing a lack of support.