One of Canada’s most prominent business lobby groups has turned to a veteran public relations executive to replace John Manley as its leader.
Goldy Hyder, the former chief executive of Hill+Knowlton Strategies (Canada), took over as president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada on Oct. 15. Hyder succeeds Manley, a former deputy prime minister and senior federal cabinet minister who announced in January he was stepping down after nine years as head of the organization.
Business council chair Linda Hasenfratz said Hyder brings “strong business experience, a passion for public policy and a deep commitment to expanding economic opportunities for all Canadians.”
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A graduate of the University of Calgary, Hyder spent 17 years at Hill+Knowlton, serving as president and CEO since 2014. Before joining the global public relations consulting firm, he was director of policy and chief of staff for former prime minister and foreign affairs minister Joe Clark. He is also an active community volunteer and currently serves as chair of the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
“I am honoured to have this opportunity to work with such an accomplished group of employers and entrepreneurs – men and women from across the country who work hard to build their companies and are equally committed to helping build Canada,” Hyder said in a statement, adding he was “humbled” to be following “someone of John Manley’s calibre and character.”
Founded in 1976, the Business Council of Canada is composed of CEOs and entrepreneurs from 150 leading private-sector enterprises representing every major industry and all regions of the country.
People on the move
Shaun Horning has been named president and CEO of Gastops. An aerospace engineering graduate of Carleton University, Horning has spent nearly 25 years in various roles at Gastops, most recently as vice-president of technical and engineering services.
Kinaxis has named Andrew McDonald as chief product officer. McDonald comes to Kinaxis after serving for almost four years as CPO at CENX. His resume also includes a 13-year stint at Alcatel-Lucent and a few years in R&D at Newbridge Networks.
Chris Avery has been appointed president and CEO of First Air. He joined the airline in 2017 and was previously vice-president of customer and commercial operations. In his 25-year career in the aviation and travel industry, Avery has held senior management positions at WestJet, Alaska Airlines, Canadian Airlines International and Transat Holidays. Johnny Adams has become First Air’s executive chairman, expanding his role as the chairman of the board.
Pierre Paul Samson has joined McMillan to lead the agency’s expanding customer experience practice. A former partner and global head of digital and R&D with Sid Lee, Samson comes with more than 20 years of experience with digital marketing platforms and technologies, working on accounts for organizations such as IBM, Cirque du Soleil, Samsung, Stella Artois, Intel, TD Bank, Videotron and Air Canada.
RBC has appointed Marjolaine Hudon as regional president, Ontario North and East. Hudon previously served as vice-president, commercial banking and risk management for RBC in Calgary. Hudon, who joined RBC in 1991, will be the bank’s senior executive in Ottawa.
Danny Crossman has joined the ADGA Group as the vice-president, defence. Crossman brings more than 25 years of executive and management experience in defence and security to his new role, having previously worked at Thales Canada, Rheinmetall Canada, Pacific Safety Products, Med-Eng Systems and as CEO of Ottawa startup Impakt protective.
Jonathan Aubut has been named account executive at Extravision Security Technologies, a member of the ADGA Group. Before joining Extravision, Jonathan held various managerial positions at Johnson Controls with a focus on the security line of business.
Laurie Parent has joined the ADGA Group as the director, proposal development centre. Parent most recently served as senior manager, proposals at Calian, with expertise in health, training, engineering and IT service domains.
Extravision Security Technologies, a member of the ADGA Group, has hired industry veteran James Pomoransky as its director, service delivery. Pomoransky brings 15 years of executive and management experience in electronic security and systems to his new role, having previously worked at Future Security Controls.
Sean Sykes has been named CEO of Peak Sales Recruiting. Prior to joining Peak, Sykes was the managing director, Americas for Avast, the global leader in digital security products for businesses and consumers. He also served in senior sales and marketing roles at a number of other private companies, including bitHeads.
LiveWell Canada has appointed a pair of new executives. Gary Sidhu has been named master grower after serving as director of production with a large-scale licensed cannabis-growing operation. Sajjad Ahmad is the firm’s new quality assurance and compliance manager. He brings credentials in the fields of molecular biology, plant breeding and genetics and agronomy, as well as experience developing and leading quality assurance at two licensed producers of medical cannabis. He has also worked at DuPont Pioneer Hi-Bred and FMC.
