Toronto Board of Trade

Posted by: Becky McKinnon


How do you go about finding a new President and CEO for Canada’s largest chamber of commerce?

Our process started right after Glen Grunwald left the post last fall. Our Board of Directors set up a search committee and retained the executive search firm Ray & Berndtson to help find the right person for the job.

As usual in these cases, the process was set up to be confidential. No one outside of the committee, including the candidates themselves, was to be told who had applied. The names of those not selected were not to be released; only the successful candidate was to be named.

Our task started with outlining the position and describing the attributes needed. That’s not an easy undertaking -- our President & CEO has to combine the roles of membership champion, administrator, public voice, political advocate, team leader, relationship manager, strategic planner, and link between Board staff and volunteers.

All of that, by the way, in a non-profit environment, offering some 120 events per year, operating at five locations, running the World Trade Centre Toronto, and serving more than ten thousand company and individual members. Not a job for the faint of heart.

More than 100 applications were received for this challenging post. Initial interviews cut that list down to 20, and just six were selected for the more rigorous process of personal interviews, extensive reference checks, assessments and detailed deliberations.

After three months of work, the committee reached a unanimous decision. Carol Wilding is an accomplished non-profit leader (former President of the Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation and Foster Parents Plan Canada) who will bring tremendous energy, skills and experience to her role.

We’re thrilled with our choice and looking forward to having Carol officially join the Board on February 19. Shortly after that, you’ll see this blog transform into a forum for her viewpoints and insights, giving readers additional information and opinions about our Board and our city.


Becky McKinnon is Chair of the Toronto Board of Trade.

Posted by: Cecil Bradley


No doubt, you have seen the blizzard of media coverage on the new passport rules imposed, as of today, by the United States. All foreign nationals, including Canadians, entering the United States by air now need a passport. In 12 to 18 months, that restriction will be extended to those entering by land or sea.

The Americans have been warning of this coming change for some time. As U.S. Ambassador Wilkins told an audience here at the Board of Trade last fall, and as he repeats in the National Post today, the U.S. sees this as a security question and, while they regret the impact on tourism, they are putting national security first.

Canadian reaction has, in many instances, been very heated. Man-in-the-street interviews and informal polls show that people are angry over the perceived imbalance, since Americans are not being required to have passports to enter Canada.

However, there are two things that people may want to consider about this issue:

• First, the new rules at the American border also apply to U.S. citizens returning to their country by air. In other words, Americans must have a passport to get back into the United States, just as Canadians and others must have one to enter. This effectively means that American visitors to Canada (at least, those who are flying) are required to have passports and bring them along.

• Second, the Canadian government (backed by the tourism industry and the business community) has been arguing against the imposition of this new standard. For Canada to turn around now and demand that Americans use passports to fly to Canada would undermine our nation's argument that such documentation is not necessary for our border.

So, while it might satisfy our nationalist sentiments, imposing a passport tit for tat would accomplish nothing on practical grounds, and would make it more difficult for Canada to work at reversing this new rule down the road.

For now, at least, everyone is equal at the American border -- it is 'passports pour touts'.


Cecil Bradley is Vice-President of Policy for the Toronto Board of Trade

Posted by: Glen Stone


Thanks to David Ma of law firm McCarthy Tetrault for a nice promotion on his TechBlawg site of our upcoming Technology Innovators breakfast on January 31. David is a stalwart member of our ICT Advisory Committee, helping us provide a home for this important and growing sector in Toronto.

In the spirit of mutual back-scratching ...

Toronto entrepreneurs may be interested in an event that David and his firm have coming up - the second annual Toronto version of the Venture Capital Investment Competition, offering start-ups here a chance to pitch directly to real venture capitalists. Click this link for the details.


Glen Stone is Public Affairs Manager for the Toronto Board of Trade.