BCA Podcasts

After nearly a decade of struggle, is Alberta making a comeback? Many economic indicators—commodity prices, revenue inflows, employment levels, inter-provincial migration—say yes. But with rising inflation and interest rates and lower wage growth, this comeback comes with terms and conditions. BCA’s economists Mike Holden and Alicia Planincic break down the state of Alberta’s economy going into Summer 2022.

A two-time Top 40 under 40 recipient, Brian Boulanger is a respected veteran leader in Canada’s energy industry. With a portfolio career in energy, Brian is now the CEO & Director of ARC Financial, Canada’s largest energy-focused private equity manager. We go behind-the-scenes with Brian to hear more about his career journey, what role mentorship has played in his life, and his thoughts on ESG and the future of energy.

Armed with a degree in neuropsychology, Navin Arora’s career did not take him along the path of medicine. Instead, following an interest in business, Navin found himself smack in the middle of the telecommunication sector, where he has built his craft to the point where he now leads a national team at TELUS Business Solutions that supports Canadian businesses and entrepreneurs thrive through digital transformation. On this episode, Navin takes us back through his career journey, explores the future trends driving the telecommunications sector, and shares his deep love for Alberta.

When you think about what a good life is for, what comes to mind? For Albertans, a good life means that everyone who calls this province home feels like they belong, that they have access to opportunity and can help create solutions to some of the world’s biggest challenges such as providing low-carbon energy or feeding a growing world or supporting healthy lives. Today, the Business Council of Alberta releases Define the Decade, a vision and plan to focus and unleash Alberta’s potential over the next decade.

As one of the only Indigenous-owned and operated universities in Canada, the First Nations University of Canada “seeks to have an ongoing transformative impact through education based on a foundation of Indigenous Knowledge.” Dr. Jacqueline Ottmann is the President of the First Nations University of Canada, and she joins The Brief to share this vision, how the University is centring Indigenous Knowledge in its programs, and her passion for education and supporting Indigenous youth throughout the full education journey.

Inflation in Canada hit a 30-year high in April 2022, and Albertans are feeling the pinch in nearly every category—shelter costs (rent, utilities, etc.), food, and gas, to name a few. In fact, nearly 1 out of 4 Albertans are struggling to afford basic necessities. And with slow wage growth and long-term unemployment still a challenge, we may be at a tipping point in Alberta. To explore what we can do to relieve the pressure of rising prices, BCA’s economics team, Mike Holden and Alicia Planincic share their perspectives on what is driving this inflation and what tools we have to fight inflation.  

With an estimated 2 billion people more to feed by 2050, we need to produce a lot more food—and we need to do it in a way that is sustainable, affordable, and secure. Joy Agnew, Associate Vice President of Applied Research for the Olds College Centre for Innovation joins the show to talk about the work the College is doing to use data and technology to innovate how we produce food and how we can scale these solutions to tackle the global challenge of feeding more people with fewer resources.

As one of the first tech unicorns in Alberta, Benevity has become not only an Alberta success story, but a key driver in the evolution of corporate purpose, developing a platform that drives both social and business impact. And at the helm of this global and growing company is Kelly Schmitt. While Kelly never saw herself in the job of Chief Executive Officer throughout her leadership journey, Kelly took the leap into the top job in January 2021 and has been making big moves with the company ever since. With a passion for people, Kelly focuses her efforts on developing her team and employees and building a strong corporate culture where inclusion and belonging are at the centre. In this episode, Kelly talks about her leadership journey, Benevity’s culture and mission, Alberta’s tech ecosystem, and what makes her excited for the future.

Judy Fairburn is an extraordinary leader in her own right. From her first act as an engineer and executive in the energy industry, to her second act in activating Alberta’s tech and innovation sector, Judy has been a shining example of Alberta’s famed entrepreneurial spirit and now applies her passion and innovation to her latest venture at The51 to help build women-led capital, invest in women-led business, and ensure that women are empowered at all levels and in all facets of economic decision making. This is her story.

As Alberta producers and farmers prepare for seeding season, we’re taking a moment to focus on Alberta’s agriculture industry, looking retrospectively at the 2021 season, the state of the sector today, and expectations for 2022 and beyond, especially as many forces threaten the global food supply chain. To help us understand what’s going on in Alberta ag, we invited JP Gervais, Chief Economist, Farm Credit Canada to the show.