Canada Growth Summit 2026

JP Gladu is the Principal of Mokwateh and is dedicated to creating innovative partnerships and solutions that unlock equitable opportunities for Indigenous and non-Indigenous business communities. An Anishinaabe leader from Sand Point First Nation on Lake Nipigon, Ontario, JP brings nearly 35 years of experience in the natural resource sector, working with Indigenous communities and organizations, environmental non-government organizations, industry, and governments across Canada and internationally.

JP completed a forestry technician diploma from Sault College and an undergraduate degree in Forestry from Northern Arizona University. He holds an Executive MBA from Queen’s University and an ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He has been recognized with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Carleton University (2024) and an Honorary Doctor of Commerce from Lakehead University (2025).

He currently serves on the boards of Suncor and Superior Plus. He also sits on Domtar’s Sustainability Committee, BHP’s Forum for Corporate Responsibility, and the Major Projects Office Indigenous Advisory Committee. He previously served on the boards of Broden Mining, First Nations Major Projects Coalition Advisory Centre, the Institute for Corporate Directors, Ontario Power Generation and Noront Resources and is the past Chair of the Mikisew Group of Companies. JP is a senior fellow with the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and served as Chancellor of St. Paul’s University College at the University of Waterloo from 2017 to 2020. From September 2012 to April 2020, he served as President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business (CCIB). His leadership has been recognized by the Public Policy Forum as a 2024 Honouree and through the 2024 Premier’s Award for outstanding Ontario college graduates in business.

Rob Annan has more than a decade of success leading research and innovation organizations. As President and CEO of Genome Canada, he combines a background in genomics research with deep knowledge of science and innovation policy and a proven track record in corporate strategy. Rob is committed to translating ideas into impact. A strong believer that science and innovation—when equitably applied—can make life better, he works with researchers, policy leaders and industry across Canada and internationally to help realize the economic, environmental, and social benefits of genomics.

Rob has been involved in Canadian science policy in numerous capacities, including through executive leadership at Mitacs where he served as Chief Research Officer. He is currently a member of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada’s Asia Business Leaders Advisory Council and has also served as a fellow of the Public Policy Forum as well as a Director of Let’s Talk Science.

Rob has a PhD in biochemistry from McGill University and two undergraduate degrees: one in English from Queen’s University and another in biology from the University of Victoria.

Anne-Raphaëlle Audouin is Chief Executive Officer of Nukik Corporation, with extensive experience in the energy and electricity sector. She is leading the development of a first-of-its-kind southern Canada-Arctic electricity intertie, delivering renewable power and broadband to Nunavut through the Kivalliq Hydro-Fibre Link.

Her work centers on advancing clean energy infrastructure, strengthening energy security, and building durable cross-jurisdictional partnerships with federal, provincial, and Inuit partners. She also led the corporate restructuring of Nukik — a 100 percent Inuit-owned corporation — into three core divisions: Transmission, Generation, and Services, positioning the organization for long-term growth and delivery. Previously, she served as President and CEO of WaterPower Canada.

She was appointed by the Government of Canada to the North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation’s Joint Public Advisory Committee and was elected Chair in 2025, promoting trilateral collaboration on climate and environmental protection across North America.

As the Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, Dr. Fatih Birol has moved the Agency to the forefront of global efforts to shape a secure and affordable energy future while ensuring climate objectives are met. After taking office, Dr. Birol led the IEA in its first modernisation programme since its creation in 1974. These efforts focused on broadening the IEA’s energy security focus beyond oil to also cover electricity, natural gas, renewables and critical minerals; making the IEA the global hub for advanced energy technologies; and “opening the doors” of the IEA to major emerging economies. These efforts have seen new governments join the IEA Family, resulting in the IEA’s share of global energy consumption rising from 40% to over 80%.  
 
Dr. Birol took up his position after rising through the ranks of the IEA over two decades. He joined as a junior analyst in the mid-1990s and rose to the position of Chief Economist responsible for the IEA’s flagship World Energy Outlook among other topics. Throughout his career, Dr. Birol has pioneered and passionately supported efforts to expand access to electricity and to clean cooking technologies and fuels in Africa and beyond.  
 
Dr. Birol has been included in the TIME100, TIME’s annual list of the world’s most influential people, and named by Forbes as one of the most influential people in the world of energy. He is the recipient of numerous decorations, including the French Legion of Honour bestowed by the President of France, the Japanese Emperor’s Order of the Rising Sun, the highest Presidential decorations from Germany, Italy and Austria, the Order of the Polar Star from the King of Sweden and the highest Emirati decoration bestowed by the President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh bin Zayed.  
 
Prior to joining the IEA, Dr. Birol worked at the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). He earned a BSc degree in power engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul and received an MSc and PhD in energy economics from the Technical University of Vienna. He has been awarded an honorary Doctorate of Science from Imperial College London. He chairs the World Economic Forum’s (Davos) Energy Advisory Board and is an honorary life member of Galatasaray Football Club. 

Dr. Anderson Chuck is the current President and CEO of the Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI), where he is spearheading a bold transformation to modernize how CIHI delivers on its mandate.

Before joining CIHI, Dr. Chuck served as chief health economist at Alberta Health Services (AHS), where he worked closely with the Ministry of Health, health delivery leaders, clinicians and other system stakeholders in shaping strategy for health system transformation, sustainability, financial performance and value.

He holds a Master of Public Health and a Doctor of Philosophy from the School of Public Health at the University of Alberta. He is a firm believer that the future of health care — and the key to a high-performing, sustainable system — is not a race to the bottom in costs but a race to the top in value.

Ehren Cory, CEO of the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), is a leader in sustainable finance and infrastructure investing in Canada. He joined the CIB in 2020 with a focus on accelerating new infrastructure investment through partnerships with the private and public sectors.

Previously, he was the CEO of Infrastructure Ontario, one of North America’s largest public infrastructure developers. Ehren also serves on the Boards of the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships and Unity Health Toronto and is involved in several leading sustainable investment organizations including the Institute for Sustainable Finance at Queen’s University.

He received an MBA from INSEAD and an Honours BA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario.

Joel Dickinson is the Clerk of the Executive Council and Head of the Public Service with the Government of New Brunswick (GNB). He began his career in the private sector and later worked at both the University of New Brunswick and Service New Brunswick.

Joel joined GNB in 2011 as part of the first cohort of the Lean Six Sigma transformation program and went on to serve as a Master Black Belt before becoming an Assistant Deputy Minister at the Executive Council Office.

Since then, Joel has served as both Deputy Clerk, under three clerks, and as President of the Regional Development Corporation. He played a pivotal role in leading the province through COVID-19, as well as spearheading transformation and accountability initiatives across GNB. His leadership is grounded in high-performing government and delivering on major priorities.

Michelle DiEmanuele, Secretary of the Cabinet of Ontario, has spent her career leading large-scale service change and cultural transformation across public and private sectors. She introduced online birth certificates in Ontario and North America’s first “Money Back Guarantee” for government services.

Secretary DiEmanuele returned to the Ontario public service in 2021 after more than a decade as President and CEO of Trillium Health Partners, where she led Canada’s largest voluntary hospital merger and guided the organization through a global pandemic. She also established the Institute for Better Health, Can Health Network and Partners Community Health.

Her career includes senior roles at CIBC, Brookfield Properties and serving as CEO of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

Inducted into Canada’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women Hall of Fame, she holds the Order of Ontario, King Charles III’s Coronation Medal and an honorary Doctor of Laws from Toronto Metropolitan University.

With a strong interest in global issues, Robert Greenhill has combined a career in international business with a commitment to public policy.

Robert is Executive Chair, Global Canada Initiative, and Professor of Practice at the Institute for the Study of International Development at McGill University. Previous roles include Managing Director and Chief Business Officer of the World Economic Forum, Deputy Minister and President of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), and President and Chief Operating Officer of the International Group of Bombardier Inc. Robert started his career with McKinsey & Company.

He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the KBF Canada Foundation and of the Advisory Board of the Banff Forum. Robert has a BA from the University of Alberta, MA from the London School of Economics, and MBA from INSEAD.

Dale McFee most recently served as the Chief of Police of the Edmonton Police Service for six years before joining the Alberta Public Service. Prior to moving to Edmonton, he served as a police officer in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, for 26 years, with nine of those as Chief of Police. He also served with the Government of Saskatchewan as the Deputy Minister of Corrections and Policing in the Ministry of Justice, and was the lead deputy on transformational change.

He has previously held the positions of President of the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Association of Chiefs of Police, President of the Saskatchewan Federation of Police Officers, Director of the Canadian Police Association, and was recently a Director with the Major City Chiefs Association (MCCA) comprised of U.S. and Canadian large cities.

Dale was appointed an Officer of the Order of Merit of the Police Forces by the Governor General of Canada, received a provincial leadership award and has been recognized as a Governor General Leadership alumnus.

Gordon C. McCauley was appointed President and CEO of adMare BioInnovations in 2016 after four years on the Board. Gordon has demonstrated leadership in various roles, notably executive and investment management in public and private biotech companies and venture capital firms. Additionally, Gordon was a senior advisor to several prominent Canadian political leaders and has integrated this experience into his work within the life sciences sector.

Gordon is currently the Chair of CGEn, Canada’s national genomics enterprise. He is an independent Director of Forus Therapeutics and Montreal InVivo. Gordon Co-Chairs the Canadian Chamber of Commerce Life Science Council and is actively engaged with the Public Policy Forum’s Life Sciences Leadership Table.
Previously, Gordon has been Chair of BIOTECanada, LifeSciences British Columbia, Acetech and The Toronto Rehab Foundation. In 2008, he was the first Canadian to join the Board of the Biotechnology Industry Organization (BIO) in Washington, D.C., serving in leadership roles until 2013.
Gordon holds a B.A. in Political Science from McMaster University, an MBA (with honours) from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, and earned the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors and the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. He is currently a doctoral candidate at Grenoble École de Management in Grenoble, France.

Mark Podlasly (POD‑LASS‑LEE) is the Chief Executive Officer of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, a national alliance of 184 Canadian Indigenous nations advancing First Nations equity ownership in major projects, including pipelines, electric utilities, and mining‑related infrastructure. The Coalition is currently supporting Indigenous communities in negotiating equity positions in 18 major projects with a total capital expenditure of $45 billion.
He also serves on the boards of CIBC, a national bank, and Hydro One Inc., Canada’s second‑largest electric transmission company, and is a Trustee of his Nation’s Nlaka’pamux (EN‑KLA‑CAP‑MUUK) Nation Legacy Trust, a $106 million mining revenue fund.
In 2017, Mr. Podlasly (POD‑LASS‑LEE), was awarded the Governor General of Canada’s Meritorious Service Medal for Indigenous leadership in establishing Teach For Canada — Gakinaamaage, a non-profit organization that works with northern Canadian First Nations to recruit and support committed teachers. He has advised many leading international companies on corporate education, strategy, leadership, and globalization programs. Mr. Podlasly (POD‑LASS‑LEE), is a regular speaker at global business and governance events.

A member of the Cook’s Ferry Indian Band of the Nlaka’pamux (EN‑KLA‑CAP‑MUUK) Nation in British Columbia, Canada, Mr. Podlasly holds a Master of Public Administration from Harvard University and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Nadia Theodore currently serves as Canada’s Ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), where she advances Canada’s global trade and innovation agenda and represents Canada’s interests on the world stage.

With over 25 years of experience in diplomacy, policy and business leadership, Amb. Theodore brings a unique perspective on how collaboration and strategy shape the future of global commerce.

During her time in federal public service, Nadia has led transformative initiatives across economic, international and social policy and has devoted most of her career to advancing Canada’s position in the global economy. Her diplomatic career includes two postings in Geneva and a term as Consul General of Canada to the Southeast U.S., where she advanced Canada’s trade and investment interests and built strong partnerships with business and government leaders.

In the private sector, Nadia served as Senior Vice President at Maple Leaf Foods, a leading Canadian consumer packaged goods company and the first major carbon neutral food company in the world. There, she championed sustainability, corporate responsibility and stakeholder engagement.

Amb. Theodore is recognized for her expertise in international trade, governance and collaborative policymaking. She is frequently invited to speak on global economic governance and trends, partnership-based trade approaches and resilient leadership in dynamic environments — inspiring audiences to think differently about leadership in an interconnected world.

Steve Verheul is a Principal with GT and Company Executive Advisors as well as President of Steve Verheul Consulting Inc. He serves as a member of the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations and co-chairs the Coalition for North American Trade. He is also a PPF Fellow.

Previously, Steve held several senior positions in the Government of Canada, including Chief Trade Negotiator and Assistant Deputy Minister of the Trade Policy and Negotiations Branch at Global A􀆯airs Canada; Canada’s Chief Negotiator for the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Trade Agreement (CUSMA); and as chief negotiator for negotiations between Canada and the European Union for the creation of the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement.

From 1989 to 2009, Steve worked in international trade policy at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and was Canada’s Chief Agriculture Negotiator (2003 to 2009) for international trade negotiations on agriculture.

Avery Shenfeld is Managing Director and Chief Economist of CIBC Capital Markets. He has been with CIBC since 1993 and is widely recognized as one of Canada’s leading economists for his perceptive analysis and insight on economic developments and their implications for financial markets.

He is a repeat winner of the Dow Jones Market Watch forecasting award and has received awards for forecast accuracy on the U.S. and Canadian economies by Bloomberg Markets. He has also been consistently ranked as one of the top Canadian economists by institutional investors.

His prior background includes experience in management consulting. He was on the economics faculty at the University of Toronto and in the summer program at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. He has addressed numerous business groups and has been quoted in the media in the United States, Canada, Asia and Europe.

Gitane De Silva is a respected public policy leader with executive experience at the provincial, national and international levels. She previously served as the CEO of the Canada Energy Regulator and as Alberta’s Deputy Minister for International and Intergovernmental Relations.

Gitane is also a seasoned diplomat and a specialist in Canada-U.S. relations, having represented Canada in the U.S. three times, including as Alberta’s Senior Representative in Washington, D.C. during the first Trump Administration, and as Canada’s Consul General in Chicago. She was involved in the negotiation of several trade and environmental agreements, including the Canada U.S. Mexico Agreement and the Canada Free Trade Agreement.

Gitane is now the Founder & President of the consulting firm GDStrategic, where she shares her expertise as a sought-after speaker and strategist who is known for her ability to explain complex issues in an accessible way.

Brett House is Professor of Professional Practice in the Economics Division at Columbia Business School. His research and writing are focused on macroeconomics and international finance, with interests in fiscal issues, monetary policy, international trade, financial crises and debt markets. His work has been published in peer-reviewed journals and international media.

Brett is also a PPF Fellow and a Senior Fellow with the University of Toronto’s Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy and Massey College. Earlier in his career he held teaching and research positions with McGill University, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, Keble College Oxford and the University of Cape Town.

Previously, Brett was Deputy Chief Economist at Scotiabank, Canada’s third largest and most international universal bank. Earlier, he was Chief Economist at a Toronto-based asset-management start-up and Global Strategist at a New York-based global macro hedge fund. He cut his teeth in financial markets at Goldman Sachs and the World Bank.

In policymaking roles, he was an Economist at the International Monetary Fund for nearly a decade, where he worked on emerging-markets financing. He was also Principal Advisor on Economic Issues in the Office of United Nations Secretary-General during the global financial crisis.