Philip Ponting

Phil Ponting, retired Partner with McLennan Ross LLP, is a dedicated and influential arts advocate who has created a lasting impact on the Canadian cultural landscape. From 1986 to 1996, Mr. Ponting was a member of the Edmonton Symphony Society Board of Directors, and was also the Board Chair for the Edmonton Concert Hall Foundation. He was a vital driving force in the construction of the Francis Winspear Centre for Music, which remains to this day one of the world’s preeminent concert halls.

He served terms with the Alberta Performing Arts Stabilization Fund and the Council of Governors of the Edmonton Aviation Historical Society. He was Chair for the Banff Centre Board of Governors, and was named a Fellow, which is the Centre’s highest recognition. His dedication to the arts earned him an induction into the Edmonton Cultural Hall of Fame in 1998 and he brought his wealth of experience and expertise to an appointment to the Canada Council for the Arts in 2009. Also in 2009, Ponting took his place on the ESO’s Distinguished Advisory Council alongside past Board Chairs and other major influencers in the history of the Orchestra and the Winspear Centre.