Seen & Heard at Canada's CEO Summit 2026

On October 7 and 8, more than 150 business leaders gathered in Vancouver for Canada’s CEO Summit, hosted by Council of Canadian Innovators.

Across two days, the conversations centred on the decisions facing Canadian companies as they grow: where to find capital, how to enter new markets, what artificial intelligence means for their businesses and how to lead through economic uncertainty.

At the Rosewood Hotel Georgia, CEOs, investors and business partners brought different perspectives to a shared ambition: building globally competitive companies that create lasting prosperity for Canada.

The summit opened with a reception on October 7, followed by ten private dinners across Vancouver. These smaller gatherings gave CEOs time to get to know one another and compare experiences before the following day’s program.

The next morning, CCI CEO Patrick Searle welcomed participants before Chair and Co-Founder Jim Balsillie delivered opening remarks on Canada’s economic future and the importance of building domestic capabilities.

“For over a decade, CCI has brought Canadian innovators together, individually and collectively, to make sure your experience and expertise are represented in the policy process and to provide resources to support you in scaling and growing. Because tech is a public-private environment – not separate.”

— Jim Balsillie, Chair and Co-Founder, Council of Canadian Innovators

The morning continued with an economic outlook from Derek Holt, Vice President and Head of Capital Markets Economics at Scotiabank. He then joined Jack Newton, CEO and Founder of Clio, and John Ruffolo, Founder and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity and CCI Vice-Chair, for a panel moderated by Scotiabank’s Tuyen Vo.

The session connected the broader economic picture with the decisions founders and investors face about financing, growth and international competition.

“For business leaders, the challenge is making long-term decisions while the economic outlook keeps shifting. Understanding the forces shaping demand, financing costs and trade helps companies assess their options and prepare for a range of outcomes.”

— Derek Holt, Scotiabank

“Canadian technology companies have global ambitions, and their financing needs evolve as they grow. Strong banking relationships start with understanding the business, its markets and where its leadership team wants to take it.”

— Tuyen Vo, Scotiabank | Roynat Capital

“We have Canadian founders building companies that can lead their markets. We need the capital and the conviction to back them through the difficult stages of growth. Building a global company from Canada takes patience, experienced partners and an ambition that extends well beyond our own borders.”

— John Ruffolo, Vice-Chair and Co-Founder, Council of Canadian Innovators; Founder and Managing Partner, Maverix Private Equity

The program then moved from the economic outlook to the experience of building a business. Nic Beique, Founder and CEO of Helcim, and Cato Pastoll, Co-Founder and CEO of Loop Financial, joined National Bank’s Imran Premji for a discussion on scaling and capital. Their session brought together two perspectives on building Canadian companies in payments and financial services.

Sector updates offered a closer look at the breadth of companies growing across the country. Scott Beatty of MarineLabs, Derek Ting of TextNow and David Goodman of Pharmascience joined conversations on ocean technology, telecommunications and pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Participants then broke into smaller groups to discuss the challenges facing their own businesses. These conversations gave CEOs room to ask questions, share experience and hear how others were approaching similar decisions.

After lunch, the focus turned to geopolitics and trade diversification. Moderated by Laurent Carbonneau, CCI’s Vice-President of Policy and Advocacy, the panel brought together Rob Tinline, British High Commissioner to Canada; Rohit Sethi, CEO of Security Compass; Renée Touzin, President and CEO of GIRO; and Guillermo Freire, Senior Vice-President, Mid-Market, at Export Development Canada (EDC).

The discussion explored international growth at a time when companies are reassessing market opportunities and their exposure to geopolitical risk.

“Diversification starts with understanding where your company can compete and what it will take to succeed there. Financing, market knowledge and trusted partners all matter. Helping Canadian companies bring those pieces together is essential to turning global ambition into sustained international growth.”

— Guillermo Freire, Export Development Canada
Proposed panel quote for approval

“The United Kingdom and Canada have a strong foundation for deeper commercial partnerships. Connecting our companies, investors and research strengths can help businesses in both countries reach new customers and develop technologies with global applications.”

— Rob Tinline, British High Commissioner to Canada
Proposed panel quote for approval

The afternoon’s Innovators on Innovators sessions examined data and artificial intelligence.

Jan Kestle, Founder and President of Environics Analytics, and Mike Cook, Co-Founder and CEO of IDENTOS, joined Shivalika Handa of PwC for a discussion on data. Tanya Woods, Head of Government and Regulatory Affairs at Questrade, and Zac Cohen, Chief Product Officer at Trulioo, then joined Parna Sabet-Stephenson of Gowling WLG for a conversation on artificial intelligence.

Together, the sessions brought business, policy and technology perspectives to questions about how companies use information, build trust and adopt new tools.

Further sector conversations featured Megan Leslie of NanoTess, Stéphane Garneau of Micrologic and Craig Rowe, CEO of ClearRisk, before participants returned to smaller groups for more focused discussions.

Reflecting on the gathering, Patrick Searle, CEO, Council of Canadian Innovators pointed to the value of bringing company leaders together.

“The value of this summit is in the conversations CEOs can have with their peers from across Canada, and people who understand what it takes to build a company. They can compare decisions, challenge assumptions and make connections that last beyond these two days. Those relationships also strengthen our ability to advocate together for the conditions Canadian companies need to grow.”

— Patrick Searle, CEO, Council of Canadian Innovators

The summit concluded with the Innovators and Investors Sunset Party at Lavantine Restaurant & Skybar, bringing participants together for a final evening of conversation overlooking Vancouver.

Thank you to our partners: Scotiabank | Roynat Capital, Gowling WLG, Export Development Canada, National Bank of Canada, CPA Ontario, Capital Canada Limited, PwC, UK Government, Deloitte and Maverix Private Equity.