3rd Annual Canada’s State of Trade Conference

March 10, 2020 | 8:30 am - 6:00 pm | Main Dining Room, Rideau Club, 99 Bank Street, 15th Floor, Ottawa, ON

Synopsis
Conference Programme
Conference Report
Sponsors
Participants
Presentation

The event is now sold out! You can still attend by watching our live-stream on Twitter

Synopsis

“Canada’s State of Trade” Conference, now in its third year, is designed to inform, educate, and provoke discussion on issues relating to Canadian trade and investment. Featuring speakers from the business world and the government, it will discuss Canada’s competitiveness, how the country can improve its exports of goods and services, how it is managing the current trade hurdles it encounters with the United States and China, and what Canadian businesses do to be profitable and more environmentally and socially conscious.

Conference Programme

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Networking

8:30 – 9:00: EDC Overview of Facts and Figures
Stephen Tapp, Export Development Canada

9:00 – 9:15: Looking at Canadian Trade
John Hannaford, Global Affairs Canada

9:15 – 10:00: Panel 1 – Can Canada Compete?
Goldy Hyder, Den nis Darby, Corinne Pohlmann; moderated by Colin Robertson

10:00 – 10:20: Networking Break

10:20 – 11:10: Panel 2 – Addressing Environment Social and Government: Can we be sustainable, socially responsible and still profitable?
Christopher Pullen, Geoff Smith, Penny Naas, moderated by Andrew McAlister

11:10 – 12:00: Panel 3 –Managing Complex Partners: U.S. and China
John Manley, John Weekes, Ailish Campbell, moderated by Sarah Goldfeder

12:00 – 13:00: Luncheon & Networking

13:00 – 13:40: Panel 4 – Selling Canadian Services Abroad: What obstacles do we need to overcome to do better?
Pierre Pyun, Sam Boutziouvis, Paul Davidson, Eric Miller moderated by Adriana Vega

13:40 – 14:20: Panel 5 –Selling our Agri-Food: how do we do better?
Claire Citeau, Fawn Jackson, Ted Bilyea, moderated by Mark Agnew

14:20 – 14:40: Networking Break

14:40 – 15:30: Panel 6 – Selling Canadian Defence and Security Abroad
Lorna Prosper, Nicolas Todd, Greg Peterson, Jay Johnson, Michael Petric, moderated by Dave Perry

15:30 – 16:15: Armchair Discussion – How is Canada Doing? A Conversation with the Economists
Glen Hodgson, Aaron Sydor, Patrick Leblond, moderated by Brian Kingston

16:15 – 17:00: Wrap Up Armchair Discussion
Rache l Bendayan, Randy Hoback, Brian Masse, moderated by Allison Gifford

17:00 – 18:00: Reception

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Participants

Stephen Tapp, Export Development Canada
As the Deputy Chief Economist and Director of the Economic Research and Analysis Department at Export Development Canada, Stephen Tapp helps oversee EDC’s forecast and survey of Canadian exporters, briefs senior management on global trade developments, and helps guide corporate strategy. Before joining EDC, Stephen was a Research Director at the Institute for Research on Public Policy. His research was awarded the Doug Purvis prize for Canadian economic policy and has been published in academic journals, such as the Canadian Journal of Economics and Canadian Public Policy.

John F.G. Hannaford, Deputy Minister of International Trade, Global Affairs Canada
On December 7, 2018, the Prime Minister appointed Mr. Hannaford as Deputy Minister of International Trade at Global Affairs Canada. Prior to taking this position, Mr. Hannaford was the foreign and defence policy adviser to the Prime Minister and Deputy Minister in the Privy Council Office. Mr. Before serving in the Privy Council Office, Mr. Hannaford extensively served in the foreign service. In addition to his work as a public servant, Mr. Hannaford has been an adjunct professor in both the Faculty of Law and the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa.

Goldy Hyder, Business Council of Canada
Goldy Hyder is the President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada. Previously, Goldy was President and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Canada) and had been Joe Clark’s Director of Policy and Chief of Staff. Goldy is involved with the Ottawa Senators Foundation, the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council, the Century Initiative, Catalyst Canada, and the 30% Club (Canada). Golder regularly comments in the Canadian media and hosts the “Speaking of Business” podcast. He is recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal and holds a MA in Public Policy (University of Calgary).

Dennis A. Darby, Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters
Dennis joined CME in 2017 after nine years as CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists’ Association and a 24 year-long career in senior management at Procter & Gamble, including leadership roles in the US and Europe. Dennis graduated from McMaster University in 1984 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and Management, and he is a registered Professional Engineers in Ontario. He is an accredited corporate director, having received his ICD.D designation in 2011. He has served on a number of industry and charity boards as both director and Chair.

Corinne Pohlmann, Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB)
Corinne Pohlmann is Senior Vice President, National Affairs and Partnerships for the Canadian Federation of Independent Business. Corinne is responsible for CFIB’s strategy on federal legislative issues, as well as overseeing CFIB’s Economics, Partnerships, and Atlantic Canada legislative teams. Corinne has participated in numerous consultations and committees on a wide variety of small business issues, including the Ministerial Advisory Committee on the Underground Economy, the Advisory Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, and the Deputy Minister Advisory Committee on Citizenship and Immigration. Corinne is a graduate of McGill University – and holds both a Bachelor and a master’s degree in Geography.

Colin Robertson, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Colin Robertson is Vice President and Fellow at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and host of the Global Exchange podcast. He is also Honorary Captain (N), assigned to the Strategic Communications Directorate. During his diplomatic career, he served in the United States, Hong Kong, and at the UN in New York. A member of NAFTA negotiation teams, he sits on the Deputy Minister of International Trade’s NAFTA Advisory Council and the North American Forum. His columns and media contributions have put him on The Hill Times’ 2018 'top forty' of those that influence Canadian foreign policy.

Christopher Pullen, Exports and Development Canada
Christopher has been Director of Environmental and Social Risk Management since 2016. He is responsible for EDC’s Environmental and Social Risk Management Policy, the ongoing development of EDC environmental and social risk management program, outreach and consultation on environmental and social matters, and ongoing engagement with international environmental practitioners’ groups, including within the Equator Principles and the OECD Export Credit Group. Mr. Pullen previously worked for an international environmental consulting firm where he was senior biologist, division leader and project manager working in the extractive and infrastructure sectors specializing in ESIA, interdisciplinary technical and biophysical issues, consultation and stakeholder engagement.

Geoff Smith, Mining Association of Canada
As Vice President, Government Relations, Geoff is responsible for identifying opportunities and developing strategies to advance MAC priorities in Ottawa. Geoff also currently serves as MAC’s representative on the Mining Industry Human Resources Council’s (MiHR) Board of Directors. Geoff is well versed in federal energy and resource policy. Geoff has significant Parliamentary experience, serving for over a decade as a political advisor in the Martin/Chretien governments, including to Ministers of Industry; Citizenship and Immigration; and Members of Parliament from Ontario and British Columbia. Geoff holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Studies (1999) from Queen’s University.

Penelope Naas, UPS
Penelope (Penny) Naas is UPS Vice-President and District Manager for International Public Affairs and Sustainability. She began her UPS career managing the Public Affairs team for the EMEA Region, focusing on sustainability. Previously, Penny worked for Citigroup, opening their first government affairs office in Brussels and overseeing the various issues that arose after the 2008 financial crisis. Penny started her career at the U.S. Department of Commerce, working in various roles covering international trade and commerce. Penny has a BA (Economics) and an MA (Public Policy) from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Andrew McAlister, McAlister Consulting Corporation
Andrew McAlister was a diplomat for 31 years, including six years as Ambassador, with particular experience in Africa and Asia. Before leaving for the private sector in 2008, Andrew worked in the Privy Council Office in Ottawa. Andrew has broad public and private sector experience in promoting commercial interests and negotiating agreements and contracts. He has undertaken political and sovereign risk assessments for major companies in the natural resource sector and has advised companies on corporate social responsibility, national and international standards for corporate behaviour, government, community, and media relations. Andrew holds a Ph.D. from the London School of Economics.

John Manley, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Mr. Manley is a former Deputy Prime Minister and served as a Minister in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs, and Finance. In recognition of his role as Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism following 9/11, TIME Canada named him "2001 Newsmaker of the Year." After returning to the private sector, he remained active in public policy, as a media commentator, speaker, and adviser to governments of differing political stripes. An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Manley has received honorary doctorates from Carleton University and the universities of Ottawa, Toronto, Western Ontario, and Windsor.

John Weekes, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
John Weekes, an expert in international trade policy and trade agreements, works at Bennett Jones as a senior business advisor. Previously, he represented Canada in trade negotiations and at various international trade meetings, including as ambassador to the WTO and to GATT. He served as Canada’s chief negotiator for NAFTA and participated in the Tokyo Round of GATT negotiations. He is involved with the London-based Institute of Economic Affairs, the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute, and the Advisory Centre on WTO Law in Geneva, and is member of the Canadian National Committee on Pacific Economic Cooperation.

Dr. Ailish Campbell, Global Affairs Canada
Ailish Campbell joined Global Affairs Canada as the Chief Trade Commissioner of Canada in March 2017. She leads a cross-Canada team of 400 and an international team of 900 Trade Commissioners in 160 offices that help Canadian businesses sell, grow and go global. Previously Ailish was General Director at Finance Canada and Vice President, Policy - International and Fiscal Issues at the Business Council of Canada. She serves on the advisory board of the Banff Forum, a national non-partisan not-for-profit organization promoting leadership and public policy engagement, and is designated a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Sarah Goldfeder, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Sarah Goldfeder is a Principal at the Earnscliffe Strategy Group in Ottawa, where she provides high-level insight on the inner workings of the U.S. and Canadian governments. Sarah most recently served as Special Assistant to two U.S. Ambassadors to Canada, fostering bilateral relationships at the most senior levels. Sarah’s expertise has enabled her to provide practical advice on managing the economic, cultural and political dynamics in North America. Prior to her arrival in Ottawa, Sarah has served in Mexico and in Southeast Asia, giving her an appreciation for stronger partnerships in North America and beyond.

Pierre Seïn Pyun, Bombardier Inc.
Pierre Seïn Pyun is the Vice President, Government Affairs at Bombardier Inc., for which he leads government relations activities in Canada. He has significant background in international trade, and has served with the Canadian federal government for 13 years. During those years, he managed the government’s sector practices and developed and implemented global commercial strategies. He also worked at Canadian diplomatic posts in China, including as a Senior Trade Commissioner at the Canadian Embassy in Beijing. Pierre holds degrees in Common Law and Civil Law from McGill University and completed a Certificate in International Commerce at the University of Montreal.

Sam Boutziouvis, SNC-Lavalin Group Inc.
Sam is Vice-President, Government Relations and Multilateral Development Institutions for SNC-Lavalin Group Inc. He works with senior management and with product business units to help secure essential political, diplomatic, public service and crown agency support for the company’s domestic and export market priorities. Sam previously worked for the Canadian Council of Chief Executives, where he held positions of increasing breadth and responsibility and was Vice-President, Policy. Sam has an MA in Public Administration (Carleton University) and has participated in the University of Western Ontario’s Executive Program as well as the Oxford Saïd Business School Executive Leadership Development Programme.

Paul Davidson, Universities Canada
Mr. Davidson joined Universities Canada in May 2009 as president and CEO. Paul has been named both a “top lobbyist” in Ottawa and a “top foreign policy influencer.” Prior to taking this role, he was the executive director of World University Service of Canada (WUSC), a leading international development agency. Mr. Davidson holds an MA from Queen’s University and a BA from Trent University, where he was in the first class of the Trent International Program. As president of Universities Canada, Paul is building strong partnerships to advance a vision of higher education that promotes opportunity and excellence for Canadians.

Eric Miller, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Eric Miller is President of Rideau Potomac Strategy Group, a consultancy that advises private and public sector clients on North America, Asia, and Latin America trade, government affairs, and business matters. He also serves on the Deputy Minister of International Trade’s Advisory Committee, where he has offered advice on CUSMA, CPTPP, China, and trade diversification. From 2013-2016, he served as Vice President for North America and Cybersecurity at the Business Council of Canada. From 2008-2013, he was the first representative of Industry Canada in the United States. Eric has advised more than 40 governments worldwide on trade and economic matters and is a frequent media commentator.

Adriana Vega, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Adriana Vega is Senior Manager, International Government Affairs at Scotiabank. Adriana previously worked at the Canadian Chamber of Commerce as Director of International Policy and as Executive Director of the Canadian Services Coalition. Before joining the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Adriana led the policy and advocacy department at the UK-India Business Council in London, UK. Earlier, she worked with Canada’s Department of Global Affairs at the Canadian Embassies in Beijing and in Mexico City. She holds a master’s degree in International Affairs from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, Carleton University, Ottawa.

Claire Citeau, Canadian Agri-Food Trade Association
Claire Citeau is the Executive Director of the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance (CAFTA). In her role, Claire advocates for trade liberalization and competitive market access for Canadian agri-food exporters through bilateral and multilateral free trade agreements. Her interest in international trade stems from having lived in Senegal and witnessed firsthand the tremendous impact global events have on economies and agriculture sectors. Claire holds a double MBA in international business of the University of Alberta and the Montpellier Graduate School of Business in France. Claire is national sailing champion. She lived in Senegal and France before making Canada her home.

Fawn Jackson, Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
Fawn Jackson is the Senior Manager of Government and International Relations at the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association. She works on informing and implementing the CCA’s international trade strategy and communicating it with Government. Previously, Fawn was the founding Executive Director of the Canadian Roundtable for Sustainable Beef. She has sat on Canada’s Species at Risk Advisory Committee and has also helped establish one of Canada’s leading youth agriculture mentorship programs and the Canadian Cattlemen’s Foundation. Fawn attended Pearson College UWC, the University of Alberta (B.Sc., Natural Resource and Agricultural Economics), and a Master of International Agriculture, Oklahoma State University.

Ted Bilyea, Ted Bilyea & Associates Co.
After retiring as Executive Vice-President, Maple Leaf Foods Inc., Ted has served on a number of corporate and industry boards and provided keynote addresses for the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute. Earlier in his career, Ted held executive positions in Maple Leaf Foods International and Canada Packers Ltd., where he led trailblazing teams in the world of Agri-Food. Ted holds a B.A. (Hons.) and an M.A. in International Relations from York University, is the past recipient of the H.R. MacMillan Laureate in Agriculture from the University of Guelph, and was inducted into the Canadian Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2018.

Mark Agnew, Canadian Chamber of Commerce.
Mark Agnew is responsible for managing the Chamber’s international work, including on trade policy, B7/B20, as well as Business at OECD. Prior to joining the Chamber, he worked for the UK government on trade and economic policy issues at the British High Commission in Ottawa. In that role, he was responsible for leading UK work in Canada pertaining to Brexit, the EU-Canada CETA. He has also worked for the Canadian government in the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, as well as at Parliament. Mark attended Carleton University, where he specialized in international trade policy during his graduate studies.

Lorna Prosper, Canadian Commercial Corporation
Lorna Prosper is the Senior Director, USA Operations, for the Canadian Commercial Corporation. Ms. Prosper is responsible for maintaining and growing relationships with U.S. Department of Defense and other U.S. government stakeholders, in support of Canada-U.S. defence trade and the North American Industrial Base. Prior to joining CCC, Ms. Prosper spent four years on diplomatic assignment at the Embassy of Canada in Washington D.C, as Minister and Director General of Public Services and Procurement Canada, where she managed Canada’s Foreign Military Sales acquisitions, working closely with the U.S. Department of Defense, State, and Commerce.

Nicolas Todd, Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries
As CADSI’s Vice President, Government Relations and Communications, Nicolas is responsible for policy development and government advocacy activities where he applies his experience working at the intersection of politics, policy, and communications. He has served as a senior political staffer at the federal and provincial levels, a federal public servant, and as a seasoned public affairs consultant in the private sector. Nicolas has worked in demanding environments, including service in Kosovo, organizing prime ministerial summits, negotiating sensitive summit deliverables, preparing ministers for Cabinet and Treasury Board meetings, or developing and implementing integrated government relations and communications campaigns.

Greg Peterson, Statistics Canada
Greg Peterson is the Assistant Chief Statistician responsible for the Economic Statistics Field at Statistics Canada. His responsibilities include ensuring the quality, relevance and accessibility of a large and complex statistical program. This covers all aspects of the Canadian economy, including industrial production, merchandise trade, investment, energy and environment-related information, consumer and producer prices, and the macroeconomic statistics produced within the Canadian System of National Accounts. Before his current role, Greg worked as Director General of the Agriculture, Energy and Environment Statistics Branch, and as Director of the Agriculture Division and the Investment, Science and Technology Division.

Jay Johnson, Lockheed Martin Canada RMS
Jay is Lockheed’s Director, Contracts and Industrial Development. With a 34-year career, he is expert at contracts/subcontracts management and structuring, evaluating and sourcing supply, regulatory compliance, intellectual property management, export control, offsets and industrial development, proposal development, and negotiation strategy and execution. Jay’s procurement experience is extensive and diverse, spanning both the Canadian domestic and international defence and security market, and with both the private and public sectors. Jay has held key management positions within the Ottawa defence and security industry, namely Director, Compliance and Contracts Management at Allen-Vanguard Corporation, and Manager, Business Services, at General Dynamics Canada Ltd.

Michael Petric, Avascent
Michael is the Head of Avascent’s Ottawa office. He has over a decade’s experience in the defense and security sector, serving in a variety of roles in government, the military, the not-for-profit sector and private industry. Prior to joining Avascent, Michael worked with the McCain Institute for International Leadership and Human Rights First, and served as senior civilian advisor to two Ministers of National Defence. He was an Infantry Officer in the Canadian Armed Forces, which included an operational tour to Afghanistan where he was awarded the Canadian Joint Operations Command Commendation for his work professionalizing the Afghan National Army.

David Perry, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Dr. David Perry is Vice President, Senior Analyst, and Fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute. He hosts the weekly Defence Deconstructed Podcast and is author of multiple publications on defence budgeting, transformation, and procurement. He is an adjunct professor at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies (University of Calgary) and a research fellow of the Centre for the Study of Security and Development (Dalhousie University). Embassy Magazine and The Hill Times named him one of the "Top 100 Influencing Canadian Foreign Policy” in 2014. His PhD dissertation (Carleton University) examined the link between defence budgeting and defence procurement.

Glen Hodgson, Economist and Financial Consultant
Glen Hodgson has 38 years of experience in Canadian and global macro-economics, fiscal and tax policy, international finance, and other “big picture” topics. His career includes work at the Conference Board of Canada; Export Development Canada; the Canadian Department of Finance; and the International Monetary Fund. He is a Senior Fellow at the C.D. Howe Institute; Fellow with the Public Policy Forum; and Chief Economist with International Financial Consulting Ltd. Glen has co-authored two books and written over 400 reports, briefings, and articles. He also comments regularly in the media. He has degrees from McGill University and the University of Manitoba.

Aaron Sydor, Office of the Chief Economist, Global Affairs Canada
Aaron is director of the Trade and Economic Analysis Division within the Office of the Chief Economist at Global Affairs Canada. Aaron has authored studies on Canada-U.S. economic relations, global value chains, offshoring/outsourcing, and the internationalization of SMEs and produced two research volumes for the Department: NAFTA@10 and Global Value Chains - Impacts and Implications. He is also the recipient of the numerous awards including the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal and in 2013/14 was Canada Fulbright Scholar at Duke University.

Patrick Leblond, University of Ottawa
Patrick Leblond is CN – Paul M. Tellier Chair on Business and Public Policy and Associate Professor in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa. He is also Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI), Research Associate at CIRANO and Affiliated Professor of International Business at HEC Montréal. Dr. Leblond is an expert on economic governance and policy with a particular focus on Canada, North America, Europe and, increasingly, China. He has published extensively on financial and monetary integration, banking regulation, international trade, data governance, and business-government relations.

Brian Kingston, Canadian Global Affairs Institute
Brian Kingston is the Vice-President of Policy, International and Fiscal Issues at the Business Council of Canada. In his role, manages CEO engagement with India, Japan, Brazil, and China, the Council’s tax policy advisory network, and the annual Total Tax Contribution report. Brian is an Action Canada Fellow, World Economic Forum Global Shaper and alumnus of the 2015 Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference. He holds a BA (Economics) from Carleton University, a MA (International Affairs) from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs, and an MBA from Ivey Business School.

Rachel Bendayan, Liberal Party of Canada
After nearly two decades of community and political activism, Rachel was elected Member of Parliament for Outremont in the 2019 by-election. In December 2019, Prime Minister asked Rachel to serve as Parliamentary Secretary for Small Business, Export Promotion, and International Trade. Prior to entering public life, Rachel built a successful and specialized legal practice at Norton Rose Fulbright in the field of litigation and international commercial dispute resolution. Rachel also taught at the Faculty of Law of the Université de Montréal, volunteered in local high schools, and sat on numerous Boards of Directors for hospitals and charitable organizations.

Randy Hoback, Conservative Party of Canada
Randy Hoback is the Member of Parliament for the federal riding of Prince Albert. As a Parliamentarian, Randy has served as the Chair of the Saskatchewan Conservative Party Caucus, the Deputy Shadow Minister for International Trade, and the Official Opposition Critic for Canada/US relations. He has also served as the Chair and Vice-Chair of the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade, and as a member of several Standing Committees, including on Natural Resources and Agriculture & Agri-Food. Randy holds a business administration certificate (University of Saskatchewan) and a Chartered Director’s designation (McMaster University’s Chartered Directors College).

Brian Masse, New Democratic Party
Brian Masse was first elected to Parliament in 2002 and has won seven elections since. Before politics, he was a social worker working with persons with disabilities and mentor for New Canadians. As M.P., he has been the NDP Critic for Industry, Automotive, Transport, the Canada-US Border, International Trade, Public Safety, and the Great Lakes. He is currently the Critic for Innovation, Science and Technology, Digital Issues and Great Lakes. He is also actively involved in cross-border issues in his role as Vice-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. He is NDP Caucus Chair and Dean of the party.

Allison Gifford, UPS Canada
Allison joined UPS Canada as Director of Public Affairs in 2016. She covers international trade, custos, transportation and labour policy. As well as federal government relations. Prior to joining UPS, she held senior public affairs roles with the Mental Health Commission of Canada and the Canadian Union od Public Employees, and served as a speechwriter and press secretary on Parliament Hill under former Official Opposition Leader Jack Layton. She holds degrees from McGill and Queen’s Universities.

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