Business Council of BC Welcomes New Vice President of Policy

Former Bank of Canada Senior Economist, David Williams expands policy research capacity, expertise at BCBC

Greg D’Avignon, President and CEO of the Business Council of BC is pleased to welcome David Williams to the team as our new Vice President of Policy.

David joins the Council with broad international and national experience in public policy and economics on matters including housing, productivity, taxation and macroeconomic policy.

David joins BCBC following nearly six years as a Senior Economist at the Bank of Canada, based mostly in Vancouver, where he conducted research on Canada's housing and credit markets, the digital economy and the Bank's Business Outlook Survey. He was previously the Senior Adviser for Economic Policy at Australia’s Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet before taking leave to pursue a Doctor of Philosophy and Master of Philosophy in economics from Oxford University. While at Oxford, David was a lecturer in economics and a research intern at the International Monetary Fund.

David will play a leadership role in the development of BCBC content and public policy solutions on behalf of members and in support of our mission as a provider of timely and exceptional public-policy research and advice on issues that will enhance BC's competitiveness and prosperity.

Specifically, David will support BCBC's Human Capital Committee and Innovation and Productivity Committee.

David adds additional capacity and expertise to our highly regarded policy team which is recognized across the country for its thought leadership on issues impacting BC and Canada's economic competitiveness.

Over the last year, the Council’s policy team has published over 110 papers, blogs, columns and submissions on a range of topics including Environmental Assessment regulations and processes as well as species at risk legislation; the ties between BC and Alberta's economies; BC's export activities; implications of the provincial government’s taxation policies; and the growing demand for talent across our economy.

You can read David's latest blog postings on topics including housing and innovation at BCBC.com.

BCBC Policy Team

BCBC's policy team is led by Executive Vice President and Chief Policy Officer, Jock Finlayson, and includes Ken Peacock, our Vice President and Chief Economist who leads BCBC's work on economics and labour policy and recently sat as a member of BC's Fair Wages Commission. Ken is responsible for BCBC's quarterly Economic Review and Outlook publication and alongside Jock, contributes a monthly column in Business in Vancouver. Denise Mullen is our Director of Environmental Policy, and in addition to leading our Environment Committee and publications on climate and energy, she has written over the last year more than 20 submissions on environmental policy changes under consideration by both the federal and provincial governments. This year Denise will release an extensive paper looking at the role of women in the workforce across the BC economy. Kristine St-Laurent is BCBC's senior policy analyst focused on human capital development, iindigenous reconciliation and innovation policy. She supports the Champions’ Table, the NEXT Leaders Council policy agenda and is a prolific contributor to BCBC's blog, Business Matters.

About the Business Council of British Columbia

Now in its 52nd year as the premier business organization in British Columbia, the Business Council of B.C. is a non-partisan organization made up of 250 leading companies, post-secondary institutions and industry associations from across B.C.'s diverse economy. The Council produces exceptional public policy research and advocacy in support of creating a competitive economy for the benefit of all British Columbians.