Shift podcast: Helping you rethink business transformation

What if the most important leadership skill isn't knowing the answer, but being willing to hear one you don't like? Amanda Lang, one of Canada's most recognized business journalists, Chief Financial Correspondent for CTV News, host of Taking Stock on BNN Bloomberg, and bestselling author of The Power of Why and The Beauty of Discomfort, joins Shift for a conversation about the things that quietly shape every decision we make: what we pay attention to, how we stay curious, how we exercise judgment, and how we decide who to trust. We talk about why the smartest people are the least likely to act like know-it-alls, why real curiosity requires humility, how to lead when certainty is impossible, and why trust is earned the same way in a boardroom as it is at home, through transparency, repair and showing up the way you said you would. It's a reminder that in an era of infinite information and AI-generated certainty, the human superpowers, curiosity, judgment and trust, matter more than ever.

What survives when you hand a company to the next generation—and the world has changed underneath you? Mitchell Cohen has run the Daniels Corporation since 1984, building a development company on a conviction that traces back to his roots in Montreal's 1970s housing co-op movement: that housing is a right, not just a product. This September, his son Jacob stepped into the president's chair—by his own account, "in the toughest market our industry's ever seen." In only their second-ever joint interview, Mitchell and Jacob sit down with PwC's Shift for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to pass the torch without losing the soul of a company. They get into why brand isn't a logo but a promise ("we do what we say we're going to do"), what it means to build in a "trust recession," and the chance sidewalk encounter that turned into a quilt called a love poem to an entire community. Along the way they make a surprisingly persuasive case that empathy belongs on the balance sheet—and that the way out of Canada's affordability crisis comes down to a single word: collaboration. If you take one idea away, it's this: you don't have to choose between doing well and doing good—and the next chapter of our cities depends on more people believing it.

What does it take for Canadian leaders to not just survive, but shape the AI revolution? In this episode of Shift, tech journalist, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Amber Mac joins the conversation to unpack why digital literacy is no longer optional — it's a leadership imperative. From dismantling the myth that AI is "only for the smartest people in the room" to exploring Canada's unique position in global AI innovation, Amber delivers a candid look at the risks of falling behind and the rewards of going first. We dig into the barriers holding Canadian businesses back — risk aversion, regulation, and capital — and why telling stories of transformation matters now more than ever. Plus: how a purpose-driven, human-centric approach to AI can redefine industries like healthcare, and why the leaders who master the art of learning, unlearning, and relearning will define the next decade. A must-listen for executives, innovators, and anyone who wants to stop fearing AI — and start leading with it.

Insurance is meant for life’s hardest moments — illness, loss, the unexpected. It’s one of the most human promises we make. And yet, for many Canadians, the experience still feels confusing, impersonal, and slow. In this episode of Shift, we speak with Rohit Thomas, CEO of BMO Insurance, about what it really takes to transform an insurance company from the inside out — the culture, the legacy systems, and the organizational muscle memory — without losing empathy at the centre of the promise. Over the past year, BMO Insurance has launched Canada’s first bank-led digital insurance storefront, introduced RovrAI, an industry-first AI tool for advisors, and rolled out a new purpose and identity. Together, these moves raise a bigger question that sits at the heart of this conversation: how do you bring digital and AI in the moments that matter most — and still keep it human?

To mark International Women’s Day, Shift goes beyond celebration — and into the reality of leadership. Gillian Stein, CEO of Sluyter Manufacturing, joins the podcast for a candid conversation on what leadership truly demands. From stewarding a 115-year-old family business to stepping into a new industry, Gillian reflects on leading through uncertainty, carrying the unseen emotional labour at the top, and navigating the double binds women continue to face in the C-suite. She also speaks openly about living publicly with bipolar disorder — and how vulnerability and psychological safety have reshaped her leadership, relationships, and impact. A powerful International Women’s Day conversation for anyone ready to lead with greater humanity, courage, and truth.

In this episode of Shift, investor and innovation leader John Ruffolo offers a bold, forward‑looking take on the forces reshaping Canada’s economic future and the massive opportunity ahead. From digital sovereignty and the evolving implications of the U.S. Cloud Act to strengthening industrial strategy and anchoring homegrown innovation, Ruffolo highlights why now is the moment for Canada to rethink how it builds wealth and scale its brightest ideas. Candid, optimistic, and deeply pragmatic, this conversation offers a roadmap for how Canada can seize this moment and build world‑leading companies on its own soil. A must‑listen for executives, investors, and builders shaping Canada’s next chapter.

In this episode of the Shift podcast, David Usher, Founder & CEO of Reimagine AI, shares his journey from Juno-winning Canadian musician to technology innovator, exploring how curiosity can help leaders navigate innovation, ethics, and disruption. He discusses practical approaches for building responsible AI—including human-led design, consent, and regulation—and highlights projects like Second Echo and virtual companions for dementia patients, showing how technology can create value and meaning without replacing human connection.

Joining us for the first episode of the third season of CEO Viewpoints is Canadian National Railway CEO Tracy Robinson, who talks to PwC Canada’s Sébastien Doyon about the drivers of growth in the rail industry and how CN is harnessing emerging opportunities. They explore the growing need for rail carriers to partner with both each other and other modes of transport like trucking companies to serve evolving supply chains. They also discuss key industry challenges like climate change as well as the leadership attributes required to steer organizations through complex and uncertain times. (00:00)- Sébastien introduces CEO Viewpoints and Tracy Robinson (01:00)- Sébastien and Tracy discuss the CEO Survey and CN railway’s perspective on the responses (03:09)- Sébastien and Tracy turn their attention to the future of rail (05:51)- Tracy discusses how railroads remain competitive while working together to create resilient supply chains (11:04)- Sébastien asks Tracy about allocating resources to important new initiatives while delivering on existing commitments (17:33)- Tracy explains the changes at CN under her leadership (22:13)- Sébastien asks Tracy about the energy transition and climate change (26:39)- Sébastien shares his closing thoughts and conclusions

Join host Jon Finkelstein and guest Ron Jaikaran to discuss Ontario’s Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program. Ron is the Director of Commercial Projects at Infrastructure Ontario, where he is driving progress on Ontario’s 4 billion dollar investment in high-speed internet. The program aims to bring high-speed connectivity to some of the hardest-to-reach communities in the province, to deliver this essential service to all Ontarians. A project of this size requires consensus between partners and collaboration between the public and private sectors to deliver results by 2025, something Ron and his team manage. Ron discusses the opportunities and challenges in undertaking such a large project, how Infrastructure Ontario is managing various partnerships at the municipal and provincial levels, and how the private sector is helping the government tackle some of the largest challenges. (00:02)- Jon’s introduces Shift and Ron Jaikaran (01:29)- Ron introduces himself and Ontario’s Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program (03:54)- Ron discusses the teams and partners involved in the program (06:15)- Ron discusses how the private and public sector are working together to implement high speed internet (09:05)Ron and Jon discuss why access to high-speed internet is so important, and the challenges posed by the geography of Ontario (14:49)Jon asks Ron about the legislation involved in the project (15:44)Ron talks about the importance of setting expectations with the market (19:22)Ron and Jon talk about the project’s quick timeline, (24:33)- Ron shared the challenges that had to be overcome along the way, and how this project can be used as an example for future Infrastructure Ontario projects (28:06)Ron and Jon discuss the importance of building consensus (29:56)- Jon and Ron share their closing thoughts and conclusions

Welcome back to a new season of PwC Shift. In this episode, host Jon Finkelstein, Executive Creative Director, PwC Canada, interviews Pierre Miron. Pierre is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Growth Officer Canadian Operations at Industrial Alliance (IA), where he has been at the helm of a variety of impactful transformations. Pierre and Jon dive into these transformations, specifically the pivot that IA has made in its thinking around its customers, and its new approach to I.T and the cloud. Jon and Pierre discuss how to convince people within the organization that these changes are worth it, how to set meaningful KPIs during periods of transformation, and what’s next for Industrial Alliance. (00:01)- Jon’s introduces Shift and Pierre Miron (02:02) - Pierre explains how he established the digital ambition of IA when he first joined (05:16)- Pierre discusses why I.T is central to the transformations at IA, and to business transformation generally (07:32)- Pierre explains his current role of Chief Growth Officer (12:03)- Jon and Pierre discuss navigating the ramifications of large transformations on company culture, and how to set meaningful KPIs for a transformation (16:52)- Pierre explains Industrial Alliance's growth strategy (21:15)- Pierre dives into how he implemented key transformations, and his strategy for getting executives on board (23:56)- Pierre explains how to get buy-in from employees who don’t think change is needed (26:50)- Jon and Pierre share their closing thoughts and conclusions

In the latest episode of our CEO Viewpoints podcast series, host James McLean sits down with John Cleland, CEO of Australia’s Essential Energy. This year, the annual CEO survey focuses on critical questions facing leaders today including how to balance reinventing the business to succeed in a changing world with the need to manage short-term pressures and challenges. In the podcast discussion John shares his experiences and learnings of leading and accelerating a utility through the energy transition, balancing customer and stakeholder expectations, his commitment to sustainable and safe energy, and his outlook on where the sector is headed. (00:01)- James’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and John Cleland (01:34)- John shares more about his career background so far (03:02)- John explains more about Essential Energy in terms of scale, customers and employees (04:29)- John shares more about what enticed him towards his current role (06:49)- John explains some of the challenges he’s faced along the way in his role, and how he’s navigated those challenges (11:18)- John explains the implications of the major cultural and digital changes that have taken place in recent years (13:32)- John explains how the company’s recruitment strategy has evolved over time (15:17)- John sheds light on his stakeholder management strategy (17:59)- John shares some of the critical investments and surprises along the way during the company’s transformation (22:53)- John explains how the company is being cost-effective while still innovating (25:50)- John shares some of the things he might have done differently when looking at the journey in hindsight (28:13)- John and James share their closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode of the CEO Viewpoints podcast, host Allan Buitendag, a Partner in PwC’s Financial Services practice, speaks with Kevin Strain, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sun Life about his approach to staying ahead of the accelerating pace of change while navigating increasingly complex and volatile conditions. Kevin shares his approach to building a bright future for Sun Life during these challenging times and talks about the power of creating an engaging and agile culture as a key to navigating disruption and strengthening resilience. Show Notes: (00:01)- Allan’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Kevin Strain (01:12)- Kevin explains how Sun Life handles crises and changes in today's economic climate (04:59)- Allan and Kevin discuss SunLife’s recent acquisitions and expansion plans (07:45)- Kevin shares how SunLife balances long-term goals with immediate pressures (08:48)- Allan and Kevin discuss how hybrid work affects productivity as well as the lasting impact of COVID on workplaces (10:35)- Kevin explains how he plans to build and strengthen SunLife’s internal culture across its global business (16:34)- Kevin shares his thoughts on generative A.I (19:42)- Allan and Kevin share their closing thoughts and conclusions

This podcast mini-series is dedicated to discussing Canadian insights from PwC’s 26th Annual Global CEO Survey. In this episode of CEO Viewpoints, host Andrew Dooner, a partner in PwC’s global corporate strategy practice, sits down with Christine Bergeron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Vancity to discuss the power of being a purpose-led organization while navigating key issues like economic uncertainty, transforming for the future and ESG matters like climate change. Christine talks about Vancity’s integrated approach to thinking about people, planet and profit and how embedding purpose into the business strategy enables sustainable outcomes. Show Notes: (00:01)- Andrew’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Christine Bergeron (01:12)- Christine shares her background and career experience so far (02:37)- Christine explains Vancity’s mission and vision for thriving communities and businesses (03:16)- Christine explains her outlook on the current macroeconomic situation and the survivability of organizations over the next ten years (06:55)- Christine shares what it means for Vancity to be a purpose driven organization and how individuals and teams can become purpose driven (10:30)- Christine explains her stance on whether organizations are on track in terms of climate goals, and how individuals and organizations can make a difference (12:37)- Christine shares how organizations can keep up with the changes surrounding climate action while being inclusive in their approach (18:30)-Christine explains how Vancity navigates the tensions between ESG driven organizations and profit driven organizations (21:04)- Christine and Andrew share their closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode, host Jon Finkelstein, Executive Creative Director at PwC Canada sits down with Pamela Snively, Chief Data and Trust Officer at TELUS, and Ojas Rege, SVP and GM of Privacy and Data Governance at OneTrust. Together, they discuss the trending topics of trust and privacy, and why they’re so essential to a company’s revenue, reputation and overall success. Show Notes: (00:02)- Jon’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints, Pamela Snively and Ojas Rege (02:03)- Pamela and Ojas provide a brief overview of their careers and backgrounds so far (03:35)- Ojas explains the difference between privacy and trust (04:16)- Pamela describes some of the recent changes she’s seen in the data trust and privacy world (06:45)- Ojas shares his advice for organizations hoping to make their programs successful (09:24)- Pamela describes the meaning of “human-led, tech-powered” (11:28)- Ojas shares more about the work they’re doing at OneTrust, and how tech is powering trust (13:49)- Pamela explains why it’s important to encourage data literacy across the entire organization (16:34)- Pamela explains how businesses can think about trust holistically instead of as just another a compliance check box (20:40)- Jon shares his closing thoughts and conclusions

After a brief hiatus, the Shift podcast returns with a new episode featuring Michaël Hassan, the Managing Director and Divisional General Counsel at PSP Investments. He and host Jon Finkelstein, Executive Creative Director at PwC Canada Digital Services, discuss how data can transform legal risk management and drive value for your organization. Show Notes: (00:02)- Jon’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Michaël Hassan (01:02)- Michaël shares more about his career journey and his role at PSP Investments (02:15)- Michaël shares his perspective on how the legal function is typically perceived (04:04)- Michaël explains the kind of reactions he received when he began to move away from the functions of a traditional legal department (07:04)- Michaël explains how he began the shift to a more data-driven legal department (11:06)- Michaël explains how his data-driven approach impacts the company (13:50)- Michaël shares his perspective on how to transform a legal function to provide value for the organization (14:53)- Michaël shares his tips for anyone looking to take a more data-driven approach (17:53)- Jon shares his closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode, host Jason Boggs, the National Banking and Capital Markets Leader for PwC Canada, sits down with Anthony G. Ostler, the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bankers Association (CBA), as of February 2022. After sharing his perspective on what he’s most looking forward to accomplishing in his new role, Anthony discusses some of the key opportunities for open banking and payments modernization for Canadian banks and the broader marketplace. Show Notes: (00:00)- Jason’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Anthony Ostler (00:55)- Anthony shares what he’s most excited about in his new role (02:24)- Anthony shares his perspective on how the finance industry has changed over the past five years, and where he sees it going in the future (04:35)- Anthony shares his thoughts on how banks can leverage their technology investments (06:36)- Anthony discusses current opportunities for open banking in Canada (08:44)- Anthony shares his thoughts on the opportunities and challenges cryptocurrencies will bring to the Canadian marketplace (13:29)- Anthony shares his thoughts on the banking industry’s commitment to net zero (16:34)- Anthony shares his thoughts on being future ready, both from a banking context and more broadly in terms of the Canadian marketplace (17:31)- Jason shares his closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode, host Keegan Iles, the national insurance consulting leader for PwC Canada, leads a discussion with Rowan Saunders, the President and CEO of Definity Financial Corporation, about how CEOs can leverage their people and agility for transformation, and ultimately create more sustained outcomes for their organizations. Show Notes: (00:00)- Keegan’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Rowan Saunders (00:55)- Rowan shares more about his journey as CEO of Definity Financial Corporation (04:07)- Rowan explains the role of corporate culture when it comes to enabling a successful transformation (05:33)- Rowan shares his perspective on some of the other factors that have contributed to the company’s rapid transformation (05:51)- Rowan elaborates on why it’s important for leaders to reimagine their organizations to prepare for the future (09:58)- Rowan shares some of the company’s plans for operating within the ecosystem in the near future (12:01)- Rowan shares some final advice for listeners to consider when it comes to their own successful business transformation (13:39)- Keegan’s closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode, host Richard Wilson, a partner in PwC Canada's Cybersecurity, Privacy and Financial Crime practice, leads a discussion with Ken Hartwick, President and CEO at Ontario Power Generation (OPG), on managing cyber risk, integration of technologies and how to build an effective cyber culture. Show Notes: 00:00- Richard’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Ken Hartwick 01:29- Ken shares his perspective on managing cyber risk as a CEO 03:04- Ken shares tips for keeping board members comfortable during the risk management process 05:40- Ken shares why he believes integration is a strength when it comes to cybersecurity 08:37- Ken shares his advice for building an effective cyber culture within your company and setting the right tone from the top-down 13:02- Ken shares his thoughts on how we can keep cybersecurity from becoming just another corporate buzzword and put it into practice instead 14:39- Richard’s closing thoughts and conclusions

In this episode, host Richard Wilson, a partner in PwC Canada's Cybersecurity, Privacy and Financial Crime practice, leads a discussion on how CEOs are addressing and prioritizing cybersecurity today. He’s joined by Indrani Butany-DeSouza, President and and CEO at Elexicon Energy Inc., a local distribution power company in Ontario. Show Notes: 00:00 - Richard’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Indrani Butany-DeSouza 01:46 - Indrani shares her perspective on how leaders should be thinking about cybersecurity 07:53 - Indrani shares her thoughts on the CEO’s role when it comes to cybersecurity 11:55 -Indrani offers her advice on how CEOs can effectively engage with the board of directors to effectively lead a cybersecurity program 15:52 - Indrani shares her strategies for building and maintaining trust with stakeholders as it relates to cybersecurity 19:07 - Richard’s closing thoughts and conclusions

In the second part of a two-part discussion focusing on the path to net zero, host Elliott Cappell, Partner and National Climate Change Leader at PwC Canada, continues his conversation with Jason Storah, CEO at Aviva Canada. Elliott and Jason discuss strategies for inspiring Canadian leaders to take action, the importance of leading by example and more. Show Notes: 00:00 - Elliott’s introduction to CEO Viewpoints and Jason Storah 00:57 - Jason shares his perspective on what is holding Canadian CEOs back when it comes to climate change initiatives 04:37 - Jason shares his thoughts on how we can inspire Canadian leaders to take bold action 09:16 - Jason shares his perspective on building a unified senior leadership team and breaking down the silos when it comes to ESG 12:04 - Jason discusses the importance of leading by example 15:37 - Jason shares some final words of wisdom for leaders when tackling ESG 17:51 - Elliott’s closing thoughts and conclusions