British Columbia Sunshine List 2018 (FY 2017-18)

British Columbia’s 2018 compensation disclosure: every disclosed public-sector compensation for the year, with top earners, sectors, and employers.

9,058
employees disclosed
$101,924
average compensation
$89,085
median compensation
$898,258
highest compensation

In 2018, 9,058 employees at 119 British Columbia public-sector employers were disclosed on the province’s compensation disclosure (FY 2017-18, the fiscal year ending in 2018). The average disclosed compensation was $101,924 and the median was $89,085 — the disclosure covers only employees above the $75,000 threshold in force that year, not the entire public-sector workforce.

Compared with 2017, the list grew by 1,395 names (+18%, from 7,663 to 9,058), and the average disclosed compensation rose 1.7% from $100,203.

The highest-paid person on the 2018 list was Thomas Bechard (President & CEO Powerex) at BC Hydro, at $898,258. The full top 25 is below; for interactive filtering of all 9,058 records, use the data explorer or see the British Columbia dashboard for the latest year.

FY 2025 figures include school district SOFI data (~21K employees over $75K) that wasn't ingested for prior fiscal years; the headcount increase is partly a coverage change, not a workforce change. FY 2010 is missing from the source data.

Highest-paid public-sector employees in British Columbia, 2018

Top 25 by compensation on the 2018 disclosure. Click a name for their full year-by-year profile.

#NamePositionEmployerCompensation
1Thomas BechardPresident & CEO PowerexBC Hydro$898,258
2Kimberly N HendersonDM to the PremierBC Public Service Agency$687,589
3Brenda LeongChairBC Securities Commission$639,702
4Athana MentzelopoulosDeputy Minister of FinanceBC Public Service Agency$619,738
5Santa J OnoPresident & Vice-ChancellorUniversity of British Columbia$595,848
6Lori-Ann DonaldsonManagerInsurance Council of BC$542,346
7Jessica McDonaldPresident & CEO (Former)BC Hydro$541,615
8Christopher O'RileyPresident & COOBC Hydro$529,184
9Teresa ConwayPresident & CEO, PowerexBC Hydro$518,689
10Paul Emile LandrySenior Vice-President RedevelopmentProvidence Health Care Society$515,907
11Nigel P CaveVice ChairBC Securities Commission$442,400
12Andrew PetterPresidentSimon Fraser University$439,460
13Gerald MatierExecutive DirectorInsurance Council of BC$437,040
14Jim LightbodyPresidentBC Lottery Corporation$428,227
15James CasselsPresident and Vice ChancellorUniversity of Victoria$423,215
16Geri PriorFormer Chief Financial OfficerInsurance Corporation of BC$415,685
17Mark PoweskaEVP, OperationsBC Hydro$405,720
18Bill CarpenterChief Financial Officer & Chief ActuaryInsurance Corporation of BC$404,469
19Carl RoyPresident & Chief Executive OfficerProvincial Health Services Authority$403,004
20Diana MilesPresident and CEOWorkSafe BC$398,075
21Kathy ParslowVice President Claims and Driver LicensingInsurance Corporation of BC$397,768
22Mary AckenhusenPresident and Chief Executive OfficerVancouver Coastal Health Authority$397,263
23Janet FraserSVP, People, Customer and Corporate AffairsBC Hydro$397,208
24Michael MarchbankPresident & Chief Executive OfficerFraser Health Authority$395,776
25Cheryl YaremkoEVP, Finance, Business Services & CFO (Former)BC Hydro$393,645

2018 compensation by sector

SectorEmployeesAvg CompensationTop Compensation
Core Government8,531$97,831$308,197
School Districts239$142,504$346,550
Crown Corporations114$191,453$898,258
Colleges & Institutes80$154,037$304,938
Health Authorities49$228,570$515,907
Universities33$224,721$595,848
Public Service12$150,596$687,589

Largest employers on the 2018 list

The 15 employers with the most disclosed employees in 2018.

EmployerSectorEmployeesAvg Compensation
Province of British ColumbiaCore Government8,531$97,831
BC HydroCrown Corporations18$212,486
School District 39 VancouverSchool Districts10$137,770
Insurance Corporation of BCCrown Corporations8$251,580
Interior Health AuthorityHealth Authorities8$177,053
BC Public Service AgencyPublic Service7$178,058
Providence Health Care SocietyHealth Authorities7$218,067
Provincial Health Services AuthorityHealth Authorities7$221,527
School District 40 New WestminsterSchool Districts7$103,858
School District 48 Sea to SkySchool Districts7$105,257
School District 68 Nanaimo LadysmithSchool Districts7$152,895
University of British ColumbiaUniversities7$221,342
BC TransitCrown Corporations6$170,557
Capilano UniversityColleges & Institutes6$147,899
Fraser Health AuthorityHealth Authorities6$240,454

Other years

2025202420232022202120202019201820172016201520142013201220112009

British Columbia Sunshine List 2017·British Columbia Sunshine List 2019