Dear Licensees,
The Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Patrick Poyner as Registrar of Motor Dealers. Pat will continue to act as the VSAโs Privacy Officer. Pat replaces Ken Affleck, KC, who retired on May 7, 2025. Pat will start in his new role on June 1, 2025. In the interim, Claire Hunter, KC, of Hunter Litigation Chambers, will act as interim Registrar.
Some Things About Pat:
Pat was appointed from his current role as the Director of Investigations, Licensing, Legal Services and Privacy Officer.
Before joining the VSA in January 2022, Pat was with the BC Financial Services Authority (BCFSA) where he served as a Hearings Officer, responsible for the adjudication of disciplinary matters, compensation fund claims and licensee qualification hearings.ย ย
Prior to its amalgamation with the BCFSA, Pat spent several years as legal counsel with the Real Estate Council of BC where he provided in-house legal advice on various matters including compliance and investigations, licensing issues and compensation fund claims.
Pat has extensive experience with alternative dispute resolution processes having received training and certification both as a mediator and an arbitrator.ย Pat has served as a roster arbitrator with various tribunals and regulatory bodies including the BC Employment Assistance Tribunal, BC Property Assessment Review Panel, City of North Vancouver Board of Variance and the BC Teacherโs Regulation Branch.
Pat was called to the BC Bar in 1997 and while operating his own legal practice acted as counsel in a variety of areas including criminal defence and personal injury matters, class proceedings and acting for Indian Residential School Survivors advancing claims before a dedicated administrative tribunal established to address historical Indian Residential School abuse claims.
Pat obtained his law degree from the University of Calgary and his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma Washington. Pat is a certified Family Enterprise Advisor, having received his training from the University of British Columbia in 2010.ย Pat also received his Chartered Arbitrator designation from the ADR Institute of Canada in 2011. In 2021, Pat achieved his CIC.C designation having completed the Business Leadership Program for In House Counsel, at the University of Toronto, Rotman School of Management.
In his spare time, Pat enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, watching baseball and coaching a variety of youth sports. Pat previously played professional baseball in the Texas Rangers and Montreal Expos organizations.
