Erin Benjamin will be applying her advocacy skills to a new role with the Ottawa Board of Trade starting next month, OBOT announced Thursday.
The outgoing CEO of the Canadian Live Music Association will be the board of trade’s executive vice-president of advocacy and strategy, effective late April.
“Erin is a proven leader who knows how to bring people, ideas, and organizations together to achieve meaningful results,” said Sueling Ching, president and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade, in a release. “Her national perspective, strategic insight, and coalition-building experience will significantly strengthen our ability to champion the priorities of Ottawa’s business community.
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“As our city pursues major opportunities in innovation, infrastructure, and downtown renewal, strong advocacy and collaboration are essential. Erin will play a leading role in advancing policy priorities, strengthening partnerships, and helping position Ottawa for long-term growth and prosperity.”
Speaking with OBJ, Benjamin said she’ll be helping to elevate the board of trade’s advocacy in the newly created role.
“We’ll be taking a look at every file, every issue and understanding how we can integrate the advocacy opportunity more deeply. And, by that, I mean really telling the story of the issues of the business community of the National Capital Region to every level of government and to stakeholders who have influence over the kind of prosperity we’re seeking in the city,” Benjamin said.
Having spent many years in the music industry, Benjamin said the decision to take on a new role outside of the industry was not made lightly.
“Ottawa has been my headquarters for over 20 years. As I’ve run national organizations, I have come closer to the local community and I’ve been truly impressed and moved by the level of passion, determination, intelligence, authenticity and curiosity of the business, civic and social leaders here.
“I’ve always felt a bit separate from that, a bit adjacent. As I got to know the board of trade and members of the community, I started to realize that what I was feeling was a desire to be closer to the conversation and to make a more material difference in the city that I call home and love so deeply,” she said.
In the short-term, Benjamin said she will get a lay of the land and assess where her priorities lie, then get to work to advocate for the business community’s most pressing issues with every level of government and other stakeholders.
“I will really digest Sueling’s strategic plan and understand where her priorities are and define goals together,” she said. “We’ve got a municipal election this year. We’ve got a growing and evolving relationship with the province. We have a relationship with the federal government that I’m looking forward to deepening and advancing and we have the ever-evolving story of the nation’s capital as it relates to downtown and our arts, culture and entertainment community.”
Though she’s been present in the city for some time, Benjamin still has things to learn and relationships to form, she said. And, as she takes on this new role, she added that she’s happy to see the board of trade leverage the power of advocacy going forward.
“I would just like to say bravo to the board of trade, not for hiring me, but for really leaning into the advocacy opportunity. Sometimes it’s an under-leveraged tool that organizations don’t always use to the extent they could. So to get laser-focused on the advocacy opportunity, I think is just going to be a game-changer.”
Other people on the move
After a year-and-a-half at Edelman Global Advisory (EGA), Graham Richardson is leaving his position to rejoin CTV News. Bell Media announced Wednesday that Richardson has been appointed Ottawa bureau chief for CTV National News, effective March 23. Richardson left his role as anchor of CTV Ottawa to join EGA’s Ottawa office as managing director of media and communications in July 2024, after more than 30 years in journalism. He joined the CTV News Ottawa team in January 2010, covering significant stories including the 2022 Freedom Convoy protests, the 2022 derecho, the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdowns, and the 2018 Ottawa tornado. His new role with CTV will involve leading breaking news and political coverage, while also being a regular contributor to CTV News Channel. He will be a back-up host for the network’s weekday political program, Power Play, and will host the weekly Friday edition of the national news radio program.
“It’s an honour to return to my reporting roots at CTV National News and the Ottawa News Bureau,” said Richardson in a news release. “It’s a place that has shaped both my career and my understanding of this country. We’re seeing some of the most significant stories of our lives unfold, and as always, CTV News and the team at the Ottawa News Bureau will tell them with the vigour, passion, and fairness Canadians demand. I can’t wait to get started.”
“With Graham in this role, we will ensure CTV News continues to deliver Canada’s very best political coverage from Parliament Hill across all platforms, along with comprehensive breaking news from the National Capital Region,” said Richard Gray, VP News, Bell Media.
Former Competition of Canada commissioner Matthew Boswell has joined law firm Norton Rose Fulbright as partner in its antitrust and competition practice. In a press release this week, the law firm said Boswell brings 25 years of experience, from private practice and criminal prosecution to securities regulation and competition enforcement. As commissioner, a role he held from 2018 to 2025, he led the organization through significant change. He joins Norton Rose Fulbright at a time when reforms to Canada’s competition law have shifted compliance requirements and heightened standards for firms.
