About
The Council of Canadian Innovators was created in 2015 by Canada’s most successful technology CEOs to ensure their voice was heard in the public policy development process. Innovation experts say that one essential element in sustained regional growth is the presence of significant concentrations of homegrown high-growth scale-ups. Companies that scale from millions to billions provide the most returns to national economies. For far too long, Canada’s public policy regarding innovation has been dominated by foreign multinationals and other actors whose primary purpose is not to create economic growth in Canada.
Currently, the Council is composed of more than 150 CEOs leading high-growth companies headquartered in Canada. The Council is chaired by Jim Balsillie, former Blackberry Co-CEO and John Ruffolo, Founder & Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, and Founder of OMERS Ventures.
Our history
2015
In September of 2015, former Blackberry Co-CEO Jim Balsillie speaks to a group of CEOs from Canadian technology companies during an event organized by OMERS Ventures, which was founded and led by John Ruffolo. Balsillie’s message to the group was that the federal government was setting policy which would impact technology companies, but Ottawa was not listening to Canadian tech companies. Out of this meeting, the seeds for CCI are planted.
In October, the Liberal Party of Canada wins the 2015 federal election on a platform which includes a promise to hike taxes on employee stock options, a policy which would severely harm scale-up technology companies’ ability to recruit skilled talent. This served to underscore Balsillie’s message about policy being created without consulting with domestic tech companies and acted as a galvanizing force.
CEOs begin a public and government relations campaign, penning opinion pieces and writing letters to the Minister of Finance.
2016
In response to pressure from the tech sector, the Liberal government revised the policy to exempt most scaling technology companies from tax hikes on employee stock options. Bill Morneau, who was finance minister at the time, remarked, “I heard from many small firms and innovators that they use stock options as a legitimate form of compensation, so we decided not to put that in our budget.”
This proved to many CEOs on the sidelines of the CCI movement that linking arms and advocating with one voice can spur meaningful policy changes and was essential for updating Canada’s economic playbook for the 21st century innovation economy.
In March, Benjamin Bergen was hired as executive director and the first employee of the Council of Canadian Innovators.
Summer
CCI begins working with then-Immigration Minister John McCallum, consulting with scaling technology companies. The result of this work would be the Global Talent Stream, which greatly reduced visa processing times for skilled workers coming to Canada — one of CCI’s first clear policy wins for members.
Around 50 CEOs travel to Ottawa to participate in CCI's first CEO Summit, which includes meetings with key federal ministers and civil servants and exposes CEOs to in-person advocacy firsthand.
2017
The federal government announces the Global Skills Strategy, which includes the Global Talent Stream pilot part of theTemporary Foreign Workers Program. CCI is selected as the only non-governmental referral partner to the program. Following the 2017 federal budget, CCI hosts its first pan-Canadian budget debrief for innovators.
Summer
CCI begins to expand its sectoral advocacy efforts into clean technology, health technology, cybersecurity, fintech, and digital services. CCI hosts various advocacy days in Ottawa for innovators.
Fall
CCI begins working on behalf of innovators at the provincial level, working first in Ontario to reorient provincial strategies towards supporting homegrown firms.
2018
CCI continues to establish itself as a leading voice for prioritizing homegrown Canadian technology companies through strategic public policy, including the North American Free Trade Agreement negotiations, ongoing federal government budget proposals, and the Sidewalk Labs project proposed for Toronto.
Spring
CCI hosts CyberCanada Senior Leadership Summit in Toronto, convening innovators, federal and provincial government leaders, and officials from our national security and defence agencies. In Ottawa, CCI appears before parliament calling for a national data strategy.
Fall
CCI hosts second CEO Summit in Ottawa, bringing together over 100 scale-up leaders from across Canada for over 40 meetings focused on increasing access to talent, capital and customers, and new marketplace frameworks for the 21st century economy.
2019
CCI opens a bureau in Québec with a dedicated provincial affairs lead, a new brand – Conseil canadien des innovateurs – and the addition of Louis Têtu to the Board of Directors of CCI. When the Quèbec government tables their 2019 budget, CCI is on site in Quèbec City analyzing each measure through an innovation lens.
Spring
CCI hosts Spring Intellectual Property Symposium in Toronto, coalescing CCI's calls for a national IP strategy that helps innovators expand their freedom-to-operate to scale globally.
Fall
CCI hosts meetings in Winnipeg with the Manitoba Government, laying the seeds for CCI's future expansion into the Prairies.
2020
At the onset of the global COVID-19 pandemic, CCI acted swiftly to ensure innovators and business leaders across Canada had access to essential information to keep their businesses running. In March, CCI launched the COVID-19 Slack Channel, which rapidly grew to over 2,500 members nationwide. CCI also began hosting webinar briefings with federal and provincial leaders, providing a platform for business leaders across Canada to engage in critical Q&A sessions during a time of significant economic uncertainty. These forums also allowed business leaders to share best practices and strategies with their peers.
As governments rolled out relief measures, CCI emerged as a vital voice for Canadian tech, advocating for improvements to the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, which proved inadequate for high-growth technology companies. This advocacy ultimately contributed to the creation of the $250 million Innovation Assistance Program, providing much-needed capital to innovative tech companies that did not qualify for other programs. CCI also urged faster release of funds from Regional Development Agencies to help companies manage the growing operational pressures they were facing.
2021
CCI Launches the Innovation Governance Program to train prospective board members with the skills and knowledge needed to effectively provide corporate governance oversight in scale-up Canadian technology companies.
2022
CCI entrenches regional advocacy —galvanizing Alberta tech to sound the alarm on regulatory overreach of software engineers, and Quebec tech coming together to push back against overly onerous French language legislation. CCI is also an active voice of homegrown innovation in the Ontario general election.
2023
CCI hosts its first Capital Summit in Toronto, bringing together leading Canadian institutional investors and a CEOs of high-growth technology companies
The Government of Canada announces significant changes to Canada’s economic immigration streams, including a digital nomad strategy and a high potential tech talent stream, in response to CCI’s ongoing advocacy. Many of the policy changes were directly mirrored in CCI’s 2022 Talent and Skills Strategy.
2024
CCI takes a leadership role in the federal government's review of the Scientific Research and Experimental Development tax credit, pushing for policy changes that provide maximum benefit to scale-up companies.
CCI makes government procurement a national priority as a key tool for governments to support innovative technology companies.
Our Board
Our Team
Careers
Join a team of of professionals working at the intersection of public policy and leading-edge technology, on behalf of Canada's most dynamic, high-growth technology companies.
Director, Federal Affairs (Senior Position)
THE COUNCIL OF CANADIAN INNOVATORS (CCI):
The Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) is a national business association representing over 150 of Canada’s fastest-growing technology-intensive companies. Companies within CCI’s portfolio are market leaders in their verticals and commercialize their technologies in over 190 countries, generating between $10M - $750M in annual recurring revenue. CCI’s member companies are all headquartered in Canada and collectively employ over 52,000 Canadians from coast to coast.
CCI was created in 2015 by the leaders of Canada’s most innovative companies to reorient Canada’s economic strategies towards supporting domestic scale-up companies to aid in their pursuit of becoming engines of Canada’s future economic prosperity. CCI works closely with our members and leaders within federal and provincial governments to develop economic strategies that increase access to talent, capital, and customers for homegrown firms, all while updating Canada’s economic playbook for the 21st century economy. Since 2015, CCI’s advocacy has led to governments improving the way businesses access international talent, patent their inventions, and navigate the global data-driven economy.
CCI is a peer network of Canadian business leaders and innovators who look to CCI’s leadership and membership for strategic advice and foresight, expert navigation of federal and provincial governments, and connections to other innovators and institutions that can assist them in scaling their businesses worldwide.
Today, CCI is headquartered in Toronto and has staff located in Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montréal and St. John's. CCI is established as a not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors, with Jim Balsillie, retired chairman and co-CEO of BlackBerry, serving as Chair, and John Ruffolo, founder of OMERS Ventures and Managing Partner of Maverix Private Equity, serving as Vice-Chair. Both are also co-founders of CCI.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Reporting to the Vice President, Strategy and Advocacy, the Director of Federal Affairs will work closely with CCI’s national membership base to drive Federal advocacy and policy development goals and priorities. CCI’s Director of Federal Affairs will be responsible for increasing the visibility of CCI in Ottawa, identifying opportunities for collaboration and dialogue between CCI’s members and the federal government, cultivating and managing relationships with government officials, media, and stakeholder groups, and working to achieve CCI’s federal advocacy priorities.
CCI’s Director of Federal Affairs will work on a wide range of public policy files and will be expected to immerse themselves in discussions taking place within the federal government, so they become a resource to CCI’s membership. On any given day, CCI’s Director of Federal Affairs could be participating and advancing ideas in discussions on a variety of topics, including but not limited to procurement modernization, open banking frameworks, national security and cybersecurity policy, medical device regulations, cleantech adoption, talent and skills development, data and privacy regulations, and intellectual property frameworks.
CCI’s Director of Affairs will be expected to become familiar with federal business support programs targeted towards innovative and technology companies.
CCI’s Director of Federal Affairs will be expected to connect regularly with members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery, at times acting as the official CCI spokesperson on certain topics and providing on-record statements to media communicating CCI’s position. This work will also include monitoring and participating in the parliamentary committee process, this includes presenting at committee meetings on issues related to CCI’s advocacy.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES:
Support the work of the Vice President, Strategy and Advocacy, and work closely with the President and Vice President, Corporate and Public Affairs, to deliver on CCI’s Mission and Vision
• Develop and execute comprehensive federal advocacy strategies that align with the Council’s priorities and objectives
• Develop a strong understanding of CCI member business models, market landscapes, and industry trends, with a focus on the sectors of ICT, Cybersecurity, Healthtech, Cleantech, Fintech and Artificial Intelligence
• Serve as the primary liaison between CCI and federal officials, including parliamentarians, ministers, senior bureaucrats, and political staff
• Organize and lead meetings with high-ranking government officials, business leaders, and CEOs to advocate for CCI’s positions and build relationships
• Represent CCI at parliamentary committee hearings, consultations, and other public forums, presenting on behalf of the organization and its members
• Attend government consultations and provide clear and concise feedback that reflects the innovation sector’s needs
Grow and maintain relationships with members of the Parliamentary Press Gallery by developing and delivering strategic and effective media pitches that advance our advocacy efforts
• Work closely with CCI’s Community Success and Business Development team as it relates to business and member development, and work collaboratively to organize and host briefings and events for CCI members related to federal advocacy and programs
• Work closely with CCI’s Policy team to inform current and future CCI policy research and development
• Draft press releases, public communications products, and op-eds related to key policy issues and legislative developments
• Collaborate with the communications team to craft messaging for advocacy campaigns and media appearances
• Abide by all federal lobbying rules and regulations
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES:
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in government relations, public policy, or a related field, with at least 3 years focused on federal affairs in Canada;
• A proven track record in drafting, negotiating, and advocating for public policy issues, particularly those related to the innovation economy and tech sector;
• Deep understanding of Canadian parliamentary routines, procedures, and the federal legislative process;
• Excellent public speaking and presentation skills, with comfort in high-stakes, public settings such as parliamentary hearings.Ability to work collaboratively on a small team and thrive in a fast-paced environment;
• Ability to work at the pace of the private sector, responding to the high-paced demands of innovative businesses and government deadlines;
• Ability to build and maintain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, including CEOs, parliamentarians, senior bureaucrats, and government officials.Attention to detail and superior organizational skills;
• Self-starter with the ability to work independently with minimal oversight;
• The ability to work independently and telework collaboratively with a small team and thrive in a fast-paced, start-up environment with sometimes ambiguous scenarios;
• Be part of a highly driven, dynamic, inclusive team with energetic personalities;
• Pre-existing relationships with National media outlets are an asset;
• Bilingualism (English/French) is considered a significant asset;
• Be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Success in this role will be measured by the candidate’s ability to deliver tangible outcomes for the organization and its member CEOs. This includes successful advocacy for key policy initiatives, influence on federal legislation, and maintaining strong government and stakeholder relationships.
APPLICATION PROCESS:
Interested candidates should submit their resume and a brief cover letter to CCI’s Vice President, Strategy and Advocacy, Dana O’Born, doborn@canadianinnovators.org
CCI is committed to diversity and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including women, people of colour, and individuals with disabilities.
SALARY ANDBENEFITS:
• Salary range $104,013 - $147,808 CAD
• Education/training spend $2,500 per year
• Generous benefits including dental & medical coverage
• Parental leave benefits
• CCI provides employees 3 weeks’ vacation each year, in addition toa summer closure in July of one week, and a winter closure of two weeks,totalling six weeks off during the year