Board of Directors

Bill Leach

Bill served more than 40 years in the Canadian Army and the Canadian Forces (Regular). In September, 2000, he retired from his last positions of Chief of the Land Staff and Commander Land Force Command, in the rank of  Lieutenant-General.  He graduated from The Royal Military College of Canada, Kingston, in 1965 with a degree in Economics and Commerce. Subsequently, Bill graduated from  the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College (PSC) and numerous other Canadian and allied schools, courses and seminars.

During his career,  he held appointments at all levels. In the field of logistics, he held positions in supply, finance and operational support. He served  with the British Army in Germany and in United Nations missions. During the 1990/91 Gulf War, he was the Director of Logistics Plans and Operations on the National Joint Staff.  He served in both Air and Land  Force Command Headquarters.  At the national level, he was in the Finance Group and he was Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel)  in the Materiel Group. In his last position as the Canadian Army Commander, he was a member of Armed Forces Council and Defence Management Committee; as such,  he dealt with Department of National Defence and Government of Canada policies, processes and operations. 

He is a recipient of the Canadian Order of Military Merit (Commander) and the US Legion of Merit (Commander).

Following his retirement in late 2000, he spent 10 years in the private sector; first with Honeywell International as Vice President Operations, Honeywell Canada Logistics Services; and,  more recently with Mincom, Australia’s largest software company.  He left Mincom in December 2010 to devote more time to his volunteer interests.  

Bill is now the President of the Friends of the Canadian War Museum; until recently he was a member of the Board of Directors of the Perley and Rideau Veterans’ Health Centre; he is on the Executive Committee of the Military Families Fund (MFF); he is the Honorary Colonel of the Ottawa Service Battalion; and, he is  the Chairman of the Defence and Security Committee of the Royal Canadian Legion.

Bill was born in Sarnia, Ontario, the son of a career Army officer. He considers  Ottawa his home. He has two daughters and a son, two grandchildren and three  huge dogs (the smallest one is a  Newfoundland).

Bill lives in Kars on the south side of Ottawa, trying to master the art of rural life. He is in the midst of four generations of family, from parents through siblings and children to grandchildren. His golf game is improving very, very slowly.