BCA Podcasts
Business Council of Alberta
C-Suite Unplugged: Real leaders. Real stories.
C-Suite Unplugged features Alberta’s top business leaders sharing how they got to the top, what drives them, and the personal experiences that shaped their career paths. Go beyond the boardroom to get an inside look at the people behind the title and what it really means to lead.
The Brief: What can business, government, and Albertans do—together—to make life better?
The Brief explores exactly that question through examining the biggest issues impacting life in this province. From economic trends and policy shifts to social challenges and community well-being, each episode offers clear analysis and fresh insight to help you stay informed.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday.
C-Suite Unplugged features Alberta’s top business leaders sharing how they got to the top, what drives them, and the personal experiences that shaped their career paths. Go beyond the boardroom to get an inside look at the people behind the title and what it really means to lead.
The Brief: What can business, government, and Albertans do—together—to make life better?
The Brief explores exactly that question through examining the biggest issues impacting life in this province. From economic trends and policy shifts to social challenges and community well-being, each episode offers clear analysis and fresh insight to help you stay informed.
New episodes drop every other Tuesday.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jun 22, 2021 • 53min
C-Suite Unplugged: Brent Hesje, CEO, Fountain Tire
From a double bay garage in Wainwright, Alberta to locations across Canada, Fountain Tire is a true Alberta success story. Brent Hesje, CEO of Fountain Tire, shares the story of this 65-year-old company, how he came to be CEO, and his outlook on the future of the sector and of Alberta.
Jun 8, 2021 • 32min
The Energy Evolution: Alberta’s Opportunity in Lithium
Lithium—it’s something you use every day but likely never think about it. However, without it, we couldn’t power our smart phones, electronics, or even our vehicles. On this episode of The Energy Evolution, Kelly Krahulic, VP, Technology & Innovation at Summit Nanotech discusses a pioneering technology to extract lithium, why this innovation is key to meeting increasing global demand, and the important role that Alberta has to play in this emerging field.
May 25, 2021 • 57min
C-Suite Unplugged: Alex Pourbaix, President & CEO of Cenovus
From lawyer to CEO of one of the biggest energy companies in Canada, Alex Pourbaix, President & CEO of Cenovus, stands out in a space predominantly led by engineers and geologists. And his unconventional background for energy CEO and quick rise to the top job may just be the secret sauce of his leadership. On this episode of C-Suite Unplugged, an AlbertaBETTER podcast series, Alex shares about his journey to CEO, details behind the Cenovus/Husky merger, and why ESG is so important to him.
May 11, 2021 • 47min
Building Resilience Amid Uncertainty—The State of Mental Health in Alberta
As the economic impact of COVID appears to be waning, the mental health impact is a growing concern. On this episode, Dr. Robbie Babins-Wagner returns for an updated look at the impact of one year of living with a pandemic has had on our mental health. She also discusses where there are signs of optimism and opportunity within the uncertainty and the key roles that business leaders and economic recovery have in supporting the mental health and wellbeing of Albertans.
Apr 27, 2021 • 1h 8min
C-Suite Unplugged: Ed Sims, President & CEO, WestJet
What is like to lead one of Western Canada’s most iconic companies through a pandemic? On this episode, we sit down with Ed Sims, President & CEO of WestJet, for an unplugged conversation about his career journey to becoming CEO of WestJet, how he thinks about leadership, the current state of the sector, his outlook on recovery, and opportunities to transform the airline industry.
Apr 26, 2021 • 26min
A National Childcare Program—A Conversation with Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development
The Honourable Maryam Monsef, Canada’s Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development joins the show to discuss the recently announced national childcare and early learning program, how it will roll out, and what this announcement means for Canadians—and our economy.
Apr 20, 2021 • 20min
What Budget 2021 Means for Alberta (Bonus Episode)
BCA's Chief Economist Mike Holden joins the show to talk about the federal government recently released budget. We discuss overall impressions and implications for Alberta and how well the budget delivers on some of the key priorities of Albertans, from environment to jobs to supports for Albertans and Canadians.
Apr 13, 2021 • 1h 12min
Survival of the Mission: Strengthening the Role of Non-Profits in Alberta
When we think of prosperity, we often think of business growth or government policy, but we don’t often think about the vital role that non-profits play in generating prosperity. On this episode, Eva Friesen, President & CEO of the Calgary Foundation and Jeff Dyer, CEO of Trellis, discuss the state of the sector right now, how the sector needs to evolve post-COVID, and what opportunities exist to strengthen the sector over the long term.
Mar 30, 2021 • 59min
Unicorns in Alberta: Building Billion Dollar Tech Companies in Alberta
From financing to talent, how do you grow not one but two tech unicorns in less than two years? On this episode, Marcos Lopez, Managing Director of Shareworks and Bryan de Lottinville, Co-Founder and Executive Chair of Benevity discuss how they built $1 billion tech companies in Alberta and how we create an environment that nurtures the future growth of the tech and innovation ecosystem in Alberta.
Mar 16, 2021 • 1h 3min
How an Industry-Led Economic Strategy Can Spur Growth and Innovation for Canada’s Future
The Industry Strategy Council was formed in May 2020 to gather the talent and experience of Canada’s top business leaders to assess the economic impact COVID-19 had on the nation’s key sectors and develop a series of opportunities to bring together industry and government to shape Canada’s economic recovery path and future growth. This episode is a recording of a webinar BCA hosted with ISC members Monique Leroux (Chair), Mark Little (Resources of the Future Economic Strategy Table Chair); and Murad Al-Katib, (Agri-Food Economic Strategy Table Chair)
