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.

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.”

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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 spurred a rapid increase in network capacity.  

“It was clear right away that people needed to communicate in a different way to keep the economy going,” says Mirko Bibic, president and CEO of Bell Canada and BCE. “Audio conferencing, video conferencing … we saw huge surges in usage of our network. We had to invest in more capacity, so we leaned in right away.”

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