In the latest episode of Speaking of Business, Wendy Andrushko, President of DuPont Canada, takes host Goldy Hyder on an insider’s tour of the Kingston Technology Centre, a facility that’s quietly shaping the future of electronics, sustainability, and advanced materials. 

From semiconductor research to green chemistry breakthroughs, the Kingston, Ontario site is more than a lab, it’s a launchpad for commercialization. World class researchers are “inventing things, piloting things, figuring out how to scale it to ultimately commercialization,” Andrushko explains.

What makes the Kingston facility stand out in a crowded field of research? And how is Canadian innovation punching above its weight? Find out by listening to the full conversation.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Mark Collett remembers a time when many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians left the province in search of work, including himself. But today, as the CEO of St.John’s-based Crosbie Group, he sees a different story unfolding. 

“Certainly for the first 30 years of my life, I think we were probably hanging our head a little bit low,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. “But I think we started to pump our chest out when things really started to move ahead in the oil industry.”

Crosbie Group, a fourth-generation family business, plays a central role in the energy, marine and real estate sectors in Canada, the United States and Guyana. Collett has seen firsthand how quickly other countries have moved ahead with energy projects, while those in Canada have stalled.  “From 2014 to 2018, there were over $4 billion in commitments to explore offshore Newfoundland and Labrador,” he notes. “Since 2018, there’s been just $300 million.”

He attributes much of that slowdown to regulatory uncertainty. Despite the challenges, he believes the tide may be turning. “We need to seize the moment, seize the day,” he urges. “We have a very willing sentiment toward the industry right now.”

For Collett, the conversation isn’t just about energy, it’s about Canada’s future. “We spend an awful lot of time talking about our potential and tomorrow,” he says. “I'm personally at a place where I want to see things happening and happening now.”

🎧Listen to the full conversation with Mark Collett on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Laurent Ferreira is blunt when he assesses the state of Canada’s economic trouble.

“The status of our economy is red,” he said in a June 9 conversation with Goldy Hyder at the Conférence de Montréal.

The president and CEO of National Bank of Canada stressed the urgency for Canada to strengthen its economy in light of geopolitical uncertainty. But he’s optimistic the country will take action, saying now is the time to “get projects built across the country, get to the bottom of what are the causes of our economic performance, and move forward.”

Ferreira sees a major role for Canadian energy in Canada’s future. The Quebec-based bank recently acquired Alberta-based Canadian Western Bank, expanding the bank’s footprint into more markets across the country. He says nation-building projects, including energy, will keep the federation strong. And to land those projects, there’s an overriding need to reduce regulations. 

“I think that the biggest impediment to energy transition is regulation. It's not Alberta. It's regulation. That's the real problem.”

Listen to the full conversation on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Roy Gori started his first job – a paper route – at age eight. At ten, he was delivering medications to seniors for a local pharmacy. He got a job with Citibank straight out of high school at 17 and has been working full time ever since. So it’s perhaps not surprising that, at age 56, he’s decided to try something new.

In early May, he retired as President and CEO of Manulife after eight years leading the international financial services group. The Canadian company has a massive global footprint, employing 40 thousand people around the world. 

Before leaving his post, Gori sat down with Goldy Hyder to reflect on his career and talk about what comes next.

“It has been the honour and privilege of my life to lead this great Canadian organization,” he says on the Speaking of Business podcast. “Never would I have imagined that the son of a coal miner could become the CEO … and I've never taken that responsibility lightly.”

In the wide-ranging conversation, Gori discusses his work ethic, lessons he’s learned through adversity, transformational changes at Manulife, and Canada’s global reputation.

Listen to the full interview, including how Gori ended up intercepting a pass from quarterback Tom Brady, on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Scott Balfour has some simple career advice for his three sons: stay humble, work hard and be kind. It’s what he learned from his mother and grandmother and he maintains those “fundamental skills” have been the most important throughout his career. 

Born and raised in Oakville, Ontario, Balfour spent a year working on the assembly line at the local Ford plant before returning to Laurier University to complete his degree. He went on to work in commercial banking, corporate finance and infrastructure development before pivoting to the energy sector, becoming president and CEO of Emera. The Halifax-headquartered energy company serves more than 2.5 million customers across Canada, the United States and the Caribbean.

At Emera, Balfour has been at the forefront of the industry's transformation, overseeing the company's shift towards more renewable energy sources and modernizing its energy mix. He has navigated the complexities of policy, regulation, and customer needs, all while maintaining a commitment to reliability, affordability, and environmental stewardship. 

Listen to his full conversation – including his hopes for Canada’s future – on the Speaking of Business podcast with Goldy Hyder.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

When Dean Setoguchi thinks about Canada’s energy industry, he sees a bright future, and it’s partly due to tariff threats from the United States. “I’m an optimist,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. “I feel like there’s a recognition by Canadians that our national resources are our treasure, and I don’t think that recognition has been there for the past at least decade.”

The president and CEO of Keyera hopes momentum will build to get Canadian natural gas to more customers. “We have an opportunity to deliver the world’s most responsibly produced oil and natural gas in the world and we can help enrich people’s lives across the planet,” he says. “If we can get the right policy and regulatory framework, we can do great things.”

As a midstream infrastructure company, Keyera plays a vital role in processing and delivering natural gas across Canada and around the world. 

Reflecting on his own career journey, Setoguchi shares how he transitioned from accounting to the oil and gas industry, embracing the entrepreneurial spirit and "enterprise-level thinking" that he learned while working with smaller companies. 

He also discusses his deep ties to his hometown of Lethbridge, and the influence of his Japanese grandparents, who were interned during WWII. “I like that humble upbringing and being grounded no matter what position you are or what you do in life. At the end of the day, we’re all just people.”

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

What can we expect from a second Trump presidency and how should countries like Canada respond?

Those are some of the themes Goldy Hyder explores with bestselling author, columnist and CNN host Fareed Zakaria in a conversation recorded on January 13th – one week before the presidential inauguration.

Zakaria discusses his latest book Age of Revolutions and reflects on changes to the geopolitical landscape, including the potential impact of tariffs on countries around the world.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Éric Martel understands the transformative power of innovation. The President and CEO of Bombardier says it “has always been in the DNA” of the company – from the invention of the snowmobile 80 years ago, to the development of cutting-edge aerospace technology today.

In an interview with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Martel discusses why fostering innovation and growing Canadian champions requires a strong partnership between the private sector and government. He argues that Canada needs to take a more proactive approach to supporting its domestic industries, particularly in areas like defence, where the government can work closely with companies to identify future needs and collaborate on solutions. 

“It's about creating more jobs, creating more value for the country,” he says.

Listen to the full interview with Éric Martel, including leadership lessons he learned as an 18-year-old cadet, on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

Deb Pimentel often tells her colleagues to be “loud and proud.” The President and GM Technology for IBM Canada believes Canadians need to be more passionate and vocal about their accomplishments. 

“It's incredible how many fantastic things we do that we don't talk about,” she tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast.

Speaking at IBM Canada’s Software Lab in Markham, Ontario, Pimentel expresses great pride in the innovation that happens there. The Canadian-developed software is being used around the world. 

Keeping high-tech jobs in Canada is one of Pimentel’s top priorities. “I’m creating an environment where it’s exciting for this next generation to come in and want to work here in Canada for Canada.” 

In the wide-ranging conversation, Pimentel also shares how her immigrant parents, who ran a grocery store in downtown Toronto, instilled in her the values of perseverance, customer service, and a strong work ethic – lessons she has used throughout her 29-year career at IBM. 

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/

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 Investments.

Now, as president and CEO of one of the world’s largest pension funds, he recognizes that investing in financial markets is more art than science.

“One of the few things I definitively know today is I don't do science anymore,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. “Finance is about investing in the real world, in a system that is constantly in flux, constantly changing. At times it can be irrational, requires quantitative, qualitative methods, art … and some science.”

Speaking in front of an audience at the Toronto Global Forum in October, Graham discusses how CPP Investments has adapted and grown in its 25-year history, navigating through changing circumstances. 

Taking the long view, he says, means avoiding getting swept up in FOMO (fear of missing out) but instead building a stable, long-term portfolio. “Canadians should be proud that CPP investments is either the number one or two best-performing pension plans in the world.”

Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/