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Key people at C.D. Howe Institute.
Led by President and CEO Jeremy Kronick, the CD Howe Institute is an independent public policy think tank based in Toronto that conducts evidence-based research on economic and social issues to raise living standards. The organization leverages over 300 experts to publish more than 60 research reports and host over 40 policy events annually. Ranked as the top think tank in Canada, it focuses on areas like fiscal policy, health, and energy, recently launching a Supply Chains Working Group for national strategy recommendations. Operating as a registered charity with over seven million dollars in annual revenue, it receives funding from notable donors including Aaron Regent of Magris Resources and Hélène Desmarais of Power Corporation. Created by the Howe Memorial Foundation, the institute traces its origins to the Private Planning Association in 1958 before its formal inception in 1973.
The C.D. Howe Institute is not a company or investment firm but a registered charity and independent not-for-profit research institute dedicated to raising Canadians' living standards through nonpartisan, evidence-based policy research.[1][2][4] Widely regarded as Canada's most influential think tank, it focuses on economically sound public policies addressing stronger economic growth, fiscal and financial stability, individual opportunities, and institutional effectiveness, with policy areas spanning fiscal and tax policy, monetary policy, energy, healthcare, international economics, and more.[2][4][6] It influences policy via research publications, corporate policy councils, and public events, having contributed to milestones like trade liberalization, inflation targets, pension reforms, and tax improvements.[1][4]
The Institute traces its roots to 1958 in Montreal, when business and labor leaders formed the Private Planning Association of Canada (PPAC) to research public economic policy and co-sponsor the Canadian-American Committee on Canada-U.S. economic relations.[1] After becoming dormant in 1973, its assets merged into the C.D. Howe Memorial Foundation (established 1961 to honor former Canadian Minister C.D. Howe), which rebranded as the C.D. Howe Research Institute.[1] Under leaders like Carl E. Beigie (expanding into energy and fiscal policy) and Thomas E. Kierans (1989–1999, focusing on social policy and constitution), it solidified its think tank status; William Robson has led since 2006, broadening research via policy councils on topics from demographics to trade.[1][2]
While not directly a tech investor or startup player, the C.D. Howe Institute shapes Canada's tech ecosystem through policy advocacy on innovation, business growth, competition policy, human capital, and industry regulation—key enablers for tech scaling.[6] It rides trends like digital economy expansion and AI-driven productivity by analyzing fiscal incentives, trade agreements, foreign investment, and regulatory barriers that favor tech competitiveness.[1][4] Market forces such as U.S.-Canada tech trade tensions and energy transitions (e.g., critiquing public utilities to boost private tech-energy innovation) align with its free-market push, influencing government decisions that indirectly boost startups via tax competitiveness and R&D support.[3] Its corporate ties, including carbon-extractive funders, extend to broader economic debates impacting cleantech and digital infrastructure.[3]
The Institute will likely deepen focus on emerging challenges like AI governance, digital competition, and post-pandemic fiscal recovery, leveraging its policy councils to guide Canada's tech-policy nexus amid global trade shifts.[1][6] Trends in automation, green tech mandates, and inflation control will test its free-market lens, potentially amplifying influence if it adapts to DEI and environmental critiques.[3][4] As Canada's top think tank, its nonpartisan intelligence will remain pivotal, evolving from historical policy wins to steering tech-driven prosperity in an increasingly multipolar economy—reinforcing its core mission to elevate living standards.[2][4]
Key people at C.D. Howe Institute.
