Toronto Talks

Cybercrime is on track to be a $16 trillion business by 2030. If it were a country, it would have the third-largest GDP in the world. Sasha Krstic has seen this up close. She's Chair of the Toronto Region Board of Trade. She's also the former President of Mastercard Canada, where she most recently led the company's global push into cybersecurity. Her message to Canadian business: cybersecurity isn...

What does it actually take to build an organization that doesn't just use AI, but thinks with it? In this episode of Toronto Talks, host Jon Worren sits down with Candice Faktor, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Disco to unpack what AI fluency means and why most organizations are getting AI adoption backwards. Candice breaks down the three types of people inside every organization (catalysts, converts, an...

Toronto is about to welcome the world. One of the largest sporting events on the planet is coming to the city this summer, and getting millions of visitors to and from the waterfront is no small feat. With match days expected to be bigger than Game Seven of the World Series, Toronto's transit system is about to face its biggest test.   Recorded live at the Board's Home Field Advantage event, Giles...

Shovels are in the ground on the biggest transit build-out the Toronto region has seen in a generation. But who actually runs these new lines is a question most riders never think about. Giles Gherson talks with Arthur Nicolet, CEO of Transdev Canada, about why the operator matters as much as the builder, what Transdev brings to a project before a track is even laid, how driverless trains and full...

Canada is not a country of business. Not at the moment. On the latest episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson speaks with Lisa Raitt, Vice-Chair in the Office of the CEO at CIBC, about why Toronto's productivity gap with ten major US metros has grown to nearly $100,000 per worker, what's driving the outflow of talent and capital, and what it will actually take to start thinking and acting like a c...

Ontario is in the middle of the largest transit expansion in its history and two of the province's most senior ministers say the hardest part is behind us. Recorded live at the Board's 11th Annual Transportation Symposium, this conversation between Giles Gherson and Ministers Sarkaria and McCarthy covers GO Expansion, the shift to alliance-style procurement, OneFare, and why — despite the bumps on...

Giles Gherson sits down with Wellington Holbrook, President & CEO of Vancity, to discuss how institutions of different sizes contribute to a strong and resilient financial ecosystem. Holbrook explains Vancity’s growing presence in Canada’s financial capital and it's supporting role in housing, clean energy, community infrastructure, and small business growth. The conversation explores how mid-...

In this special bonus episode, recorded live at a Toronto Region Board of Trade luncheon, Canada's Minister of Foreign Affairs, The Honourable Anita Anand, sits down with John Stackhouse, Senior Vice-President at RBC, just hours after returning from trade negotiations in India and as a new military conflict in the Middle East unfolds in real time. From the breaking Iran-Israel crisis to Canada's a...

In this episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson speaks with Michael Keroullé, President of Alstom Americas, about what it takes to plan, build, and operate regional rail systems in the world’s leading cities. Drawing on Alstom’s experience across Canada, the United States, and Europe, Michael explains why long-term planning, disciplined execution, and a focus on day-to-day service quality matter a...

Toronto’s rental housing challenge is far from over. In this episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson speaks with Tony Irwin, President and CEO of the Federation of Rental Housing Providers of Ontario , about why short-term market indicators can be misleading and why rental housing remains critical to Toronto’s long-term growth. Irwin explains why nearly half of the city’s residents rent, how renta...

In this year-end episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson sits down with Goldy Hyder, President & CEO of the Business Council of Canada, to look back on a tumultuous 2025 — and ahead to the choices Canada must confront in 2026. Together, they examine an uncomfortable paradox: a country with every structural advantage a modern economy should want still finds itself struggling to scale companies,...

As AI moves from helpful tool to ever-present companion, what does that mean for how we work, lead, and stay in control? In his new book You to the Power of Two, Don Tapscott argues we’re entering the age of Identic AI—digital extensions of ourselves that can think, act, and even negotiate on our behalf. In this episode, World Trade Centre Toronto VP Jon Worren sits down with Don to explore how Id...

AI doesn’t create value until people use it. Olivier Blais, co-founder and Vice President of AI at Moov AI, shares how businesses can turn artificial intelligence into real results. From grocery forecasting that cuts waste to financial tools that save hours of manual work, he explains how to build trust, boost productivity, and make AI part of everyday operations. This episode of Toronto Talks is...

This fall, the Toronto International Film Festival marked its 50th anniversary, a milestone that celebrates not only great storytelling, but the powerful economic engine behind it.  In this special #TIFF50 conversation, TIFF CEO Cameron Bailey joins Jennifer van der Valk, the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications, to reflect on how a local showcase f...

Weeks before delivering Ontario’s Fall Economic Statement, the province’s Finance Minister joined the Board's President and CEO, Giles Gherson, for a timely and candid conversation about how Ontario is navigating global trade tensions and economic uncertainty. From record infrastructure investments to interprovincial trade and the race to lead in nuclear innovation, the Minister outlined a vision...

As Ontario embarks on some of the largest infrastructure and mining investments in its history, one truth stands out: success depends on Indigenous partnership. In this episode, we mark the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation by focusing on the critical role Indigenous communities play in shaping Ontario’s economic future. Michael Fox, President of Indigenous Community Engagement, moderates...

Ontario and Alberta, two of Canada’s largest economies, are moving past old rivalries to forge a stronger economic partnership. With new agreements in place, the provinces are working to break down trade barriers, recognize credentials across borders, and collaborate on energy, infrastructure, and investment. In this episode, Alberta’s senior representative in Ottawa, James Carpenter, joins us to...

In this episode, we explore how Toronto’s 10-kilometre waterfront can transform the city from being a city on a lake to a true Waterfront City. Achieving this vision means striking the right balance between housing, employment lands, culture, and industry. The conversation, hosted by our President & CEO Giles Gherson, touches on: How flood protection is unlocking new neighbourhoods Why transit...

In this episode of Toronto Talks, Deb Pimentel, President of IBM Canada joins us to share how IBM is helping Canadian companies unlock real productivity gains through AI. From a storied past in hardware to becoming a global leader in hybrid cloud and AI, IBM’s transformation is a case study in strategic reinvention. She outlines how IBM is applying AI internally to improve its own productivity and...

Entrepreneurship takes resilience. For Theresa Bailey, it also took Play-Doh. In this episode we sit down with Theresa, founder of Starfish Synergies Inc. and winner of this year’s Export Plan of the Year Award from the World Trade Centre Toronto. She shares how a cancelled contract during the pandemic sparked an unexpected pivot, from team-building workshops to a North American licensing deal wit...

Canada sits on 150 years of natural gas reserves, yet we watched helplessly as Europe begged for energy we couldn't deliver.  In this episode, Michele Harradence, Executive Vice President and President at Enbridge Gas, reveals how Canada's energy infrastructure challenges are costing us billions and why the time to act is now. Michele and the Board's President and CEO, Giles Gherson explore: How E...

At the Toronto Region Board of Trade’s 2025 Annual Lunch, the message was clear: it’s time to create the conditions for growth. This episode brings you into the room as we launched our bold new campaign, Stronger Starts Here, and heard directly from Mayor Olivia Chow about how Toronto is tackling congestion, accelerating housing, and preparing for the future. In conversation with our president and...

Canada’s clean energy future depends on more than just minerals, it needs meaningful partnerships with Indigenous communities. In this episode, Tabatha Bull, President and CEO of the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, explains why Indigenous-led innovation is essential to the success of Canada’s energy transition and what needs to change for that potential to be fully realized. The Board's...

In this episode of Toronto Talks, Giles Gherson sits down with Gordon McCauley, President and CEO of AdMare BioInnovations, to explore what it will take to turn the Toronto Region into a global life sciences powerhouse. From talent gaps and capital constraints to scaling barriers and regulatory inefficiencies, they get candid about the roadblocks—and how to overcome them. This conversation coincid...

Downsview is no longer just a part of Toronto’s past, it’s about to define the city’s future. In this episode, Derek Goring, CEO of Northcrest Developments and Chair of the Business Council of Toronto’s Climate and Energy Transition Council, joins Giles Gherson to reveal how the YZD project will transform 370 acres of land into seven new, complete communities. Hear how Northcrest is creating a con...