Shift podcast: Helping you rethink business transformation

Hosted by PwC Canada

Business CareersExplicit

Website RSS feed LinkedIn

Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

About the show

Successful business transformation is taking on the demands of today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow. In each episode of Shift, we amplify the voice of leading industry experts, to share their unique perspectives on what it takes to transform. Join us to learn how these leaders are approaching and executing on their transformation journeys while ensuring they perform as they transform. Listen as they describe what they're doing to create sustained outcomes for their employees, customers and communities.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

October 15, 202636 min

The Future Is Iterative: Powering Canada's Energy Shift

Canada needs to double its power capacity by 2050, and we're already wasting 50% of the energy we produce today. So how do we close the gap? In this episode, Emily Heitman, President of Schneider Electric Canada, joins us to unpack the urgent reality of Canada's energy future and why "we need more power, and we need it now." Emily makes the case that the technology to solve our energy challenges already exists. The real work is in adopting it. We dig into the digitization of our electrical infrastructure and why sustainability is a financial advantage rather than a cost. But this conversation goes beyond the grid. Emily shares her philosophy on authentic leadership, why "your EQ is as important as your IQ," and how embracing an iterative mindset makes the future exciting instead of scary. Because as Emily puts it: the future isn't scary if it's iterative.

September 10, 202642 min

The trust economy: why curiosity matters more than ever

What if the most important leadership skill isn't knowing the answer, but being willing to hear one you don't like? Amanda Lang, one of Canada's most recognized business journalists, Chief Financial Correspondent for CTV News, host of Taking Stock on BNN Bloomberg, and bestselling author of The Power of Why and The Beauty of Discomfort, joins Shift for a conversation about the things that quietly shape every decision we make: what we pay attention to, how we stay curious, how we exercise judgment, and how we decide who to trust. We talk about why the smartest people are the least likely to act like know-it-alls, why real curiosity requires humility, how to lead when certainty is impossible, and why trust is earned the same way in a boardroom as it is at home, through transparency, repair and showing up the way you said you would. It's a reminder that in an era of infinite information and AI-generated certainty, the human superpowers, curiosity, judgment and trust, matter more than ever.

July 23, 202637 min

Legacy & The Next 40 Years — A Generational Handoff in Canadian City-Building

What survives when you hand a company to the next generation—and the world has changed underneath you? Mitchell Cohen has run the Daniels Corporation since 1984, building a development company on a conviction that traces back to his roots in Montreal's 1970s housing co-op movement: that housing is a right, not just a product. This September, his son Jacob stepped into the president's chair—by his own account, "in the toughest market our industry's ever seen." In only their second-ever joint interview, Mitchell and Jacob sit down with PwC's Shift for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to pass the torch without losing the soul of a company. They get into why brand isn't a logo but a promise ("we do what we say we're going to do"), what it means to build in a "trust recession," and the chance sidewalk encounter that turned into a quilt called a love poem to an entire community. Along the way they make a surprisingly persuasive case that empathy belongs on the balance sheet—and that the way out of Canada's affordability crisis comes down to a single word: collaboration. If you take one idea away, it's this: you don't have to choose between doing well and doing good—and the next chapter of our cities depends on more people believing it.

June 3, 202637 min

Learn, Unlearn, Relearn: What Leaders Still Don't Get About AI

What does it take for Canadian leaders to not just survive, but shape the AI revolution? In this episode of Shift, tech journalist, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Amber Mac joins the conversation to unpack why digital literacy is no longer optional — it's a leadership imperative. From dismantling the myth that AI is "only for the smartest people in the room" to exploring Canada's unique position in global AI innovation, Amber delivers a candid look at the risks of falling behind and the rewards of going first. We dig into the barriers holding Canadian businesses back — risk aversion, regulation, and capital — and why telling stories of transformation matters now more than ever. Plus: how a purpose-driven, human-centric approach to AI can redefine industries like healthcare, and why the leaders who master the art of learning, unlearning, and relearning will define the next decade. A must-listen for executives, innovators, and anyone who wants to stop fearing AI — and start leading with it.

May 7, 202635 min

Designing Insurance for Real Life

Insurance is meant for life’s hardest moments — illness, loss, the unexpected. It’s one of the most human promises we make. And yet, for many Canadians, the experience still feels confusing, impersonal, and slow. In this episode of Shift, we speak with Rohit Thomas, CEO of BMO Insurance, about what it really takes to transform an insurance company from the inside out — the culture, the legacy systems, and the organizational muscle memory — without losing empathy at the centre of the promise. Over the past year, BMO Insurance has launched Canada’s first bank-led digital insurance storefront, introduced RovrAI, an industry-first AI tool for advisors, and rolled out a new purpose and identity. Together, these moves raise a bigger question that sits at the heart of this conversation: how do you bring digital and AI in the moments that matter most — and still keep it human?

March 19, 202630 min

The Vulnerability Advantage — An International Women’s Day Conversation

To mark International Women’s Day, Shift goes beyond celebration — and into the reality of leadership. Gillian Stein, CEO of Sluyter Manufacturing, joins the podcast for a candid conversation on what leadership truly demands. From stewarding a 115-year-old family business to stepping into a new industry, Gillian reflects on leading through uncertainty, carrying the unseen emotional labour at the top, and navigating the double binds women continue to face in the C-suite. She also speaks openly about living publicly with bipolar disorder — and how vulnerability and psychological safety have reshaped her leadership, relationships, and impact. A powerful International Women’s Day conversation for anyone ready to lead with greater humanity, courage, and truth.

February 12, 202633 min

The new economics of sovereignty: AI, Capital and Canada’s next advantage

In this episode of Shift, investor and innovation leader John Ruffolo offers a bold, forward‑looking take on the forces reshaping Canada’s economic future and the massive opportunity ahead. From digital sovereignty and the evolving implications of the U.S. Cloud Act to strengthening industrial strategy and anchoring homegrown innovation, Ruffolo highlights why now is the moment for Canada to rethink how it builds wealth and scale its brightest ideas. Candid, optimistic, and deeply pragmatic, this conversation offers a roadmap for how Canada can seize this moment and build world‑leading companies on its own soil. A must‑listen for executives, investors, and builders shaping Canada’s next chapter.

January 12, 202630 min

The human edge in AI: Balancing creativity, innovation and responsible adoption

In this episode of the Shift podcast, David Usher, Founder & CEO of Reimagine AI, shares his journey from Juno-winning Canadian musician to technology innovator, exploring how curiosity can help leaders navigate innovation, ethics, and disruption. He discusses practical approaches for building responsible AI—including human-led design, consent, and regulation—and highlights projects like Second Echo and virtual companions for dementia patients, showing how technology can create value and meaning without replacing human connection.

May 15, 202427 min

Harnessing growth opportunities from shifting supply chains

Joining us for the first episode of the third season of CEO Viewpoints is Canadian National Railway CEO Tracy Robinson, who talks to PwC Canada’s Sébastien Doyon about the drivers of growth in the rail industry and how CN is harnessing emerging opportunities. They explore the growing need for rail carriers to partner with both each other and other modes of transport like trucking companies to serve evolving supply chains. They also discuss key industry challenges like climate change as well as the leadership attributes required to steer organizations through complex and uncertain times. (00:00)- Sébastien introduces CEO Viewpoints and Tracy Robinson (01:00)- Sébastien and Tracy discuss the CEO Survey and CN railway’s perspective on the responses (03:09)- Sébastien and Tracy turn their attention to the future of rail (05:51)- Tracy discusses how railroads remain competitive while working together to create resilient supply chains (11:04)- Sébastien asks Tracy about allocating resources to important new initiatives while delivering on existing commitments (17:33)- Tracy explains the changes at CN under her leadership (22:13)- Sébastien asks Tracy about the energy transition and climate change (26:39)- Sébastien shares his closing thoughts and conclusions

March 13, 202430 min

Building consensus on large infrastructure projects

Join host Jon Finkelstein and guest Ron Jaikaran to discuss Ontario’s Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program. Ron is the Director of Commercial Projects at Infrastructure Ontario, where he is driving progress on Ontario’s 4 billion dollar investment in high-speed internet. The program aims to bring high-speed connectivity to some of the hardest-to-reach communities in the province, to deliver this essential service to all Ontarians. A project of this size requires consensus between partners and collaboration between the public and private sectors to deliver results by 2025, something Ron and his team manage. Ron discusses the opportunities and challenges in undertaking such a large project, how Infrastructure Ontario is managing various partnerships at the municipal and provincial levels, and how the private sector is helping the government tackle some of the largest challenges. (00:02)- Jon’s introduces Shift and Ron Jaikaran (01:29)- Ron introduces himself and Ontario’s Accelerated High-Speed Internet Program (03:54)- Ron discusses the teams and partners involved in the program (06:15)- Ron discusses how the private and public sector are working together to implement high speed internet (09:05)Ron and Jon discuss why access to high-speed internet is so important, and the challenges posed by the geography of Ontario (14:49)Jon asks Ron about the legislation involved in the project (15:44)Ron talks about the importance of setting expectations with the market (19:22)Ron and Jon talk about the project’s quick timeline, (24:33)- Ron shared the challenges that had to be overcome along the way, and how this project can be used as an example for future Infrastructure Ontario projects (28:06)Ron and Jon discuss the importance of building consensus (29:56)- Jon and Ron share their closing thoughts and conclusions