The Empire Club of Canada
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Canada confronts a period of global volatility, shifting trade dynamics, and the challenge of sustaining long‑term growth in a rapidly changing world. Navigating these complexities requires clear fiscal leadership, strategic policy choices, and a steady commitment to economic resilience and shared prosperity.
One week after the Government of Canada’s Spring Economic Statement, The Empire Club of Canada is pleased to welcome The Honourable François‑Philippe Champagne, Canada’s Minister of Finance and National Revenue, for “Canada Strong for All: United in Time of Uncertainty,” a fireside chat moderated by David Herle, Co-founder, Air Quotes Media, Host of the Curse of Politics and The Herle Burly podcasts and Partner at Rubicon Strategy on May 6, 2026
Minister Champagne will reflect on the government’s fiscal and economic priorities, and what lies ahead for Canadians as the country navigates a complex international and domestic landscape.
This event will be featured as part of The Herle Burly Podcast.
The Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, the Canadian Minister of Finance and National Revenue, was first elected as the Member of Parliament for Saint-Maurice—Champlain in 2015. He has previously served as Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, as Minister of Foreign Affairs, as Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, and as Minister of International Trade.
Minister Champagne is a businessman, lawyer, and international trade specialist with over 20 years’ experience at large international companies in Europe, particularly in the fields of energy, engineering, and innovation.
Before entering politics, Minister Champagne was Vice-President and Senior Counsel of ABB Group, a leader in cutting-edge technology that operates in more than 100 countries. He also served as Strategic Development Director, acting General Counsel, and Chief Ethics Officer and Member of the Group Management Committee of Amec Foster Wheeler, a world leader in the energy sector.
In 2009, Minister Champagne was named Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum. He has served on several boards over the years and was notably President of the Canadian-Swiss Chamber of Commerce and the Banff Forum.
After his election in 2015, Minister Champagne served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Finance until 2017, when he was appointed Minister of International Trade. During his time in this role, the Canada-European Union Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement entered into force and Canada signed the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership. In 2018, he was named Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, overseeing the federal government’s ambitious $187 billion infrastructure investment plan. He was appointed Minister of Foreign Affairs in 2019 and oversaw the creation of Canada’s Declaration Against Arbitrary Detention in State-to-State Relations, which more than 80 countries have endorsed. As Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry from 2021 to 2025, he helped attract major investments into Canada, advanced the development and adoption of clean technologies, strengthened research and development, and bolstered Canada’s position in environmental sustainability.
Minister Champagne holds a Bachelor of Laws from the Université de Montréal and a Master of Laws in American law from Case Western Reserve University. He also studied public and private international law at The Hague Academy of International Law, in the Netherlands.
David Herle has been around Liberal politics for a long time, starting as a kid in Saskatchewan organizing ridings for provincial leader Ralph Goodale in the early 80’s to working on campaigns with Paul Martin and Kathleen Wynne among others. He commented on politics for ten years on CBC’s The National. He is known for strategic thinking, blunt talk, lifelong passions (Liberal Party, Riders, Habs, Hawkins Cheezies, Lemon Hart rum, and black licorice), and occasionally saying something he wished he could take back.
