The man who oversees the $650-billion pension portfolio of millions of Canadians started out his career in the relative safety of a chemistry lab. Back then, John Graham was a research scientist with a PhD in physical chemistry. He spent nine years working in a lab before he jumped from the world of science to the world of finance, joining CPP Inve…

After 100 Speaking of Business interviews with Canada’s leading CEOs, we decided to mark the milestone by putting a few of them together in a room. We brought together a former CEO from one of Canada’s most established companies, an executive from a Canadian success story that started small and became big, and a company founder from a brand-new sec…

As the fourth generation leader of a family business, Galen Weston recognizes the responsibility he shoulders – to his employees, his country, and his great-grandfather’s legacy. Weston’s Real Home-made Bread began in Toronto in 1882. Today, George Weston Limited is one of Canada’s largest private sector companies, with more than 200,000 employees.…

When Elio Luongo started working for KPMG in Canada in the 1980s, artificial intelligence was the stuff of science fiction movies. Remember when The Terminator hit the big screen? Now, as Luongo prepares to retire as CEO, AI is no longer the purview of sci-fi imagination. It’s increasingly the day-to-day reality in a modern workplace. Luongo is enc…

Carolyn Wilkins is fully aware how “geeky” it is to talk about economic growth. But the former senior deputy governor of the Bank of Canada has made a career out of it, and she is inviting everyone else to get in on the conversation – because it’s the very lifeblood of our quality of life. “The economy is the foundation of peoples' financial and so…

John Kousinioris describes 2015 as a wakeup call. Back then, his company, TransAlta, relied heavily on coal plants to generate electricity for Albertans. The Alberta government had other plans. It announced a phase-out of coal-fired electricity plants and gave TransAlta until 2030 to comply. Rather than challenging the government’s decision, Kousin…

As a child growing up in Pembroke, Ontario, Meghan Roach remembers driving more than an hour out of town to shop at a Roots store. “Roots was always something special,” she recalls, pointing to the durability of their well-worn products. “I love the Roots TUFF Boots. You would buy these things and you could not wear them out.” Little did she know t…

For decades, the names John Risley and Clearwater Seafoods were practically synonymous. The story of Clearwater’s founding is the stuff of legend in Atlantic Canada. It’s a story of how John and his business partner Colin MacDonald started selling lobsters in a store on the Bedford highway in 1976 … and how they grew Clearwater into a global seafoo…

They’re taking on underground construction obstacles, tackling mining and energy quandaries, and don’t hesitate to brainstorm daily about how to address climate change. Hatch is an engineering and professional services firm that employs 12,000 people in 150 countries around the world, all from its perch in Mississauga, ON. But you may have never he…

When Jennifer Wong was an economics student at the University of British Columbia, she walked into an Aritzia store with her resumé. The company at the time was only three years old and operated two locations. She landed a part-time job, which led to other Aritzia jobs as the company grew. Three decades later, she became Chief Executive Officer of …

When the last spike was driven into the Canadian Pacific Railway track on November 7th, 1885 in British Columbia, CP became the first transcontinental railway to connect Canada from east to west. Last April, the iconic Canadian company marked another first, when – in Kansas City, Missouri – a ceremonial final spike connected Canadian Pacific with K…

It was a summer job that sparked Mike Rencheck’s lifelong career in the energy industry. He started out as an intern at the Beaver Valley Power Station in Pennsylvania in the 1980’s, and never looked back. “It really opened my eyes to what was possible in nuclear energy,” he says. Skip ahead a few decades and Rencheck is now the President and CEO o…

Iggy Domagalski is a big believer in having fun at work. “Work can be enjoyable,” he says. “When people know that they can have a bit of fun and that they can take five minutes to spend some fun time with their peers, I think that sends them back to their desk smiling.” Domagalski is the President and CEO of Wajax, a Canadian industrial products an…

François Poirier and his co-workers see themselves as problem-solvers. The problems are many, and familiar to anyone who follows North America’s energy industry. The need to reduce emissions from traditional energy sources like oil and natural gas. The need to transition to lower-carbon sources without raising prices for consumers. The need for ene…

Twenty-seven years ago, WestJet took to the air with just three aircraft and five destinations. Today, the Calgary-based airline serves more than 100 cities across four continents. Overseeing the operation is CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech. He's a newcomer to Canada but not to the industry, having spent two decades working for and running airlines in E…

If you filled up your car’s gas tank recently, or popped into a convenience store, there’s a good chance you visited a Parkland location. The Canadian company supplies fuel and operates convenience stores across Canada under many banners, including On the Run, Chevron and Ultramar. Founded in Red Deer, Alberta, in the 1970s, Parkland now operates 4…

Growing up in rural Saskatchewan, Tracy Robinson liked to watch the trains roll by. Little did she know then that trains would have a lasting impact on her life. She spent 27 years working at Canadian Pacific Railway before switching to the energy sector for almost a decade. Last year she returned to her roots when she was appointed President and C…

Rania Llewellyn spent 26 years working at Scotiabank before making a move she describes as a “big leap and a big change” – becoming President and CEO of Laurentian Bank. And yet she says the hardest part of that transition was joining a new institution in the middle of a pandemic. The inability to walk through the office and meet people created uni…

When Deanna Zumwalt became President and CEO of Coril Holdings in 2021, she took on responsibility for an organization with a rich Canadian legacy. The Calgary-based company, with roots in the railway industry, has evolved considerably since its beginnings nearly 125 years ago. Now Zumwalt is looking ahead to the next century. “Being a family enter…

Canada needs a new foreign strategy that positions it to compete successfully in a changing world, according to former Canadian ambassador Louise Blais. “There are major shifts occurring in the geopolitical landscape,” she says. “Canada will either come out as losing or winning from an economic and security perspective, but we need to have a plan.”…

When Dani Reiss took over his grandfather’s apparel business more than two decades ago, he gambled on Canada. He resolved to continue making high-end outerwear in Canada, at a time when others in the industry were moving production abroad. The bet paid off. Today Canada Goose is recognized around the world for its luxury clothing. Reiss credits par…

COVID-19 created an “inflection moment” that offers Canadians a chance to build a better future, according to Penny Wise, President of 3M Canada. “We have a huge opportunity to make a difference and really change the growth trajectory of Canada if we really seize that moment,” she says. In a conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business…

Is Canada poised to be a winner or a loser as the world transitions toward cleaner sources of energy? Charles Brindamour, the CEO of Intact Financial Corporation – the country’s largest provider of property and casualty insurance – is convinced that Canada has everything it needs to be a global leader in the drive to net-zero greenhouse gas emissio…

Mary Ann Yule worries about the long-term economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women. “Many working women struggled to balance the responsibilities that came with assuming dual roles,” says the President and CEO of HP Canada. “They are 12 times more likely to step away from their jobs to take care of their family.” The risk, she points out, …

John Graham has a clear mandate. As CEO of Canada Pension Plan Investments, he oversees the retirement savings of 20 million Canadians, with the goal of achieving the highest possible returns without undue risk. And yet in a volatile and unpredictable world, his challenge is anything but simple. Take, for example, the fund’s investments in the ener…

How does an employer maintain a sense of community and office culture when many people are working from home? For Sonja Volpe, part of the answer lies in bringing staff together through volunteerism. “Volunteering is taking on an even more important role in the future hybrid work environment,” says the CEO of BNP Paribas in Canada. “It provides us …

When the Business Council of Canada officially endorsed the concept of a national price on carbon in 2007, it was a “tough sell”, says John Dillon, the Council’s Senior Vice President, Policy and Corporate Counsel. At the time, the federal government and many private sector leaders were concerned that carbon pricing would erode Canada’s ability to …

When Bharat Masrani looks to Canada’s future, he sees opportunity. “We have all the tools in our toolkit to really leverage what is to come,” says the President and CEO of TD Bank. In a January 25th conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Masrani points to strengths – such as Canada’s education system and highly skilled w…

Canada has the resources and the know-how to build one of the world’s cleanest and greenest economies. That’s one of the messages four business leaders delivered at a Canadian Club Toronto event on January 17th. The discussion, “Seizing Canada’s Clean Growth Opportunity,” focused on the steps we need to take now to secure a low-carbon energy future…

When half a million Canadians are counting on you to look after their pensions, you need to stay squarely focused on the long term. “We often joke, ‘A quarter is not three months – a quarter is 25 years,’” says Blake Hutcheson, President and CEO of OMERS, which manages the retirement savings of current and former municipal employees across Ontario.…

When Susannah Pierce looks to the future, she’s filled with optimism. Why? As she puts it, “the energy sector is changing, from one of being carbon-intensive to one of being more [focussed on] clean energy.” The President and Country Chair of Shell Canada points to innovation and investments in new technology by Shell and others – including renewab…

When Dave Filipchuk began working in the construction industry in the 1980s, digital technology was just a blip on the radar screen. Times have changed. “We’ve got an internet-of-things evolution happening in our industry,” says the President and CEO of PCL Construction, Canada’s largest general construction company. “It goes way beyond measuring t…

If there’s one word business leaders have heard throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s “pivot.” John Chen knows it better than many. Long before the pandemic, BlackBerry’s Executive Chairman and CEO led the storied Canadian company through what he calls “a 180-degree flip” – from a hardware-centric business to a software-focused one. In a conversat…

Canada needs a strong economy to help it address significant post-COVID challenges, says the outgoing CEO of National Bank of Canada, Louis Vachon. In a conversation with Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Business podcast, Vachon says Canada is facing four areas of transformation: technology, demographics, geopolitics and climate change. Connecting th…

At the age of 24, Ben Cowan-Dewar set out to build a golf course in a remote part of Cape Breton. Construction began around the time of the 2008 financial crisis. Did he think it was a risky venture? “In hindsight,” he says, “obviously it was.” But it paid off. Now, Cowan-Dewar’s Cabot Cape Breton golf courses are ranked among the best in the world…

Lisa Raitt and Anne McLellan know first-hand the challenges of governing in a minority parliament. They both served as cabinet ministers in minority governments – Raitt as a Conservative and McLellan as a Liberal. “Long term planning is harder,” McLellan told Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Business podcast, “but that doesn't mean you can't get big …

Canada’s Magna International is a $40 billion company that employs more than 158,000 people in 28 countries. Yet in the eyes of its CEO, it’s really “a 60-year-old startup”. “We are still a startup because we are in a $3 trillion industry and it's changing,” says Swamy Kotagiri. “Every time there is change, there is opportunity.” The Aurora, Ont.-b…

Mallorie Brodie wants to see a cultural shift in Canada – one that embraces risk. The CEO and co-founder of Kitchener, Ont.-based Bridgit Inc. says Canadians have a “level of discomfort” when it comes to taking risks, but it’s essential when scaling up a business. She should know. Over the past eight years Brodie and co-founder Lauren Lake have bui…

As Guy Cormier looks ahead to a post-COVID Canada, the president and CEO of the Desjardins Group says it’s time for all of us to embrace a new approach. “Capitalism has lifted a lot of people out of poverty,” he says. “[But] at the same time, I think it's quite obvious that there is some collateral damage.” Cormier points to climate change and inco…

When the federal government appealed to business for help in the fight against COVID-19 last spring, technology company CAE answered the call. It developed a ventilator prototype in 11 days and started manufacturing it soon after. But that’s not all. CAE designed online training programs to teach healthcare workers how to protect themselves from in…

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed how Canadians live, work and interact . Whether we are working from home or trying to stay in touch with friends and family while complying with stay-at-home orders, digital technology has become an essential tool. The demands on Canada’s communications systems have never been greater. For Bell Canada, the pandemic…

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated a digital transformation that was already well underway in Canada - just look at the phenomenal rise in online shopping and video conferencing over the past year. But the digital economy requires new skills. Is Canada’s workforce ready? “There is this stat that 40% of work is going to be impacted by automation,…

A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, and many of Canada’s downtowns are still eerily quiet. Thousands of employees continue to work from home, leaving many office buildings sparsely occupied. But Jon Love, founder and CEO of KingSett Capital, believes Canadian cities will bounce back after the pandemic. The reason? Connection. “We can connect digital…

On April 19th Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland will unveil Canada’s first federal budget in more than two years – a budget she has described as the most significant of our lifetimes. What will it take to build a stronger, healthier and more resilient economy after the pandemic? In a timely conversation at the Canadian Club Toronto, Goldy Hyder di…

In this rapidly changing world, Canada needs an economic plan that builds on the country’s strengths, addresses its weaknesses, and reduces the risks from future disruptions. In late October the Business Council of Canada created a roadmap to help get there. In our report “Powering a strong recovery: an economic growth plan for Canada”, we outline …

What’s it like to start a new job in the middle of a global pandemic? Claude Guay knows. He became President and General Manager of IBM Canada last May. Since then he’s been finding creative ways to connect with employees and clients, while developing solutions to help the country respond to the economic and health crisis. How do you stay agile as …

“Corporate Canada needs to look more like Canada.” That’s the call to action from Jaqui Parchment. As CEO of Mercer Canada she is one of only a very few Black women CEOs in the country. She is also a Director of the BlackNorth Initiative and a founding member of the Black Opportunity Fund. And she is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusio…

“Each day is truly a gift.” Lisa Lisson, President of Federal Express Canada Over the past few months we’ve heard from many business leaders as they have responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Guests on this podcast have told us how they have overcome unique challenges and we’ve heard about the many ways corporate Canada has supported communities thro…

“We’re business people, let’s figure it out.” For Wes Hall, Executive Chairman and Founder of Kingsdale Advisors, the death of George Floyd was a call to action. He speaks with Goldy Hyder about July’s Black North summit, and why he’s urging corporate Canada to find solutions to end systemic racism through the creation of the Canadian Council of Bu…

“I’ve seen how business relationships can lift a community and a person out of poverty into a place where they’re full of pride.” Indigenous business leader JP Gladu speaks with Goldy Hyder about forging ties between Indigenous businesses and corporate Canada. He also reflects on calls for action against racism, and discusses the impact of COVID-19…