Janis Byrne, KC

Janis Byrne has extensive experience as a lawyer and corporate director, working with diverse organizations in the public, private, and non-profit sectors.

She is the former General Counsel and Executive Vice President-Legal of Pennecon Limited, a position she held for 23 years until her retirement in 2022 to focus on work in corporate governance. During her tenure with Pennecon, Ms. Byrne worked with both the Penney Group and Pennecon Limited during a period of exponential growth, advising companies in various sectors including construction, energy, marine, shipping, real estate, seafood processing, concrete and ready-mix, and auto dealerships.

Ms. Byrne has served on numerous boards, with over 25 years’ experience in the governance of non-profit and for-profit boards. She currently sits as a Director of Growler Energy Inc., Director and Chair of the People and Culture Committee, Atlantic Lottery Corporation, and Director and Chair of the Regulatory Committee and member of the Governance and Human Resources Committee of the Newfoundland and Labrador Liquor Corporation. She is also a Director and Chair of the Sustainability Committee, Canadian Manganese Company Inc. (NEO: CDMN). Janis is also an Employer representative on the Newfoundland and Labrador Labour Relations Board. She is a past Chair of the St. John’s Board of Trade, and a past President of the Canadian Bar Association (NL Branch), and currently serves on the Boards of Crohn’s and Colitis Canada and Junior Achievement Newfoundland & Labrador.

A graduate of Memorial University, Ms. Byrne also holds a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Windsor and a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Ottawa. She received the Institute of Corporate Directors Designation (ICD.D) in 2017 and an Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) certification from Competent Boards Canada in 2022. Ms. Byrne was appointed as Queen’s (now King’s) Counsel in 2020.