Luncheon: Candace Laing, President & CEO, Canadian Chamber of Commerce

Candace Laing has led the Canadian Chamber of Commerce as the President and CEO during an economically and geopolitically tumultuous time for Canada.

Since taking on the role in late summer 2024, Candace has become a sought-after voice on matters of trade, whether U.S.–Canada, international or internal, and Canada’s economic sovereignty. She is a member of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Advisory Committee on Canada-U.S. Economic Relations, which brings together leaders from business, labour and public policy to provide strategic advice to the Prime Minister and Cabinet on the Canada–U.S. relationship. In 2026, Candace was listed among The Hill Times Top 50 Influencing Foreign Policy.

In 2025, Candace served as Chair for the Business 7 (B7), the most significant and recognized of the G7 Engagement Groups.

Candace is regularly cited by the media and is an in-demand keynote speaker and panelist for events on trade, agriculture, economic security, Canada–U.S. relations, and other topics related to Canada’s
business community.


As President and CEO, Candace steered the formation of the Canadian Chamber’s current Strategic Plan, which focuses on the three pillars of business leadership: nation, business and community building.

Candace first joined the Board of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in 2019 as a Director and served as Vice-Chair from 2021 to 2022, assuming the role of Chair of the Board of Directors in 2022. She led a significant governance modernization effort and played a role on the Board as the Canadian Chamber developed a transformational mandate to create a reimagined and renewed organization that resulted in extraordinary growth.

Notably, before joining the Canadian Chamber, Candace worked for more than ten years with Nutrien, where she led both the Sustainability and Human Resources functions and served 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 role as the organization’s Chief Human Resources Officer, focused on ensuring people strategies and inclusion initiatives were aligned with business strategy.
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.