The presentation explored the industrial structure of the Canadian manufacturing sector and its evolution in recent years. Key topics included trends in manufacturing sales, employment, profits, and input costs for manufacturing processes. The provincial distribution of manufacturing activities was also discussed. In particular, the presentation looked at how key manufacturing industries have been faring since the recession. This presentation was followed by a panel discussion with experts on important issues facing the manufacturing sector, and audience questions.
When: Thursday, March 24, 2016, 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. (noon)
Where: Best Western Plus Royal Brock Hotel & Conference Centre, 716 Gordon Street, Pinetree Room, Guelph, Ontario
Cost: Free
Registration is closed.
Presenter
Wayne R. Smith, Chief Statistician of Canada, Statistics Canada
Wayne R. Smith completed an Honours BA and Master of Economics at Carleton University in Ottawa. He joined Statistics Canada in 1981. From 2004 to 2010, as Assistant Chief Statistician, he was responsible for a variety of programs and surveys. In September 2010, by order-in-council, Mr. Smith was appointed interim Chief Statistician, and confirmed as Chief Statistician of Canada in January 2011.
Moderator
Jeffrey Smith, Director, Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade Division, Statistics Canada
Jeffrey Smith holds an honours bachelor’s degree in operations research from the University of Ottawa and an MBA from the University of Western Ontario School of Business. Following his studies, Mr. Smith taught statistics and operations research courses in the undergraduate program at the Queen’s University School of Business. He joined Statistics Canada in 1987 and has worked in a number of social and economic programs, including serving as Director of the Agriculture Division for five years. Since 2015, Mr. Smith’s responsibilities include delivery of the results of the monthly and annual surveys of the manufacturing and wholesale sectors, as well as those from some sub-sector specific surveys within manufacturing.
Panelists
Kevin Hallahan, Director of Marketing, Linamar Corporation
Kevin Hallahan graduated college with a diploma in Automotive Marketing and subsequently obtained both a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and the Certified Management Accountant designation, now known as CPA, CMA. He has spent the past 17 years working for Canadian based manufacturers of automotive OEM parts. He has held positions in Marketing, Sales and Program Management. Mr. Hallahan is currently the Director of Marketing at Linamar Corporation in Guelph.
Gerard Peets, Director General, Manufacturing and Life Sciences Branch, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada
Gerard Peets holds a Masters of Arts in International Political Economy from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs at Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Sciences from the University of Guelph. In his current position, he oversees policy development aimed at retaining and growing healthy manufacturing sectors critical to the Canadian economy, including life sciences, services to manufacturing, steel, chemicals and emerging technologies. During his career, Mr. Peets held a number of other positions in the Government of Canada. Some of these include executive positions in Industry Canada’s Marketplace Framework Policy Branch, where he led the development of recent amendments to Canada's Copyright Act, and membership on Canada’s negotiating team for the Canada-U.S. “Beyond the Border” agreement”.
David Prescott, Professor, Economics and Finance, College of Business and Economics, University of Guelph
David Prescott earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees at Durham University and the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom respectively and his PhD at Queen's University in Canada. Mr. Prescott is a professor of economics in the department of economics and finance at the University of Guelph where he teaches macroeconomics and statistical methods. His research interests focus on labour markets.
Michael Schimpf, Chief, Monthly Survey of Manufacturing, Manufacturing and Wholesale Trade Division, Statistics Canada
Michael Schimpf holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Alberta and a Master’s degree in History from the University of Toronto. He has a keen interest in both economics and history. Mr. Schimpf began his career at Statistics Canada as a recruit working in the Standards Division and on micro-data research projects. He is currently the Senior Economist on the Monthly Survey of Manufacturing. With over eight years of experience on the survey, he is an expert on the manufacturing sector for the agency.