PAST EVENT | CWF Arthur J.E. Child POP UP POLICY
Brand New Landscape
Assessing trade opportunities for Western Canada with Mairead Lavery, President and CEO, Export Development Canada
Wednesday, November 8, 2023
10:00-11:00am MT
Location: USask Calgary Hub
Suite 109, 301 – 3rd Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2P 1P2
NOTE: This event is in-person only and held under Chatham House Rule. It will not be recorded or broadcast.
Join Mairead Lavery, President and CEO of Export Development Canada, and Gary Mar, President and CEO of the Canada West Foundation, as they discuss resources available to western Canadian exporters looking to take advantage of new trade opportunities in a complex and changing world.
The federal government’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, the first true federal foreign and trade policy in more than 15 years, has drawn the attention of Canadian exporters. Though the Government of Canada has committed significant resources to the strategy, it is not the only actor; provinces and export support agencies are equally engaged. Some, like Export Development Canada, are already implementing the strategy and putting boots on the ground to help companies reach these exciting new markets.
Join us as Gary and Mairead discuss the new landscape of opportunity and EDC’s supports for western Canadian exporters, and learn about Mairead’s recent experience as a member of the Canadian delegation joining the federal Minister of Export Promotion, International Trade and Economic Development, on recent trade missions to the Indo-Pacific.
Speaker
Mairead Lavery
President & CEO, Export Development Canada
Since joining Export Development Canada in 2014, Mairead Lavery has put values and ethics at the center of her leadership approach. Appointed President and CEO in 2019, Mairead set out three pillars for her leadership: Champion for Trade; Environmental, Social and Governance Responsibility; and Inclusion, Diversity and Equity. Under her direction, Canada’s export credit agency has pursued ambitious objectives, achieved strong growth, and helped more Canadian companies do business in 200 markets around the world, while generating over $100 billion in trade and investment annually. Mairead is the Board Chair for the EDC subsidiary, FinDev Canada, Canada’s international development finance institution, and a Board member of Ontario Global 100, creating opportunities for business leaders of Ontario mid-sized companies to accelerate growth. Prior to joining EDC, Mairead held executive roles at Bombardier, where she managed a range of large complex portfolios over a sixteen-year career. A native of Northern Ireland, she was proud to become a Canadian citizen in 2015.
Moderator
Hon. Gary G. Mar, KC
President & CEO, Canada West Foundation
Gary Mar is an accomplished and respected leader with experience in government and business and established expertise in the Canada West Foundation’s key policy areas in natural resources, trade and investment and human capital. He held several cabinet portfolios while serving as a member of Alberta’s Legislative Assembly (1993-2007) including health and wellness, education, environment and international and intergovernmental relations, and was also Official Representative of the Province of Alberta at the Canadian Embassy in Washington D.C. and later represented the province in Asia. In 2022, Gary was appointed a member and chair of the Council of the Alberta Order of Excellence and was also awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal for public service.
Further reading:
BACKGROUNDER: What do businesses in Alberta need from an Indo-Pacific Strategy?
June 2023
BACKGROUNDER: What do businesses in Saskatchewan need from an Indo-Pacific Strategy?
June 2023
BACKGROUNDER: What do businesses in Manitoba need from an Indo-Pacific Strategy?
July 2023
POLICY BRIEF | What now? The West wants in the Indo-Pacific
Carlo Dade, December 2022
REPORT | From Shovel Ready to Shovel Worthy: The path to a national trade infrastructure plan for the next generation of economic growth
John Law and Carlo Dade, May 2022