Kolkata-born becomes Canada’s first Sikh senator

Miss Alone

Prime VIP
Kolkata-born former Scotiabank’s vice chairman Sarabjit Singh Marwah has become the first Sikh to be appointed to the Canadian senate.
Toronto-based Marwah, who retired from Scotiabank in 2014, was among the six people from Ontario who were appointed to the senate by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Trudeau lauded Marwah’s efforts in showcasing the “rich diversity of Sikh and South Asian art and culture”.
Marwah is one of the founders of the Sikh Foundation of Canada that promotes culture and art among the diaspora.
Marwah, who was born in Kolkata in 1952, did his schooling from St Xavier’s School. He is an alumnus of Delhi’s St Stephen’s College and the Delhi School of Economics and holds an MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles, USA.
Marwah joined Scotiabank in Toronto as a financial analyst in 1978. Rising through the ranks, he went on to become the chief financial officer in 1998. In 2002, he was made the bank’s senior executive vice president and chief financial officer.
In 2005, he was elevated to the post of vice chairman and chief administrative officer. In 2008, he was re-designated.
Marwah has served on the boards of many famous Canadian institutions such as the Toronto Star daily, the Toronto International Film Festival, the CD Howe Institute, the Royal Ontario Museum, the United Way Campaign and the Hospital for Sick Children.
Marwah joins two other Sikhs — defence minister Harjeet Sajjan and science minister Navdeep Bains — in the Canadian Parliament.
While Marwah will be the only Indian-origin member of the Senate (upper house), there are over 20 members of Indian-origin in the House of Commons (lower house).
 
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