From here to Where?

In this episode of “From Here to Where?” I chat with Matt Girgis, Managing Director of Volvo Cars Canada for the last four years. A Canadian, with international experience, Matt talks about the affection Canadians have with the Volvo brand and how Volvo is working in its sphere of influence to reduce emissions and enhance consumer experience by delivering exceptional products that incorporate the highest degrees of both safety and sustainability for their consumers. This episode tracks the history and growth of the Volvo brand in the Canadian marketplace. Bio: Matt Girgis is Managing Director of Volvo Car Canada Limited, a position which he was appointed to in June 2019. In his role, Girgis is responsible for all aspects of the Volvo Cars organization in Canada including sales, marketing and service. An astute business leader, Girgis takes the reins in Canada at a time of growth with plans to lean in to the talents of his team and ready the business for the future. In a dynamic and complex industry, his focus remains on profitable growth developed through customer-centric strategies. Prior to his role as Managing Director, Girgis held several positions of increasing importance throughout the Volvo Cars Canada organization including Vice President & CFO before relocating to Rockleigh, New Jersey to serve as the Deputy Head of Finance & Controller for the Volvo Car, Americas Region. He also spent time at BMW Canada in various Controller roles focused on Retailer profitability and business management. Passionate about cars since his time as a ‘lot jockey’ at a Ford dealership during his high school years, Girgis has worked at the Retail level in both the service and parts department and is energized by the ever-transforming automotive industry. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance & Accounting from the Schulich School of Business at York University in Ontario.

This episode features Flavio Volpe, President and CEO of the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) representing more than 200 suppliers to the global automotive industry. He has served in that role since 2014 and over the last nine years Flavio has been at the forefront of some of the most important issues facing not only the automotive industry in Canada but Canada as a nation. From the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), to mobilizing Canadian parts suppliers to become suppliers of much needed PPE and ventilators during the COVID-19 pandemic, to seeking an injunction to force the opening of the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor during the 2022 truckers’ blockade – Flavio has been there, leading the charge. The 2023 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto from February 17-26 will mark the Canadian debut of the initiative that Flavio and his members have become most recognized for globally – Project Arrow – an audacious plan to build an all-Canadian, all-electric, technologically advanced automobile. While there have been lots of achievements Flavio and I take time to reflect in this episode on what really matters – inspiring others, laying the track, doing your best, and staying curious.

This episode is focused on the brave new world of automotive cybersecurity. As automobiles become more connected, automated, shared and electrified a myriad of different cybersecurity vectors are opened up. In this episode author and cybersecurity expert AJ Khan joins to unpack the issue of automotive cybersecurity. AJ is the president of Global Syndicate for Mobility Cybersecurity (GSMC), a not-for-profit focused on enhancing security in all forms of Mobility as well as being the founder & CEO of Vehiqilla Inc., an automotive cybersecurity startup. He is also the ex-Chair of the APMA Cyber Security Committee and is a contributor on Mobility Cybersecurity for Transport Canada, European Union Information Security Agency (ENISA), CSA Group and Automotive Parts Manufacturing Association. AJ has over 20 years of experience in Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC), and 13 years of experience in Cybersecurity Innovation and Emerging Technologies. AJ is also the author of “Automotive Cyber Governance” a book on automotive cybersecurity, governance, risk and compliance in an automotive organization.

In October’s episode of the podcast, I speak with automotive industry veteran, Don Romano, President and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada. In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss the changing automotive market, changing automotive technology and changing automotive culture. As president and CEO of Hyundai Auto Canada Corp. (HACC), Don oversees the operational procedures and strategic implementation of Hyundai and Genesis brands in Canada. Mr. Romano’s seasoned international experience and engaging leadership style helped propel Hyundai to be one of Canada’s leading automotive brands and the largest mainstream electric vehicle distributor in Canada. Don has been president and CEO of Hyundai Canada since January of 2014.

In September’s episode of “From Here to Where?” I have the privilege of sitting down with former Bank of Canada Governor, Stephen Poloz to discuss his new book “The Next Age of Uncertainty: How the World Can Adapt to a Riskier Future” and its application to the automotive industry. We discuss the five “tectonic forces” – aging population, growing indebtedness, income inequality, technological advances and climate change – that he identifies in his book, and their application to not only the Canadian economy generally but the automotive industry specifically. We are living and breathing – and adapting - to the interaction of these forces in our automotive sector. Stephen Poloz is world-renowned economist with over 40 years of experience in financial markets, forecasting and economic policy. He is currently Special Advisor with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP and prior to that he served for 7 years as the 9th Governor of Canada’s central bank – the Bank of Canada. In addition to his 14 year career at the Bank of Canada, Stephen served in various senior roles with Export Development Canada, culmination in his appointment as President & CEO from 2011-13. Born and raised in Oshawa, with a father who worked in the automotive parts sector supplying all three Detroit-based manufacturers, Stephen has a close connection to the industry, which is clear from his analysis on this podcast.

In August’s episode of “From Here to Where?” Dr. Christopher Sands joins me to discuss the ever interesting and sometimes challenging relationship that Canada has with its neighbour and largest trading partner, the United States of America. We explore the inter-connectedness of our economies generally, and our automotive sectors specifically and, in these times where – regardless of Administration – America seems to be both looking inward and attempting to protect and repatriate its manufacturing base, we also explore some of the unintended consequences arising from such an approach. As always, the automotive industry is front and centre. Christopher Sands, PhD, is the Director of the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute in Washington, D.C., and is an internationally renowned specialist on Canada, and US-Canadian relations. He is also an adjunct professor of Canadian Studies at Johns Hopkins University’s Paul H. Nitze School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He regularly gives testimony to the U.S. Congress and the Canadian Parliament, and is a widely quoted source on all things Canada. He has published extensively over a career of more than 25 years in Washington think tanks and, hailing from Detroit it will be no surprise to learn that Dr. Sands did his graduate thesis on trade in the automotive industry.

In July’s episode of “From Here to Where?” Rebekah Young, Vice President, Head of Inclusion and Resilience Economics at Scotiabank joins me to discuss the increasingly uncertain global economy and the challenges it imposes on automakers trying to build and sell vehicles in Canada. At the halfway point through the year we also take a deeper dive into the reasons for the depressed vehicle sales levels along with looking at interest rates, inflation, and the resiliency of the Canadian consumer. A talk with any economist these days would not be complete without discussion the “R” word, and I get Rebekah’s take on the risk of a recession in Canada. In her role at Scotiabank, Rebekah provides thought leadership on inclusive economic growth that ensures higher productivity gains translate into improvements in well-being that are shared broadly across society. She also promotes resilience such that households, firms, and the broader economy, adapt and thrive in an evolving global context. She holds a B.A. in Chemical Engineering from McGill University, and M.SC. in Environmental Policy from the London School of Economics and an MBA from INSEAD in Fountainbleau, France and Singapore.

In this episode I sit down with Robert Barossa, Senior Director, Sales, Business Development and Marketing of Electrify America and Electrify Canada to explore the world of electric vehicle charging infrastructure. We talk about the need to simplify and dramatically speed up the EV charging process in order to encourage greater consumer adoption of EVs, the “chicken and egg” dynamic around whether infrastructure or EVs come first, and we explore the challenges and opportunities associated with building out EV infrastructure. Finally we explore what the right number of EV chargers is for Canada when the federal government has indicated that it will develop regulated zero emission vehicle targets of 20% of sales by 2026, at least 60% of sales by 2030, and 100% of sales by 2035.

On March 16th Honda Canada Inc. announced a $1.38 B investment into its Alliston assembly facilities that will see Alliston become the North American Lead plant for the 2023 CR-V Hybrid, as the first step on the road to meeting Honda’s ambitious goal of zero emission vehicles representing 100% of Honda’s North American sales by 2040. This episode looks at this latest investment from the first Japanese company to produce vehicles in Canada in 1986 with company President and CEO, Jean-Marc Leclerc. In this wide-ranging conversation I also explore Honda’s strategic partnerships with both GM and Sony, and the current challenges and opportunities that present themselves in both a disrupted automotive industry and a global economy that’s been disrupted by a pandemic, supply chain challenges, and war.

Despite canceling generous consumer incentives for the purchase of electric vehicles and removing charging stations upon coming to power in Ontario in 2018, the Doug Ford government has pivoted 180 degrees when it comes to the role electric vehicles and batteries and other parts and components of EVs will play in the economic welfare of both the automotive industry and the Province moving forward. The Hon.Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade outlines his vision for the future of the automotive sector in Ontario.

When we think of the disruption taking place in the automotive industry, most of the focus tends to be on the vehicle manufacturers and the suppliers as the industry pivots to electrification. But what about the other core components of the vehicle ecosystem - the dealers and those that provide finance and insurance ? These sectors are being upended as well but there is much less media attention being given to these key pieces of the industry. Drew will bring LGM’s unique perspective through working with both OEM’s and Dealers, to shine a light on the impact broad industry disruption is having on the retail and financing side of the automotive industry and what that could mean for the future

Before we can talk about where the automotive industry is going it is important to understand how we got to where the industry is now in Canada. This background can often be lost on policymakers and Dennis recounts how the industry evolved, why it evolved the way that it did and what is necessary for the industry in Canada to succeed going forward.