Global ambition, local partnerships: Vern Yu of AltaGas
What does it take for a Canadian energy company to overcome geography and reach the fastest-growing markets in the world?For AltaGas President and CEO Vern Yu, it involves a remote rail line and a deep-water port in Prince Rupert, B.C. In a wide-ranging conversation with Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast, Yu recounts how the company become a global export powerhouse, growing Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) shipments from 25,000 to 130,000 barrels a day in just a few years, with plans to scale up even more once a second facility is built. Today, AltaGas’s Prince Rupert facility accounts for a significant amount of Canada’s annual exports, driving economic growth across Alberta, B.C., and the broader Canadian supply chain.Yu also shares why long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities have become essential to building projects that last and why Asia represents the biggest opportunity for Canada’s energy future.Listen to this episode to see what's possible when Canadian energy thinks globally.
Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/
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The grand bargain: Jon McKenzie of Cenovus Energy
How can Canada be an energy leader in a world demanding both growth and sustainability? It’s a question Cenovus Energy CEO Jon McKenzie is seized with every day.“When I think about the Canadian energy industry and what we are and where we've been and where we're going, I think the opportunity is immense,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast. “This is an industry that Canada competes on at a global scale.”Canada is among the top global producers of oil and gas yet faces mounting challenges. From stalled projects and shifting regulations to the need for ecological sustainability, McKenzie lays out the tough realities as well as the opportunities. He describes it as a “grand bargain” which balances growth, environmental responsibility and regulatory stability.“There needs to be a coming together of those three legs under the stool and have this grand bargain where everybody is compromising, everybody is of the place where they understand what the end game is, which is to improve our standard of living as Canadians and to increase our economic benefit as a country.”🎧 Tune in for a sharp, insightful look at the future of Canada’s energy sector.
Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/
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Flipping the switch on energy: Emily Heitman of Schneider Electric Canada
Canada as a country is energy rich, but is it making full use of the energy, especially the electricity, it produces?In this episode, Goldy Hyder sits down with Emily Heitman, Country President of Schneider Electric Canada, to unpack one of Canada’s biggest challenges: energy capacity.“We know we have a shortage of power in the country, yet we're wasting 50 per cent of the power we produce,” she says, pointing to the increasing need for electricity to power new investments in Canada.She shares how digital solutions, AI, and smart technology can help Canada reduce consumption, unlocking new electrical capacity and efficiency.“I really feel like there's an opportunity for us to both expand the supply and go after that supply demand equation when it comes to energy.”🎧 Tune in to Speaking of Business to hear how we can build the energy system Canada’s future needs.
Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/
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Canadian company, international impact: Kevin Strain of Sun Life Financial
Kevin Strain never planned on a career in insurance. But an early job as an auditor led to his introduction to the insurance industry, culminating in his current position as president and CEO of Sun Life Financial. In this episode of Speaking of Business, Kevin shares how Sun Life grew from a Canadian insurer into a global financial services and asset management giant, and why Asia has become such a key part of that story. He also weighs in on one of Canada’s biggest challenges: adapting quickly enough to compete in a world of shifting trade and rising geopolitical tension. His advice? Move with speed, lead with purpose, and don’t be afraid to take risks or learn from failure."I actually think what I learned about failure is failure is just a step towards winning," he tells host Goldy HyderListen to the full conversation about leadership, purpose, and the future of Canada on the Speaking of Business Podcast.
Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/
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Risk, resilience and reward: Richard Abboud, Forum Asset Management
Richard Abboud's entrepreneurial journey started early. As a kid, he took a gamble on silver. A win-then-loss that taught him to embrace risk, learn from failure, and invest in ideas that might not make sense at first glance. Those lessons have shaped not only his career but his vision for the country’s future: one where Canada takes bigger swings, speaks honestly about its challenges, and builds for the next generation.“If we can speak the truth to the population, we can galvanize the nation even further… Because on a pure landscape basis, this country has it all,” he tells Goldy Hyder on the Speaking of Business podcast.The founder and CEO of Forum Asset Management believes Canada has everything it needs to succeed, but unlocking that potential starts with getting comfortable with taking risks. In fact he’s one of a group of business leaders behind the program Shift Failure, aimed at teaching high school students about entrepreneurship.Tune in to hear more about his entrepreneurial journey and how he built Forum Asset Management to become a multi-billion dollar investor on the Speaking of Business podcast.
Revealing conversations with influential innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Listen to more episodes here: thebusinesscouncil.ca/podcasts/
Conversations with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders. Join host Goldy Hyder, President and CEO of the Business Council of Canada, as he sits down with some of the most successful and fascinating people in Canadian business.
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