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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 part of that success to the decision to stick with a “Made in Canada” label.  For international customers, he says, “a Canada Goose jacket made in Canada was like a Swiss Watch made in Switzerland. It's a quintessential Canadian product when the place of manufacturing cannot be separated from the product itself.” In conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Reiss urges other Canadian businesses to “leverage the power of the Canadian brand.” He also reflects on being named to AMA Toronto’s Canada’s Marketing Hall of Legends, which honours business excellence within the marketing profession. 

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 podcast, Wise points to three ingredients that should be part of the country’s economic recovery.  First, she urges the country to develop an industrial strategy that capitalizes on Canada’s strengths and potential.  Second, Wise emphasizes the importance of getting women fully engaged in the economy again, including in leadership positions, pointing to the large number who left the workforce during the pandemic.  Third, we need a stronger focus on teaching science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), and on ensuring under-represented groups have access to that education. “Our future lies in making sure those people who want to pursue STEM — who want a job, who want a career — that we are providing them with the opportunities to make that happen,” Wise says. Listen to Goldy Hyder’s conversation with Penny Wise – including the career advice she gives to young women – on the Speaking of Business podcast

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 emissions.  He points to the country’s highly skilled and diverse workforce, its robust energy supplies and its abundant natural resources as areas in which Canada has huge advantages.  “Whether it's around industrial and natural carbon capture, whether it's about building on our strengths in renewable energy, or playing a massive role in the electrification of transportation, these are great opportunities for the country,” Brindamour tells Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Business podcast. Brindamour says he began to see the effects of climate change more than a decade ago. His company responded by creating the Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation to help communities become more resilient to climate-related natural disasters. In February Brindamour was named Canada’s Outstanding CEO of the Year, an award he says he shares with his entire team. “We very much think about Intact as a collective project to build a Canadian champion. And I'm hoping that this prize will help inspire others to do that – because we need more Canadian champions.” Listen to Goldy Hyder’s conversation with Charles Brindamour on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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, is that many women’s career trajectories will be hindered or knocked off course. She cites a recent study that concludes global GDP could be one trillion dollars lower by 2030 if action isn’t taken to mitigate pandemic-related job losses for women. In a wide-ranging conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Yule discusses solutions to ensure all employees are engaged and supported – including through mentorship and hybrid work options. And she offers her own lessons in leadership. “There is a privilege that comes with leadership – and an obligation. We need to pay it forward by helping young leaders and blazing the trail for future generations.”  Listen to the full conversation – including how and why HP Canada is investing in the circular economy – on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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 energy sector. Recently CPP Investments committed to achieving a net-zero portfolio by 2050. But that doesn’t mean it is divesting its holdings in Canada’s oil and gas industry.  “We believe fundamentally in a path of engagement,” Graham tells Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Business podcast. “Divesting takes responsible owners away from the table. Divesting basically puts these assets in the hands of people who may not have the same values.” Graham says Canada is poised for an “economic transition”, not just an energy transition, because the shift to low-carbon energy sources will affect almost everything we produce and consume. And he sees a significant leadership role for Canada. “Canada knows how to do these types of initiatives at scale. I think we very much have the resources and the scientific and technical know-how.” Find out more – including why John Graham switched careers from research scientist to pension manager – by listening to this engaging and wide-ranging episode of Speaking of Business .

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 the opportunity to engage with each other, to build out the internal network and strengthen the team dynamic while, of course, helping those in need.” In conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Volpe outlines how BNP Paribas – an international bank operating in 65 countries – is planning for what it calls “organized flexibility”. In practical terms, that means bringing employees back to the office 50 per cent of the time as COVID-19 restrictions ease. “Even though we've been extremely efficient and productive in a remote environment during the pandemic, that's not the way of the future. We need to spend time together and hence time at the office is important,” she says. Volpe also explains how BNP Paribas is addressing climate change through sustainable financing … and why the bank’s Montreal office includes an urban farm!

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 compete internationally. “In 2007 there weren’t many countries anywhere talking about carbon price or any meaningful climate policy. There was a worry that a price on carbon could impact our competitiveness.” Dillon has been working on energy and climate policy for three decades. In that time he has seen many changes.  In conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Dillon reflects on what he has learned, why Canada’s business leaders have embraced the fight against climate change, and what the country must do it meets its net-zero goals.  For more information on the business case for emissions reductions, check out the Business Council of Canada’s report Clean Growth 3.0: Achieving Canadian Prosperity in a Net Zero World.

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 workforce – as key ingredients to help the country succeed in a post-pandemic world. He also sees an important role for Canada’s energy sector as the country transitions to net-zero emissions. “You look at what those [energy] companies are doing – they're on the leading edge of technology, the leading edge of how we reduce carbon,” he says. Finally, Masrani points to the cooperation between the public and private sectors during the pandemic as a model for Canada to follow in the years ahead. “We are a country that is united in its vision. We want to be successful and we want success for all.” Listen to Goldy Hyder’s conversation with Bharat Masrani on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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. Presented in partnership with the Business Council of Canada, the event featured key decision-makers from Canada’s mining, agriculture, financial services and energy sectors:  Don Lindsay, President and CEO of Teck Resources; Karn Manhas, Founder and CEO of Terramera; Dave McKay, President and CEO of RBC; and  Susannah Pierce, President and Country Chair of Shell Canada.  The conversation was moderated by Nadia Theodore, Senior VP of Maple Leaf Foods. In Don Lindsay’s words, “We have all of the competitive pieces to address climate change, to stimulate economic growth and to build a nation where our kids can thrive.” Listen to the conversation on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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.  OMERS is one of the largest defined benefit pension plans in Canada, with net assets of more than $114 billion. So it’s good to know that when Hutcheson looks to the future, he’s optimistic about what he sees.  “This is one of those times where there are outsized opportunities ahead – lots of reasons to believe in tomorrow, lots of reasons to believe in this country, and lots of reasons to believe in the future.” In conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Hutcheson discusses the challenges of leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic.  He also shares some of the lessons he learned growing up 200 km north of Toronto in the town of Huntsville. “To me the ticket for getting ahead as a society is putting [aside] differences and working together in a trusting way. Small towns do that.” Listen to Blake Hutcheson’s conversation with Goldy Hyder – including his 2022 Stanley Cup prediction – in the Speaking of Business podcast.

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 renewable fuels, biofuels and carbon sequestration – as significant steps toward helping Canada meet its net-zero commitments. She also recognizes the need for the private sector to work with all levels of government to reduce emissions.  “Standing on opposite sides, fighting over things, is never going to allow us to move forward,” she says in conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. “The challenge is real, but the solution is one that we have to work on together. Let's make sure we roll our sleeves up collectively and get after it.” Listen to Susannah Pierce’s conversation with Goldy Hyder, including her thoughts on supporting women in the workplace, on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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 things like temperature and humidity. [It includes] air pressure, sound levels, concrete strength, vibration – all with internet-connected sensors in our buildings as we build them.” Modern building design and engineering also has to take into account climate change. For companies like PCL, that includes using low-carbon, energy-efficient products and materials, sourced locally when possible. Buildings must also be capable of withstanding extreme weather events. For all the changes, Filipchuk says the fundamentals remain the same. “I often talk about it as the food, clothing and shelter business,” he says. “We meet the needs of human existence going into the future. How we do things will evolve, and we’re going to need to adapt in smart ways to define that better future for our kids and the generations after us.” Listen to Dave Filipchuk’s conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast.

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 conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Chen shares his experience and advice on adapting to change. For Chen, lesson number one is the need for patience. Major transformations, he says, often take longer than expected. He also emphasizes the need to focus on the end goal: “If you keep pivoting without a central theme, you definitely are going to fail.” Listen to John Chen’s conversation with Goldy Hyder, in which they also discuss talent, risk-taking, and why pagers were once seen as a “badge of honour.”

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 them all, he says, is “clearly the economy … you need to get it absolutely right, and fast.” Vachon retired from National Bank of Canada on October 31, following almost 15 years at the helm.  After navigating many challenges, including the 2008 financial crisis, he says he hopes he leaves behind an employee culture that is able to adapt to change. “I kept saying to my employees ‘as a CEO, the only thing I can promise you is more change.’” Listen to Louis Vachon’s full conversation with Goldy Hyder.

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 and the company is expanding, building new courses and resorts in Revelstoke, B.C. and Saint Lucia.  In a conversation with Goldy Hyder in the Speaking of Business podcast, Cowan-Dewar credits part of his success as a young entrepreneur to the advice and support he received from experienced business people. “I would watch these great Canadians in their 60s, 70s and 80s take a really long view and I thought ‘well it's easy for them, they've already been successful.’ But what you realize is, it's easy for them because they've been through cycles.” Learning how to take a long view and adapt to economic cycles helped Cowan-Dewar, co-founder and CEO of Cabot, weather the COVID-19 pandemic – a crisis that had a devastating impact on Canada’s tourism sector, including the golf industry.  Now he’s sharing what he’s learned with younger entrepreneurs. His advice? – keep a level head, use problem solving skills, and remember “you have people who are really cheering for your success.” Listen to Ben Cowan-Dewar’s full conversation with Goldy Hyder.

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 things done.  It actually requires you to make common cause with your fellow parliamentarians across the aisle … issue by issue the governing party has to find its support.”  With a new minority parliament set to assemble in Ottawa, the two former politicians are searching for common ground. They are co-chairs of a new initiative aimed at developing a long-term vision for Canada.  The Coalition for a Better Future brings together more than 100 organizations across the private and not-for-profit sectors. Their goal? To help shape a plan for long-term inclusive, sustainable economic growth. Raitt and McLellan know finding common ground among a wide range of interests won’t be easy. But they both see the need to give it a try. “There's big change happening around us and we really need to be ready for it,” says Raitt. “And if part of being ready is making sure that we can scoop up as many voices in society to give an idea of what economic growth they think is needed, then I think that's going to be a very worthwhile experiment and one that will be welcomed.” Listen to Goldy Hyder’s full conversation with Anne McLellan and Lisa Raitt.

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.-based auto parts manufacturer knows it has to stay nimble to keep pace with the evolving needs of the industry. That’s especially true when it comes to the development of electric and autonomous vehicles. Kotagiri points to Magna’s “rich heritage of innovation” as the foundation of its extensive research and development activities. But the company also maintains a raft of partnerships with universities, research institutions and fledgling companies.  It’s a “symbiotic relationship”, he says. “They bring the idea, they bring the fundamental science, the tech or the concept. We can take that and find the right application.” So what can customers expect from Magna when it comes to next-generation electric vehicles? “I am very optimistic about the next steps that the industry will go through,” Kotagiri says. “This is just the beginning -- and the right beginning.”

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 built their construction software startup into one of Canada’s fastest-growing companies – one that more than doubled its revenue growth last year. She’d like to see Canada embrace a similar startup mindset. “There’s an opportunity for us to become much more aggressive when it comes to innovation,” she says. “We should really determine as a country what are our strengths, how do we double down on those strengths and then really become confident in them.” Listen to Goldy Hyder’s conversation with Mallorie Brodie, including a discussion of what it’s like to be a woman working at the intersection of two male-dominated professions – construction and information technology.

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 income inequality as examples of the myriad social challenges facing Canada. He says it’s time “to give capitalism a do-over” by ensuring that the post-pandemic recovery includes a strong focus on sustainable growth. The pandemic brought home the importance of looking after one another, he says. In tandem with governments, businesses large and small stepped up to support their communities. Many people are now looking to corporate leaders to help tackle other pressing global issues. “Citizens, employees, clients, suppliers will be key people … to remind all of us that we must try to see the future differently than it was before.” In conversation with Goldy Hyder, Guy Cormier also talks about the importance of addressing mental health, and mentoring youth.

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 infection. It also started manufacturing air sanitizers for use in healthcare settings, workplaces and schools. Now the company has pivoted again, opening Quebec’s first workplace vaccine centre. The goal is to vaccinate 50,000 people by August. “In every war, industry has always played a key part as a partner to the government in fighting the fight and this one was no different,” says Marc Parent, president and CEO of CAE. He says the company adapted quickly by drawing on the skills and creativity of its workforce. And he thinks a similar approach can benefit Canada as a whole. “We have in Canada the ingredients to succeed,” he says. “At CAE, we invest in creating a culture where innovation can occur. I think the trick is, how do we do this as a country?” Listen to Goldy Hyder’s conversation with Marc Parent to hear how CAE is using that same spirit of innovation to tackle climate change.