Canadian Council of Chief Executives to Pursue Policy Entrepreneurship in Canada, North America and the World

December 6, 2001

Canada’s Business Council on National Issues (BCNI) announced today that it will adopt a new name and a broader mandate. Effective immediately, the country’s pre-eminent business organization, composed of the chief executives of 150 leading corporations, will be known as the Canadian Council of Chief Executives (CCCE).

Explaining the broader mandate, the Chairman of the Council’s Board of Directors, Jean Monty, said: “Canadian chief executives must be second to none in meeting the challenges of the 21st century. This was the central message emerging from the Council’s Canada Global Leadership Initiative which reported its findings last year. To meet these challenges, we must be thinkers and players in Canada, in North America and on a global basis.” Mr. Monty is Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BCE Inc.

“The re-engineered organization will build on twenty-five years of solid achievement,” said Thomas d’Aquino, the Council’s President and Chief Executive. “By repeatedly breaking ground with new ideas, the Council has had a marked influence on a wide range of major issues, including trade liberalization, deficits and public debt, inflation, taxation, competition, defence, sustainable development, social policy and Canadian governance.”

Moving forward, the Council will retain features that have been key to its past success. “Our not-for-profit and non-partisan status remains a hallmark, and the direct involvement of chief executives from all sectors of the economy will continue to underscore our uniqueness and propel our effectiveness,” Mr. d’Aquino said.

The member companies of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives administer in excess of CDN $2.1 trillion in assets, have annual revenues of more than CDN $500 billion and account for a significant majority of Canada’s private sector investment, exports, training and research and development.

In providing leadership and direction, the team of Jean Monty and Thomas d’Aquino will be joined by fellow Executive Committee members Charles Baillie, Robert Brown, Derek Burney, David Emerson and Rick George, respectively the chief executives of TD Bank Financial Group, Bombardier Inc., CAE, Canfor Corporation and Suncor Energy Inc.

A twenty-four person board of directors made up of men and women of broad business and policy experience will provide governance and overall direction for the Council.

The new mandate of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives will be served by three standing committees:

• the National Policy Committee,

• the North American Policy Committee and,

• the Global Policy Committee.

The National Policy Committee, which will address primarily fiscal and monetary policy, taxation, regulatory, environmental and competitiveness issues, will be co-chaired by Gwyn Morgan and Gordon Nixon, respectively the chief executives of Alberta Energy Company Ltd. and RBC Financial Group.

“On the national front, we need to help develop policies that will counter the negative effects of the economic slowdown and September 11,” said Mr. Monty. “At the same time we must not take our eyes off our long-term goal of making Canada the best place in the world in which to live, to work, to invest and to grow.”

The North American Policy Committee, which will address primarily issues of Canada-United States economic interdependence, integration and security, as well as matters pertaining to the North American Free Trade Agreement, will be co-chaired by Derek Burney and Paul Tellier, respectively the chief executives of CAE and Canadian National.

Mr. d’Aquino stressed the urgent importance of finding innovative ways of achieving a “smarter border” between Canada and the United States and said that “Canadian business leadership will play a constructive role in helping to redefine the Canada-United States relationship in a way that will enhance the country’s prosperity and security while preserving its sovereignty and values”.

The Global Policy Committee, which will address primarily international finance, trade, investment and development policy as well as key multilateral, regional and bilateral relationships beyond North America, will be co-chaired by Robert Brown and Dominic D’Alessandro, respectively the chief executives of Bombardier Inc. and Manulife Financial.

The Council’s focus on global issues will deal with the forward agendas of key international institutions such as the World Trade Organization, the G-8 and the G-20.

In addition to the three standing committees, Council members will participate in issue-specific task forces, special events and other initiatives. “The Council’s members look forward to an ambitious agenda of engagement,” said Mr. Monty.

In welcoming the Council’s new mandate, Mr. d’Aquino stressed that “in today’s environment, business acumen is not enough to lead and succeed. The chief executive must also be a policy entrepreneur. To identify, understand and apply sound policies locally and globally is central to our mission.”

The first Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Council of Chief Executives will take place in Toronto in January 2002. Subsequent general meetings in 2002 will take place in Montreal and Calgary. A special meeting of the Council also is planned for Washington in the new year.

BUSINESS LEADERSHIP IN CANADA AND ABROAD

The Canadian Council of Chief Executives is an association of Canada’s business leaders committed to the shaping of sound public policy in Canada, North America and the world.

The non-partisan and not-for-profit organization was founded in 1976 as the Business Council on National Issues to enable public-spirited leaders from every region and every major industry to devote their time and energy to addressing key issues that affect the country as a whole. Strongly committed to effecting economic, social and political change, the Council repeatedly broke new ground with its ideas and played an influential role in most of the major policy developments in Canada over the past 25 years.

The members of the Council include the chief executive officers of 150 leading Canadian corporations. These companies administer in excess of CDN$2.1 trillion in assets, have annual revenues of more than CDN$500 billion and account for a significant majority of Canada’s private sector investment, exports, training and research and development.

As Canada entered the 21st century, it became clear that “national issues” increasingly had global dimensions. Addressing the key challenges facing the country therefore required a much greater degree of global engagement on the part of Canadian chief executives.

In 2001, the Council decided to expand its mandate. To reflect its need for a clearer identity worldwide, it also changed its name to the Canadian Council of Chief Executives.

A MISSION OF POLICY ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The new Council is engaged on three fronts. It remains active within Canada, with a continuing focus on policies that will help to build a strong economy, progressive social policies and healthy democratic institutions. It is playing a key role in shaping Canada’s efforts to build distinctive advantages within an increasingly integrated North American economy. And it is helping to build prosperity worldwide by enhancing Canada’s contribution to global economic policy, development and governance.

Building on a proud and distinguished tradition, the Canadian Council of Chief Executives moves into the next quarter century with a new vision aimed at engaging Canadian business leadership in bold thinking and actions in Canada, North America and the world.

OPERATIONS AIMED AT RESULTS

The uniqueness and principal source of the Council’s strength flows from the personal commitment and engagement of the individual chief executives. This has enabled the Council both to be a leader in developing and winning support for new ideas and to react quickly and effectively to changing circumstances.

The Council also has been recognized for its ability to forge consensus on complex issues. This is primarily because emphasis in studies and deliberations is placed on achieving the best outcome for Canadian workers and enterprises, and for the country as a whole. Advocacy of individual company or sectoral concerns is not within the Council’s mandate.

Governance and the overall direction of the Council is provided by the Board of Directors, a 24-member body which meets three times annually. The process of developing policy, however, involves all members of the Council.

The full membership meets three times a year to discuss priority issues and review progress on the Council’s work programme. Members engage in more detailed policy work principally through three standing committees:

• the National Policy Committee which addresses primarily fiscal and monetary policy, taxation, regulatory, environmental and competitiveness issues;

• the North American Policy Committee which addresses primarily issues related to Canada-United States economic interdependence, integration and security as well as the North American Free Trade Agreement; and

• the Global Policy Committee which addresses primarily international finance, trade, investment and development policy as well as multilateral, regional and bilateral relationships beyond North America.

In addition to the three standing committees, the Council creates temporary task forces to deal with specific priority issues. Members also participate in a variety of special events, roundtables and other initiatives relevant to the Council’s mandate.

Day-to-day leadership of the Council is provided by the President and Chief Executive working in concert with the Council’s Chairman and with the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. The current Chairman is Jean Monty, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of BCE Inc.

The Council’s President and Chief Executive is Thomas d’Aquino. He is the Council’s chief of policy and strategy. An Ottawa-based staff reports to him, provides policy research and supports the Council’s committees and initiatives.