The Empire Club of Canada
Hybrid
Thursday, February 19, 2026
As Ontario enters 2026, businesses face new realities shaped by shifting trade dynamics, tariff pressures, and global competition. Amid modest signs of stabilization, confidence remains fragile, and leaders across sectors must look to strengthen resilience and secure long-term growth.
Looming CUSMA renegotiations and a challenging investment climate also continue to weigh on Ontario businesses. The question now is: “How do we stay competitive, attract investment, and find new sources of growth?”
On February 19, join The Empire Club of Canada and the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) for the launch of the 10th Ontario Economic Report. The event will feature insights from The Honourable Minister Mélanie Joly, Canada’s Minister of Industry, and the launch of the report by Daniel Tisch, President and CEO, OCC.
The program will also include a timely discussion with business and policy leaders featuring Ron Bedard, President and CEO, ArcelorMittal Dofasco; Jennifer McLeod Macey, Senior Vice President, Leger; and Gabriella Siciliano, Vice-President, Operations and Director of Marketing and Communications, Invest Ontario; moderated by Rita Trichur, Senior Business Writer and Columnist for the Report on Business.
The Ontario Economic Report will feature fresh data from the OCC’s province-wide business survey, regional economic projections, and forward-looking policy analysis. The event will focus on addressing challenges and exploring opportunities shaping Ontario’s economic trajectory.
Join us to be part of this conversation!
Represents the riding of Ahuntsic-Cartierville
The Honourable Mélanie Joly was first elected to represent Ahuntsic-Cartierville in the House of Commons in 2015. She has previously served as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, as Minister of Economic Development, as Minister of Tourism, Official Languages and La Francophonie, and as Minister of Canadian Heritage.
As a member of Cabinet, Minister Joly has worked to promote Canadian culture and to grow and increase the visibility of Canada’s tourism sector. Under her stewardship as Minister of Economic Development, she created PacifiCan and PrairiesCan—new Regional Development Agencies to deliver targeted, regional investments and strengthen economic resiliency across the country.
She has also worked to safeguard Canada’s two official languages while promoting the use of French in Canada and around the world, including in the digital sphere. Her advocacy for Canada’s official languages marked the first major reforms in 30 years.
In her most previous role as Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Development, she promoted Canada’s interests around the world and led Canada’s response to Russia’s illegal and unjustifiable invasion of Ukraine. Minister Joly delivered Canada’s first Arctic Foreign Policy, aimed at protecting Canada’s arctic sovereignty and strengthening ties with our Nordic allies and Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, promoting and strengthening diplomatic and economic relations in the Indo-Pacific region.
While representing Canada on the world stage, Minister Joly initiated the largest transformation of Global Affairs Canada, ensuring a modernized Canadian diplomatic corps.
Prior to entering federal politics, Minister Joly founded the Vrai changement pour Montréal party and ran for mayor of Montréal in 2013 under its banner.
Minister Joly holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from the Université de Montréal and a Magister Juris in European and Comparative Law from the University of Oxford. She is the author of Changing the Rules of the Game, in which she shares her vision for public policy and civic engagement. She was named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.
Daniel is a business, public policy, and community leader, having held executive roles in government and the corporate sector, and senior governance roles at public institutions and non-profit associations. He is known globally as an expert in corporate communications, public policy, community engagement, crisis and reputation management.
From 2003 to 2023, Daniel was the driving force in building Argyle Communications into Canada’s largest management-owned engagement, communication and reputation advisory firm growing to $38M in revenue, 155 employees and ten North American offices by 2023. Earlier in his career, Daniel held senior communications roles in the Canadian government, including serving as Senior Policy Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff to Canada’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. In the latter role, he was a member of the Canadian delegation to the G7 Economic Summit
Daniel has spoken to business audiences on every continent, lectured at Queen’s University’s Smith School of Business since 1996, and contributed to leading public relations and marketing textbooks. He appears regularly in print and broadcast media, including weekly commentary on CBC Radio and Global News during the 2019 and 2021 Canadian federal elections. In 2021, Daniel was named one of the world’s “top 100” social media influencers on public relations.
Born in Spain to a Latin American family and raised in Toronto, Daniel speaks English, French and Spanish. He holds two degrees from Queen’s University — a Bachelor of Arts in Political Studies and a Master of Business Administration. He is also a certified corporate director, with an ICD.D designation in corporate governance from the University of Toronto. Daniel has served as vice chair of the Queen’s University Board of Trustees, a leader in the international Scouting movement and a board member of Social Venture Partners International.
In 2025, Daniel was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal for his contributions to his community, the province and the country.
Rita Trichur is an award-winning journalist. She is a Senior Business Writer and Columnist in the Report on Business. Her previous roles at The Globe and Mail include Senior Editor, Financial Services Editor, and Canadian business columnist for the Report on Business Magazine. Rita returned to Globe in July 2016 after spending about 2 ½ years as a reporter for The Wall Street Journal’s Canada bureau. She primarily covered domestic banks and insurance companies from Toronto, but also wrote a variety of other stories about Canada for the U.S. newspaper.
Passionate about the intersection of people and society, Jennifer has established herself over two decades as one of Canada’s leading public affairs researchers. Renowned for her deep subject matter expertise, innovative study designs, nuanced insights, and actionable recommendations, she is consistently sought out by clients who value her clarity of communication and unparalleled dedication to understanding their unique challenges and needs. Jennifer is universally recognized as a trusted advisor and accessible partner, reflecting her unwavering commitment to excellence.
In January 2025, Jennifer joined Leger as Senior Vice-President, Public Affairs and Communications, Central Canada, bringing a wealth of expertise from her role as EVP and Canada Head at Edelman DXI. Over the span of three years at Edelman, she led a national, cross-functional team specializing in complex, integrated data and intelligence solutions for communications clients. Prior to this Jennifer held senior leadership roles at Ipsos Public Affairs and Pollara, further solidifying her position as a leader in the field.
Jennifer’s expertise crosses a wide range of quantitative and qualitative research methodologies. Her areas of specialization include policy development, reputation and CSR management, program and service evaluation, issues management, communications strategy, social marketing, advocacy campaigns, stakeholder and member assessments, citizen satisfaction, and advertising testing and tracking. While her work is significantly rooted in strategic research for government departments and agencies across all levels, her diverse client portfolio also includes private sector corporations, associations, and NGOs from various industries.
Her commitment to professional development is evident in her membership with the Canadian Analytics and Insights Professionals (CAIP) and Public Affairs Association of Canada (PAAC). Beyond her industry roles, Jennifer’s curiosity and dedication to societal impact are reflected in her contributions to publications, media engagements, and collaborations with organizations such as CAMH and Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU).
A seasoned corporate communications and media strategist, Gabriella is passionate about operationalizing teams around corporate branding and reputation building, guiding business strategy and risk mitigation.
Currently, Gabriella is Interim Vice-President, Operations for Invest Ontario where she is supporting the delivery of crucial projects for the Agency’s operations and governance. Concurrently, she remains Director, Communications and Marketing leading the Agency’s investment attraction marketing and corporate communications strategies.
Gabriella has held senior leadership roles with international NGOs and global marketing and public relations agencies. She has extensive experience leading brand development, executive positioning, and thought leadership campaigns with senior-level stakeholders across Canada, the USA, Europe, MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
Gabriella is bilingual in French and English, has lived in Toronto, Montreal, Kingston and London, UK. She has a Master’s degree in Public and International Affairs from Glendon College at York University in Toronto, Canada and a BA (Hons) in Global Development Studies from Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada.
Ron joined ArcelorMittal on July 1, 2021, as Vice President of ArcelorMittal, holding the position of President and CEO of ArcelorMittal Dofasco. He is currently the Chairman of the Canadian Steel Producers Association (CSPA).
Ron started his career at Stelco Lake Erie Works where he held various positions, including General Manager, Primary Operations at U.S. Steel Hilton Works. In 2008, he joined Lakeside Steel and served as the President and Chief Executive Officer until 2012. In 2013, Ron joined Paragon Industries, a company that specializes in casing production for the energy industry where he served as Chief Operating Officer. Most recently, Ron served as Executive Vice President, Manufacturing at Samuel, Son & Co. a Canadian, multinational company specializing in metal processing, distribution and industrial products.
Ron holds a doctorate degree in business administration from Liberty University, an MBA from the University of Sunderland and an undergraduate degree in Management Studies/Business Administration from McMaster University. He has also completed executive education programs at Harvard University, Cornell University, and the University of Texas.
