Futures Week 2025

President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce
Session: Disruptions on the horizon 2025

Candace Laing is an executive leader with progressive leadership experience in multiple sectors, including mining, manufacturing, agriculture, education, and healthcare. Candace's career spans over two decades, encompassing roles in both private and public sector organizations. She also has a strong entrepreneurial background with a focus on strategic business initiatives that foster long-term value and high-performance cultures.

Most notably, Candace worked for more than ten years with Nutrien, leading both the Sustainability and Human Resources functions and serving as a member of the Executive Leadership Team. She played a pivotal role in launching Nutrien’s environment, social, and governance (ESG) efforts and, through her most recent role as the organization’s Chief Human Resources Officer, focused on ensuring people strategies and inclusion initiatives were aligned with business strategy.

She first joined the Canadian Chamber’s Board of Directors in 2019 and served as Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2022, assuming the role of Chair of the Board of Directors in 2022. She was on the Board when the Chamber developed its Chamber 2025 Strategic Plan—a transformational mandate to create a reimagined and renewed Canadian Chamber.

Candace is passionate about ensuring healthy organizations support a strong economy that can serve societal needs. She is proud to have grown up in Saskatchewan, where her family maintains a longstanding farming operation. Candace is a Fellow of Chartered Professionals in Human Resources (FCPHR). She holds a Bachelor of Commerce with Distinction and a Graduate Certificate in Public Policy Analysis from the University of Saskatchewan. Additionally, she has a Graduate Certificate in Corporate Sustainability and Innovation from Harvard University and a Master of Arts in Leadership from Royal Roads University.

Director, Center for Sustainable Development, and Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, The Brookings Institution
Session: Disruptions on the horizon 2025

John W. McArthur is senior fellow and director of the Center for Sustainable Development at the Brookings Institution. He co-founded and co-chairs the 17 Rooms initiative, a new approach to catalyzing action for the Sustainable Development Goals. Outside of Brookings, he is also a senior adviser to the United Nations Foundation, a member of Policy Horizons Canada’s Deputy Minister Steering Committee, and a member of the Novata ESG Advisory Council.

He was previously the chief executive officer of Millennium Promise Alliance, the international nongovernmental organization. Prior to that he served as the manager and then deputy director of the U.N. Millennium Project, Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s independent advisory body mandated to recommend an action plan for achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

McArthur grew up in Vancouver and is a Canadian citizen. He completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honors) at the University of British Columbia; a Master’s in Public Policy at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government; and then an M.Phil. and D.Phil. (Ph.D.) in economics at Oxford University, which he attended as a Rhodes Scholar.

Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet - Artificial Intelligence, Privy Council Office
Session: Adapting to ubiquitous AI

Mark Schaan was appointed Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet – Artificial Intelligence in July of 2024. In this role, he supports the overall AI agenda, seeking to position Canada for leadership in its responsible development and use.

Prior to this, Mark served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategy and Innovation Policy at the Department of Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED). In this role he led on the overall micro-economic and innovation agenda, including supporting the development of the department's horizontal policy and strategic priorities, including in international affairs, telecommunications, economic security, and all aspects of marketplace frameworks.

Mark’s career has been highlighted by this cross-cutting policy and framework effort, including leading major consultations and reforms, including for telecommunications, investment review, intellectual property, bankruptcy and insolvency, privacy and AI. Mark’s public service career has included roles across the policy spectrum, as well as leading on revitalizing the public service through innovative recruitment models.

Mark earned his BA (Honours) from the University of Waterloo in Political Science with an Honours Option in Peace and Conflict Studies in 2002, where he studied as a Loran Scholar. Mark earned his MPhil in Comparative Social Policy, conferred in 2004, and his DPhil in Social Policy, conferred in 2010 from the University of Oxford, where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Mark is also actively involved in his community: chairing the board of the Ottawa Art Gallery, continued involvement with the Loran Scholars Foundation, and previous leadership at the Ten Oaks Project for 2SLGBTQ+ youth and families.

Director General, Policy Horizons Canada
Session: Opening of Futures Week 2025, Disruptions on the horizon 2025, Global outlooks on paradigm shifts, Closing of Futures Week 2025

Kristel is the Director General at Policy Horizons Canada, Government of Canada. She is former Head of Strategic Foresight at the World Economic Forum. Kristel holds 3 Masters including an MBA from the Yale School of Management. She is a Fulbright Scholar and a Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholar.

Acting Director, Policy Horizons Canada
Session: Adapting to ubiquitous AI

Claire has a background in natural resources, global governance, and anti-corruption. She’s spent close to a decade working with Canadian and international organizations advocating for better resource governance. Her passion lies in working with people to solve complex issues. She has collaborated with many different parts of government to integrate foresight into their work and is currently A/Director at Policy Horizons overseeing the interdepartmental projects and research teams. A lover of civic activism, cooking, and reading, Claire can often be found chauffeuring her children places.