Andrew Cardozo

As Executive Director of Future Borders Coalition, Laura Dawson works with a binational coalition of government and industry leaders in order to build better borders for travel and trade. Prior to her appointment to FBC, Dr. Dawson led the North America office of the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Institute, facilitating public sector digital transformation. Other posts include director of the Canada Institute at the Wilson Center in Washington, D.C., founder of Dawson Strategic, and senior economic advisor at the U.S. Embassy in Canada. Dr. Dawson holds a PhD in Political Science from Carleton University. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bob Rae is the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations in New York. Rae served as Premier of Ontario from 1990-1995, and interim Leader of the Liberal Party of Canada from 2011-2013. He was elected to federal and provincial parliaments 11 times between 1978 and 2013. Ambassador Rae received his Honours B.A. in Modern History from the University of Toronto, an M.Phil in Politics as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University, and graduated from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law in 1977. He was named a Queen’s Counsel in 1984.

Sean Strickland serves as the Executive Director of Canada’s Building Trades Unions. Drawing on more than 40 years of experience in the construction industry, Sean started his career in the field with LiUNA as a Bricklayers Labourer at age 15. He was raised in a construction union household where his father was a business manager for Bricklayers Local 12 in Kitchener. Sean has also served as an elected official for more than 25 years, first elected to public office in 1993 as a trustee with the local public school board, and won election six times as a regional councilor representing Waterloo.

Benjamin Bergen is the President of the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI), where he leads the organization's economic development agenda on behalf of Canada's fastest-growing technology scale-ups. Prior to joining CCI, Bergen worked for federal and provincial cabinet ministers on immigration, transportation, and urban development. Born in Winnipeg and raised in Vancouver, he holds a B.A. in economics and political science from the University of Toronto. 

Brian Kingston is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association (CVMA), representing major automakers like Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis in Canada. Before joining CVMA, he held senior roles at the Business Council of Canada and worked in various federal government departments. He holds degrees in economics and international affairs from Carleton University and an MBA from Ivey Business School. 

Giles Gherson is President and CEO of the Toronto Region Board of Trade, one of North America’s largest business organizations. He previously held senior roles in the Ontario government, including Deputy Minister of Economic Development. Before public service, Giles was editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star and held senior editorial roles at the National Post and The Globe and Mail. He currently serves on Ontario’s Advanced Manufacturing Council and is the immediate past President of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada.

Bea Bruske is President of the Canadian Labour Congress, re-elected in 2023 as the second woman to hold the position. Since being elected, she has led significant gains for workers, including expanded paid sick leave, child care, and pension protections, among many other achievements. A longtime labour leader, Bea previously served as Vice-President of the UFCW Canada National Council and Secretary-Treasurer of UFCW Local 832. She holds a Labour Studies degree from the University of Manitoba. 

Philip Mondor is President and CEO of Tourism HR Canada with over 25 years of experience working with labour market stakeholders across Canada and internationally. He currently serves on the Deputy Minister’s Advisory Council for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada and is an advisory member of the Labour Market Information Council, established by the Forum of Labour Market Ministers. He also advises the Ted Rogers School of Hospitality and Tourism Management and the International Network of Skills Sector Organizations (INSSO).

Kelly Higginson is the President and CEO of Restaurants Canada, the national not-for-profit association representing Canada’s foodservice sector. With over 25 years of experience in hospitality operations, Higginson previously served as Chief Operating Officer of Restaurants Canada and as Executive Vice President of Operations at The CFW Group, overseeing brands such as ki modern japanese + bar, The Shore Club, and Joe Fortes Seafood & Chop House. Higginson also serves on the Board of Directors for Tourism HR Canada.

The Honourable Jason Kenney is the former Premier of Alberta and a senior advisor at Bennett Jones LLP. He served over 25 years in elected office, both federally and provincially. As Premier, he led Alberta’s Recovery Plan and launched major strategies on hydrogen, natural gas, and Indigenous economic partnerships. Federally, Kenney held senior cabinet roles including Minister of National Defence, Minister of Employment and Social Development, and Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism. Prior to elected office, he was President of the Canadian Taxpayers Federation.

Daniel Tisch is President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, representing over 60,000 businesses. Before joining the OCC in 2024, he was instrumental in building Argyle Communications (now Changemakers) into Canada's largest management-owned communications firm. He previously held senior federal government communications roles, including Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs. A public policy and reputation management expert, he lectures at Queen's University's Smith School of Business. Born in Spain and raised in Toronto, he holds a BA and MBA from Queen's and an ICD.D from University of Toronto.

The Honourable Erin O'Toole is President and Managing Director of ADIT North America and a Distinguished Fellow at the Hudson Institute. He served as Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and Leader of the Official Opposition from 2020 to 2022. A graduate of the Royal Military College of Canada, O'Toole served as an officer in the Royal Canadian Air Force before working as a corporate lawyer. In government, he served as Parliamentary Secretary for International Trade and Minister of Veterans Affairs. He represented Durham as MP from 2012 to 2023.

Josh Lipsky is chair of international economics at the Atlantic Council and senior director of its GeoEconomics Center. He previously served as advisor and speechwriter to IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde, as Special Advisor to the U.S. Under Secretary of State for Public Diplomacy, and in the White House, where he coordinated President Obama’s G20 and G7 participation. Earlier in his career, he worked on Capitol Hill. Lipsky holds degrees from Columbia University, Harvard Kennedy School, and Georgetown Law.