Toronto, Ontario, Wednesday, February 11, 2015

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It is a pleasure to be here to celebrate and congratulate this year’s Outstanding CEO of the Year, Mr. Donald Walker. I would also like to congratulate all those involved in the presentation of this award, as it marks 25 years of honouring exceptional leaders in Canada.

In today’s world, the CEO of any major company has many important responsibilities.

He or she is, of course, responsible to stakeholders for the company’s success. But in addition to that, the CEO must be a good and wise leader, a visionary, an upstanding member of the community—both internationally and domestically—an ambassador, an innovator and possess a keen sense of corporate social responsibility.

In short, today’s CEOs must demonstrate a range of skills and qualities beyond good business sense. It is by no means an easy role to take on, particularly as it is very much in the public eye.

Of course, this also speaks to how high our hopes are for those who operate in these esteemed positions. We ask more and we expect more from them because they have proven themselves capable of giving so much to our country, and because they have the ability to effect change.

That is why, when men and women do this job well, when they bring not only great honour, but also great success to Canada, it is important to recognize and celebrate what they do.

The private sector has a central role in building Canada as a competitive and productive nation. Wherever I have travelled, I have seen both the challenges and the successes of Canadian businesses. These companies have the great potential to improve our productivity through innovation and discovery, which will, in turn, help create the strong and diversified economy that will breathe life into our country for generations to come.

And the Canadian brand is good. The maple leaf brings smiles of welcome everywhere.

I have also seen how important building trust is to innovation and to our relationships at home and abroad. Canada is fortunate that our reputation as a trustworthy nation gives us a competitive advantage, although we cannot remain complacent on that fact. CEOs and companies continue to be vital components of trust.

And beyond that, we turn to CEOs and the companies they run and ask them to bring their wealth and success and influence to bear on societal challenges.

I have seen how effective companies can be when they engage with the community and give back to the people, turning economic success into something even greater: the success of whole communities.

And many have answered that call, including today’s recipient, Donald Walker.

He has demonstrated business acumen and a philanthropic spirit, both of which have served him well as CEO of Magna International.

In addition, he has been generous in sharing his knowledge with students. I first met Don in 1999 when I returned to Ontario as president of the University of Waterloo, where Don had studied engineering. He joined us as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, Faculty of Engineering. He helped to shape many students and also helped them to realize their true potential.

He was particularly helpful with Waterloo’s co-operative education program. It has the largest such program in the world and depends on partners like Magna to make it thrive.

This gives perhaps extra meaning to the scholarships you will present this evening, recognizing deserving young people from Canadian universities who are just beginning their careers, who are studying to be like those who inspire them. This will no doubt go a long way toward helping these students continue to display exemplary leadership in their schools and in our country. I applaud all of you for this initiative.

For a quarter century, this program has recognized remarkable CEOs. It is a way to acknowledge business leadership that extends beyond business and touches every facet of our lives.

Don, thank you, as well as all past recipients of this award, for all that you have done and continue to do for our country.

Finally, as we approach the 150th anniversary of Confederation in 2017, I hope that you will make your voices heard, and help us decide how to celebrate this milestone in our history. To do so, I leave you with one simple question: what do you want your Canada to look like in 2017 and beyond?

With your help, I know we can accomplish great things in honour of this occasion, building on your already generous spirit.

Thank you.