Prior to joining Gluskin Sheff in 2009, Mr. Rosenberg was Chief North American Economist at Bank of America-Merrill Lynch in New York and prior thereto, he was a Senior Economist at BMO Nesbitt Burns and Bank of Nova Scotia.  From 2001 to 2008, Mr. Rosenberg was ranked first in economics in the Brendan Wood International Survey for Canada, ranked second overall in the 2008 Institutional Investors Survey for the U.S., and was on the Institutional Investor All American All Star Team from 2005-2008. Mr. Rosenberg also ranked 4^thout of 104 economists in the 2009 Thomson-Extel survey of global portfolio managers.

He has made several TV appearances and his articles feature regularly in all the major financial and business newspapers/journals. He is a guest columnist for Globe Investor and Report On Business.

Mr. Rosenberg received both a Bachelor of Arts and Masters of Arts degree in Economics from the University of Toronto.

A principle commentator and associate editor of the Independent, he is author of “The World in 2020″, which has been translated into more than a dozen languages. He was named Business and Finance Journalist of the Year in 2006 at the British Press Awards and broadcasts regularly on the BBC.  His most recent publication in January 2010 entitled “What Works”, examines best business practices of firms from around the world as they weathered the economic downturn. 

We’re extremely confident Hamish McRae will set the right tone for OES as we undertake to determine what we in Ontario need to do to ensure competitiveness and prosperity for the next decade and beyond.

Canada needs to invest in its infrastructure NOW to prevent its economy from under-performing in the coming years.

Clear links are now being established between a country’s investment in infrastructure and its productivity and growth. According to a recent report commissioned by the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) earlier this month, Canada’s large infrastructure deficit is undermining our economy and overall quality of life.  Another report by the Conference Board of Canada, issued in March 2010, concluded that “for every dollar spent on public infrastructure in Ontario, $1.11 in real GDP was generated”.  As a result, both reports highlight the need for immediate action to improve our roads, bridges, sewers, transit systems, water lines, etc in order for our society to operate and grow.

Quick fixes will not suffice. It is now time for us to turn to long-term stable funding solutions and programs. Our upcoming Ontario Economic Summit (OES) will address this major issue through our panel entitled “Gateways to Growth: Ontario’s Transportation Infrastructure. We invite you to come share your ideas and recommendations to help us build and sustain a more prosperous and attractive province.

For more information on the Summit (including agenda and speakers) and to register, please visit: www.occ-oes.com.

Download the full RCCA report on “Public Infrastructure Underinvestment: The Risk to Canada’s Economic Growth”.

Download the full Conference Board of Canada report on “The Economic Impact of Public Infrastructure in Ontario”.

The OES partnered with the Council of Ontario Universities, VPs of Research and local chambers to develop a series of workshops aiming to bridge the gap between universities and the business community. London, Sudbury and the York Region were targeted for the pilot workshops this spring.

Key issues addressed included:

• Primary point of contact at universities: To whom should business reach out?
• Timelines: What can business expect in terms of getting an answer of yes or no about a research collaboration with the university?
• Intellectual Property Rights (IPR): How universities negotiate IPR – who owns what?
• Fees: What fees should a company expect to pay for university research and how are fees calculated?
• Long-term benefits of collaboration: What has been the upside in terms of growing the business?
• Key recommendations: How can the landscape be improved so that universities and businesses partner more effectively and improve collaborative activities?

Please read the Connect to Innovate final report* to learn more.

* The report includes similarities and differences between regions/cities, key findings and recommendations.

Things seem to be looking up for Ontario:

• Ontario’s GDP outpaced both Canada and the US in Q4 2009 by 1.6%
• Ontario’s economy is forecasted to grow by 3.6% this year just ahead of Canada’s 3.4% projected growth
• A slight decline in unemployment is expected: down to 8.1% from 8.9%
• Quebec based Héroux-Devtek announced it will be investing $26.5 M in its Kitchener facility
• Hind High Vacuum Company, a Canadian solar firm, announced they will build a solar panel manufacturing facility at the Windsor International Airport which is forecasted to create 200 new jobs

Visit: http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/ich-epi.nsf/eng/02043.html to receive a full copy of the report.

Taking the plunge into new markets can be risky for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) and it can be difficult to find the resources necessary to make the expansion. The Ontario Chamber of Commerce has developed a program, Export Market Access (EMA), with funding from the Government of Ontario and the Government of Canada to help SME’s export to new markets and expand within current markets. Since its inception in 2008, the program has helped over 220 companies and given out over 2.3 million dollars.

EMA helps with some of the costs associated with reaching new export markets in four categories: direct contact, marketing tools, market research and foreign bidding projects. The contributions made by the EMA program make it possible for many SME’s to launch themselves into markets that would otherwise be unattainable.

Making these export markets available allows for a stronger more stable customer base for these SME’s. If we continue to invest in business within the province, the Ontario economy will emerge stronger and more diverse. For more information on the EMA program, please visit the website at www.exportaccess.ca.

Canada’s trade deficit – good or bad?

We were required to listen to various captains of industry address the summit on how to grow economically as a province. Listening to these keynote speakers and their theories on how our province could flourish economically was extremely interesting and educational. The highlight of the Ontario Economic Summit was listening to Alex Dobrochodow and Premier McGuinty. Mr. Dobrochodow is a Creative Strategist and Brand Expert from Australia who spoke in regards to tourism. He explained how we could use tourism as he has with the Seven Wonders of New South Whales Australia by marketing regional tourist destinations within Ontario. I thought that his theory regarding corporate businesses investing in tourist areas because it creates jobs and promotes a stable economy along with regional marketing was profound.

Premier McGuinty was the second speaker that I really enjoyed listening to. I found his public speaking skills outstanding. He addressed the summit about the new harmonization tax and was able to capture everyone’s complete attention because he was confident, knowledgeable and very passionate about his cause.

The three days that I spent volunteering at the Ontario Economic Summit was an extraordinary experience and was instrumental to my foundation as a public relations student. I hope to one day become a great speaker like these two gentlemen.

I would like to thank all those that made this possible.

Written by: Kevin Brochu, Student, Niagara College

The next morning, Kevin, Brett and I arrived at White Oaks where Erin immediately took us to the media room. She showed us what media monitoring is all about, and how to perform searches that will pinpoint who has written and published stories covering the event at hand.

Over the course of the day, we were given the opportunity to sit on some of the speakers, including Tim Hudak, Warren Jestin and Greg Ip. As a former Business and Economics student at Wilfrid Laurier University, I found these sessions particularly interesting and enjoyed getting a fresh perspective on the current economic situation.

The following couple of days consisted of writing a blog, assisting in the registration of OES delegates, and attending more speaker series. The highlight of the entire event was having the opportunity to listen to the “Go Green and Prosper” session, which featured a keynote address by Gerald Butts, President and CEO World Wildlife Fund Canada, and Galen Weston, Executive Chairman, Loblaw Companies Limited. Their insights on the green economy was both eye opening and interesting, and well received by all in attendance.

The Ontario Economic Summit was a totally new experience for me, and I’m very grateful to have had the opportunity to attend the event this year. We are at a turning point in the future of our economy and now more than ever need the guidance of today’s leaders.

Written by: Danielle Purslow, Student, Niagara College