Atlantic Council

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On November 16, the Atlantic Council, Thomson Reuters, the Rotman School of Management, and The Embassy of Canada hosted a conference on the future of global finance and economic growth. Featured confirmed speakers include Director of the White House Domestic Policy Council Melody Barnes, former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin, former Secretary of the US Treasury Robert Rubin, and Royal Bank of Canada CEO Gordon Nixon.

The global economy is at an inflection point. Developed economies are working to reform their financial regulatory systems and are seeking the right policies to drive new economic growth after a devastating financial and economic crisis.

They would do well to look at Canada for inspiration. Canada’s financial system weathered the storm of 2008 and 2009 far better than others in the North Atlantic, and its subsequent unemployment rate of 7.3 percent and 3.1 percent GDP growth in 2010 stand in stark contrast to the United States and Europe. As an influential and important member of the G8 and the G20, Canada plays a lead role in determining the new path of global financial governance.

We have gathered top executives from leading Canadian financial sector firms, US and international regulators, academics, and leading journalists to discuss the future of the global financial system through the lens of the Canadian experience.

EVENT PUBLICATION (PDF)

FINAL AGENDA (PDF)

CONFERENCE PHOTO ALBUM ON FACEBOOK

VIDEO

• The Finance Crisis - Part 1 (15:00)
  In this panel discussion from The Finance Crisis: Lessons Learned from Canada and the Way Forward, the conversation, moderated by Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto, focuses on Canada's performance during the financial crisis and what regulators can take away from its success. Panelists: Michael Horgan, Deputy Minister of Finance of Canada, Sarah Dahlgren, Executive Vice President, Financial Institution Supervision Group, Federal Reserve/NY, Mark Wiseman, Executive Vice-President, Investments, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and Clay Lowery, former Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, U.S. Treasury

• The Finance Crisis - Part 2 (15:00)
  In this panel discussion from ''The Finance Crisis: Lessons Learned from Canada and the Way Forward,'' Reuters' Chrystia Freeland moderates a conversation focused on the success of Canada's financial system through global economic turmoil and what lessons can be learned by countries with less healthy financial systems. Panelists: Ted Price, Assistant Superintendent, Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions Canada, Gordon Nixon, President and CEO, RBC Financial Group, CFTC Commissioner Jill Sommers, Tom Glocer, CEO Thomson Reuters and Nicolas Veron, Senior Fellow, Bruegel and Visiting Senior Fellow Peterson Institute.

• The Finance Crisis - Part 3 (15:00)
  At a panel discussion called, The Finance Crisis: Lessons Learned from Canada and the Way Forward, at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., Robert Rubin, former U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, shares his thoughts on the EU debt crisis, the pros and cons of the United States and the impact of Occupy Wall Street, with Chrystia Freeland, Global Editor-at-Large of Reuters.

• The Finance Crisis - Part 4 (15:00)
  Former Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin explains why Canada has fared much better during this global economic downturn than most countries, at The Finance Crisis: Lessons Learned from Canada and the Way Forward conference at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., moderated by Madelaine Drohan, Canada Correspondent for The Economist.

• The Finance Crisis - Part 5 (15:00)
  Melody Barnes, Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy at the White House, speaks with Robin Harding, U.S. Economics Editor for the Financial Times, about the strategies behind the Obama administration's policies for economic recovery at The Finance Crisis: Lessons Learned from Canada and the Way Forward conference at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C.

• The Finance Crisis - Part 6 (15:00)
  In this panel discussion on the ''Global Return to Economic Growth,'' Robin Harding, US Economics Editor of The Financial Times, moderates a conversation on how to move forward from the global economic downturn and the future outlook of global demand growth. Panelists: Craig Alexander, SVP and Chief Economist, TD Bank Financial Group. Tim Adams, Managing Director of the Lindsey Group, and former Under Secretary of Treasury for International Affairs. Peter Rashish, VP for Europe and Eurasia, U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Troy Davig, Senior U.S. Economist, Department of Treasury. Alan Schwartz, executive chairman, Guggenheim Partners

HIGHLIGHTS

• Robert Rubin - "The fate of the EU and its impact on the U.S." (4:44)
• Robert Rubin - "The impact of Occupy Wall Street" (2:21)
• Robert Rubin - "The positives of the U.S." (1:22)
• Paul Martin - "Attacking the deficit: Canadian vs U.S. styles" (8:23)
• Panel - "Stock options: just asking for disaster?" (2:32)
• Panel - "Is the U.S. learning from Canada's example? Nope." (4:45)
• Panel - "Financial regulation: to study or ignore history" (3:25)
• Panel - "Global model for regulation? Try Canada" (3:24)

MEDIA AND BLOG MENTIONS

• Former PM worries Canada isn't investing enough to remain competitve - Kevin Carmichael, Globe and Mail
• RBC’s Nixon cites lack of loan demand for economic malaise - Kevin Carmichael, Globe and Mail
• Ex-Canada leader: U.S. made no sense on housing - Ronald Orol, MarketWatch
• Global return to economic growth - Thomson Reuters Blog