100 Global Champions is the public policy and thought leadership program that former Aimia CEO Rupert Duchesne and I developed starting in 2015 with the support of the PR team from Edelman Public Relations. Grounded in original quantitative research that asked medium-sized Canadian business leaders about their plans to expand internationally and the impediments to doing so, we started from a simple premise: what will it take to build 100 Global Champions – companies that are the very best in the world (not just big or global, but the very best) at whatever they do – in Canada.
The campaign included several speeches, op/eds, panel discussions, and presentations to government staff in international trade and finance. Below I’ve included the first year’s research report, a few speeches that I wrote about it, and some of the news coverage.
100 Global Champions Research Report Eng / Fr
100 Global Champions: Resetting Canadian Business World Ambition – Speech by Rupert Duchesne to Conseil Des Relations Internationales De Montréal (CORIM), June 7, 2016
The Opportunity for Canadian Business on the Global Stage – Speech by Rupert Duchesne to the Mont Royal Club, May 19, 2015
Building a Better Canada: The Business Imperative to Lead – Speech by Rupert Duchesne to Canadian Club of Montreal, November 17, 2014
All the world’s a stage: How to successfully take your company global – The Globe and Mail, Op/Ed by Rupert Duchesne, Sept. 8, 2016
It’s time to take your company global. Or is it? A recent Aimia survey of business leaders found that half of companies considering expanding into a new country didn’t know how to determine if their company was ready. more…
Pourquoi les entreprises canadiennes ont-elles peur de l’étranger? – L’actualité, June 7, 2016
Dans le débat sur la perte des fleurons québécois, le gouvernement Couillard avait tôt fait de sortir ses chiffres pour démontrer que les entreprises d’ici étaient plus souvent prédatrices que proies, comme le faisait remarquer mon collègue Alec Castonguay. more…
Why are Canadian companies so afraid to go global? – Canadian Business, June 7, 2016
According to a recent study by Aimia Inc., 80% of mid-sized Canadian companies feel their businesses are “not well-suited” to international expansion. Yet it might be time for those businesses to take a note from their peers who decided to go global—90% of companies who made the move have said that it was a success. more…
Pourquoi des sociétés craignent-elles de jouer sur l’échiquier mondial? – les affaires, June 7, 2016
Trop peu d’entreprises canadiennes prennent de l’expansion à l’extérieur de l’Amérique du Nord. Et cette situation tient au manque d’ambition de leurs dirigeants et aux obstacles auxquelles sont confrontées les sociétés qui rêvent d’international. more…
100 Canadian global champions. Why not? – The Globe and Mail, Op/ed by Rupert Duchesne, June 5, 2015
Over the past few weeks, several business leaders have shared their thoughts on what government can do differently to help Canadian business succeed. With the global economy starting to show signs of resumed growth, and an impending federal election, now is the time to have such thoughtful dialogue. more…