Our Team
We work with member CEOs, stakeholders, government representatives and the media to advance policy and advocate for the Council’s priority initiatives.
President and Chief Executive Officer
Goldy Hyder
Goldy Hyder is a seasoned strategic leader with more than 25 years’ experience advising business leaders, boards of directors, government officials and a broad spectrum of community stakeholder groups.
As President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada (BCC), he represents Canadian business leaders across the country and around the world. The BCC is a non-profit, non-partisan organization whose membership is comprised of more than 170 chief executives and entrepreneurs of Canada’s leading and largest companies. Mr. Hyder works directly with these leaders to develop and promote sensible public policy solutions in support of economic growth, including in the areas of the energy transition, innovation and industrial policy, cybersecurity, supply chain resilience, workforce development, and trade diversification. He led the BCC through the COVID-19 pandemic, helping coordinate the Canadian business community’s response to the crisis.
Mr. Hyder is a member of the Board of Directors of Open Text Corporation. In addition, he has a long track record of service on behalf of several charities and non-profit organizations, including the Coalition for a Better Future, the Business + Higher Education Roundtable, and Canada’s World Trade Organization Business Advisory Council. He sits on the advisory boards of two leading organizations promoting advancement of women leaders: Catalyst Canada and the 30% Club (Canada) and is a member of the selection board for A Seat At The Table, an initiative to encourage greater representation of people with disabilities on corporate boards.
Prior to the BCC, Mr. Hyder was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Hill+Knowlton Strategies in Canada. In a series of increasingly senior roles, he provided clients with strategic counsel on public policy reform and regulatory approvals for corporate transactions.
Mr. Hyder is a regular commentator in Canadian media on business, politics and leadership. He is also the host of the Speaking of Business podcast, which features interviews with Canadian innovators, entrepreneurs and business leaders. He holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy from the University of Calgary.
By Goldy
-
A stronger Canada-India partnership
October 14, 2026
-
Business Council welcomes West Coast Oil Pipeline designation
October 1, 2026
Digital Communications Strategist
Sarah Alrifai
As a member of the Council’s communications team, Sarah creates digital and social media content and supports a wide range of other communications activities to align with the Council’s priorities.
A recent university graduate, Sarah has held internships focused on digital communications and program support.
She holds an honours Bachelor degree in International Studies and Modern Languages from the University of Ottawa.
By Sarah
-
The Trade Brief: Semester Abroad
September 29, 2026
-
The Trade Brief: Not a Brand New Day
August 31, 2026
Senior Vice President, Policy
Theo Argitis
As Senior Vice President, Policy, Theo leads the Council’s policy team and provides analysis and insights on a wide range of issues related to the economy and public policy.
Theo has studied and written on global economic and political affairs for three decades. His journalism career began in the mid-1990s, where he reported on the developing economies of Eastern Europe as managing editor of current affairs weekly New Europe. He joined Bloomberg in 1999 to open a bureau in Athens, before moving to Ottawa six years later. Since 2005, Theo has written on just about every major story at the nexus of power and money in Canada.
Born in Athens and raised in Montreal, Theo graduated from McGill University in 1989 and holds a Masters degree in economics from the University of Toronto.
By Theo
-
Turning ambition into results
September 29, 2026
-
Canada’s wait-and-see economy is in a very fragile state
March 24, 2026
Executive Assistant to the President and CEO
Christine Bogie
Christine joined the Council in 2017. She provides day-to-day support to the President and CEO
Prior to joining the Council she was assistant to a senior executive at a major telecom firm and held positions supporting several national member-based organizations. She has broad experience in both the private and non-profit sectors.
Christine has a B.A. in political science from York University.
Special Advisor – European Union
Mark Camilleri
Based in Brussels, Mark provides advice to the Council on European activities and issues of relevance to Canadian companies.
Mark is a lawyer with over 20 years of corporate, commercial and regulatory law experience in the European Union, Canada and the United Kingdom. He is the founder and principal of Camilleri Law, a Brussels-based EU regulatory law firm. He is also the co-founder and President of the Canada EU Trade and Investment Association in Brussels, a not-for-profit organization aimed at advancing the Canada-EU economic and trade relationship.
He is a full member of the Brussels (Belgium/EU), Ontario (Canada) and England (United Kingdom) bars. He is also a Certified Information Privacy Professional Europe (CIPP/E) and a member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals. From 2017-2022 he taught at the Faculty of Law at KU Leuven.
Mark holds an LL.M. in EU law from KU Leuven, an LL.B./MBA from Dalhousie University and a B.A. in international relations from the University of Toronto.
By Mark
-
Canada-EU Summit 2025: A Next-Level Strategic Partnership
June 19, 2025
-
Canada-EU trade advantages
March 31, 2025
Policy Analyst
Sofia del Castillo
Sofia assists the Council’s policy work through in-depth research and analysis with a focus on economic growth and fiscal policy.
Her work as a policy analyst builds off two summer internships spent with the Council where she gained extensive research and analytical experience.
After receiving her undergraduate degree with a double major in economics and political science from McGill University, Sofia hopes to contribute meaningful insight in a multitude of relevant policy areas affecting both Canadians and Canadian businesses.
Senior Vice President, Communications
Amy Castle
Amy provides leadership in the planning, management and oversight of all communications activities for the Council and the CEO, and provides advice on broad policy issues.
Prior to joining the Council, Amy was Executive Producer of the CBC television show Power & Politics. She has nearly three decades of journalism experience covering a diverse range of topics including politics, business, science and medicine, international affairs, and arts and entertainment.
Amy holds an honours Bachelor’s in history from Queen’s University and a Master’s in Journalism from Western University.
Administrative Associate
Genevieve Desjardins
Genevieve provides organizational, logistical and administrative support to members of the Council policy team.
Prior to joining the Council, Genevieve worked as an administrative assistant in both the tech and construction industries.
A three-time graduate of Algonquin College, she has more than 10 years of experience working in hospitality with an emphasis on customer service and project coordination.
Vice President, Policy & Economist
Marc Desormeaux
Marc leads the Council’s work on labour markets, demographics, and artificial intelligence. As the Council’s in-house economist, he also covers broader macroeconomic and fiscal policy issues.
Marc has spent more than a decade helping leaders navigate Canada’s most complex business and public policy challenges. He previously held senior roles in economics departments at two of Canada’s largest financial institutions, advising clients around the world on macroeconomic and financial market developments and serving as a media spokesperson in both official languages. Before joining the Council, he served as chief economic advisor to Ontario’s Minister of Finance, where he was part of the leadership team that crafted the province’s $30-billion plan to counter U.S. tariffs.
Marc graduated from McMaster University in 2013 and holds a Master’s of Economics from the University of Toronto, where he was a fellow at Massey College.
By Marc
-
Canadian public finances are becoming a bet on markets
August 19, 2026
-
The clear first principle for Canada’s economic immigration policy
July 16, 2026
Vice President, United States
John Dickerman
Based in Washington, D.C., John represents the BCC in the United States with a focus on trade and investment, economic security and other cross border issues.
Prior to joining the BCC, John served as the Head of North America for the largest trade association representing British business interests. His extensive experience in Washington includes working as a legislative and policy adviser for two Members of Congress. John also previously worked in the Washington and New York offices of global law firms specialising in antitrust investigations and international trade and intellectual property litigation. He has held positions with both the United States District Court and the United States Department of Justice.
John holds a JD from the University of Maryland School of Law and a BA with a concentration in history, religious studies, and English literature from Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. Originally from St Louis, Missouri, he spent much of his childhood in Macau and Taiwan.
By John
-
DST strains Canada-U.S relationship
November 12, 2024
-
Canada must be seen as a reliable ally
July 9, 2024
Administrative Associate
Kefaya Dubé
Kefaya provides organizational, logistical and administrative support to the Senior Vice President of Corporate Services and other administrative staff.
Prior to joining the Council, Kefaya specialized in customer service in the financial and travel sectors with an emphasis on sales and customer loyalty.
She holds a diploma in social work with a psychology focus from La Cité Collegial.
Special Advisor – Economic Transition
Heather Exner-Pirot
Based in Calgary, Dr. Heather Exner-Pirot provides policy advice on the energy transition, Arctic development and security and Indigenous economic reconciliation.
In addition to her role with the BCC, she is a Senior Fellow and Director of the Natural Resources, Energy and Environment program at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a Global Fellow at the Wilson Center in Washington DC, the Research Advisor for the Indigenous Resource Network and the Managing Editor of the Arctic Yearbook. Heather is also a coordinator at the North American and Arctic Defence and Security Network and sits on the boards of the Saskatchewan Indigenous Economic Development Network and the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation. She has a PhD in Political Science from the University of Calgary and has authored more than 45 peer-reviewed publications.
By Heather
-
Canada’s economic Achilles’ heel is its regulations. The Building Canada Strong Act may change that
September 29, 2026
-
A new critical minerals strategy for Canada: From lists to leverage
August 15, 2026
Vice President, Policy
Michael Gullo
Michael leads the Council’s work on energy security, natural resources and infrastructure policy. He is the secretary to the Council’s CEO working group on energy security and natural resource development.
He has more than 20 years of experience working in government and for a leading management consultancy specializing in corporate strategy and resource development policy. Prior to joining the Council in 2020, he led the policy and public affairs activities for a national industry association.
Michael is the Chair of an industry committee with representatives from more than 50 companies and associations committed to advancing climate and clean air policy in Canada.
He holds degrees from the University of Waterloo and Dalhousie University in environment and natural resource management.
By Michael
-
Canada’s economic Achilles’ heel is its regulations. The Building Canada Strong Act may change that
September 29, 2026
-
Resetting Canada’s electricity policy
April 20, 2026
Senior Special Advisor – Mexico and the Americas
Shauna Hemingway
Shauna advises the Council on issues related to its interests and those of its members in Mexico and with other key trade and investment partners in the Americas.
Shauna served as Deputy Head of Mission, Minister-Counsellor (political affairs), and Chargée d’affaires at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico City from 2020 to 2024 and earlier served as Economic Counsellor at the Embassy of Canada in Mexico as well as a Trade Commissioner with the Mexico Division.
From 2017 to 2020, Shauna was Canada’s Ambassador to the Dominican Republic and has also served as Deputy Director of G7/G20 Summits within Global Affairs Canada, during which time she helped build the policy team for Canada’s G7 presidency in 2018.
Shauna currently operates her own consultancy in Mexico.
By Shauna
-
When Agendas Align, Opportunities Abound
May 20, 2026
-
Reinforcing the trilateral relationship
May 7, 2026
Senior Vice President, Planning and Operations
Jack Hughes
Jack manages the operations of the Council, including strategic planning, and liaises with the Board of Directors. Jack assists in the development of the Council’s policy priorities, the oversight of financial and human resources, as well as membership development and event planning.
Prior to joining the Business Council of Canada, Jack was a senior executive with a global public relations firm and, previously, was a lawyer with one of Canada’s largest law firms. Jack brings more than 20 years’ experience working in communications, public affairs, government, and the law with a particular focus on international trade policy.
By Jack
-
Trump Tariff (3)38 ‘special’ could be ‘beginning of the end’
July 24, 2026
-
Defending the fortress (North America)
July 10, 2026
Vice President, Asia-Pacific
Trevor Kennedy
Based in Tokyo, Trevor leads the Council’s work on Canadian business trade and investment ties with countries in the Asia-Pacific. He advises and executes on trade policy initiatives and liaises with Canadian policymakers, foreign officials and international business networks representing key partners.
Prior to joining the Council in 2016, Trevor was a Trade Policy Officer at Global Affairs Canada. He also worked with the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada as a Junior Research Fellow focused on trade policy. He has lived and worked in Japan with the Japan Exchange (JET) Programme and speaks Japanese.
Trevor is a fellow with the Canadian Global Affairs Institute and is a member of the Canada-Korea Forum Steering Committee. He holds a Master of Arts in Asia Pacific Policy Studies from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from St. Thomas University, New Brunswick.
By Trevor
-
A strong Canada-Japan relationship
June 9, 2026
-
What Canada’s Asia-Pacific engagement is really telling us
April 9, 2026
Director, Media and External Relations
Michèle-Jamali Paquette
Michèle-Jamali is responsible for the Council’s external communications and media relations, enhancing its engagement with stakeholders and the public.
She brings a wealth of experience in politics, public affairs and the labour movement. Most recently, she served as Director of Communications at the Association of Justice Counsel, where she led communication strategies and media relations. Her extensive background also includes roles in political communications, where she honed her expertise in crafting strategic messaging and managing media engagement on complex policy issues.
Michèle-Jamali is a graduate of the University of Montreal.
Director, Technology, Branding and Design
Callum Smith
Callum oversees the Council’s digital and visual design. He supports the Council executive through product creation, project management, and creative digital solutions.
Since joining the Council in 2016, Callum has led several digital transformation efforts, digital design, brand modernization, events technology, product analytics, web, & mobile app development, and helped create several of the Council’s flagship public-facing products.
He holds a degree from the University of Guelph in Media Studies, and a Diploma in Media Communication from the Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning with emphasis in communications with application in modern contexts, new and emerging technologies, and specialization in multi-platform content.
Senior Vice President, Corporate Services
Nancy Wallace
A long-time member of the Council’s headquarters staff, Nancy is responsible for the organization of all members’ meetings of the Council, as well as special events. She manages the Council’s finances, including the collection of membership fees, contracting, payroll and audit. Nancy oversees membership inquiries and manages administrative matters for the Council team.