The board of directors of the Canadian Institute of Plumbing & Heating (CIPH) is pleased to announce the appointment of Satinder Chera as CIPH’s next CEO.

After a comprehensive national search, the board has unanimously selected Chera to lead the association forward, in this important role. During a transition period beginning shortly, Satinder will work alongside the CIPH staff team, as well as the board of directors and outgoing leader, Ralph Suppa, to help the organization continue toward its next level of achievement as the leading voice promoting the plumbing, heating, hydronics, PVF, and waterworks industries in Canada. The board also wishes to acknowledge the great work of the CIPH CEO search committee and thanks them for their time, efforts, and commitment to CIPH.

Satinder is a value-driven leader with a strong team orientation and passion for building strong relationships with members, government, and allied organizations. He brings more than 20 years of senior management and leadership experience to this role with the not-for-profit and association sectors, including serving as president of the Canadian Convenience Stores Association and vice president at the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Satinder is presently senior director for partnerships with Mitacs. Prior to his work in the association sector, Satinder served in director and senior policy advisor roles within both the Ontario and British Columbia governments. He brings a strong skill set in government relations, public affairs, communications, stakeholder relations and partnership development.

Satinder is a lifelong learner whose educational background includes an MBA from Ivey Business School at Western University, a Master’s degree in political science from the University of Waterloo, and a Bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Toronto, along with certification in leadership and inclusion from Centennial College.

“I am delighted to be joining this amazing organization and team,” said Satinder in a statement. “Ralph Suppa has achieved so much for CIPH and I am committed to ensuring that the Association continues to provide outstanding member value for this dynamic and essential industry in Canada.”

“We are delighted to welcome Satinder to the CIPH team and feel confident that his extensive experience will help enhance and strengthen our Association and continue to provide great value to members,” added Dave Hammond, chair of CIPH’s board of directors. “We have every confidence that he will make a tremendous contribution to the association and working alongside our staff team, will help CIPH achieve its mission of supporting the growth and prosperity of CIPH members. I’d also like to take the opportunity to thank Ralph for all his incredible and hard work over his time at CIPH. Thanks to his efforts, we are now well positioned to continue to innovate, evolve, and meet the needs of our members.”

Chera will join CIPH and assume his new role on Oct. 2, 2023.