Janet Ecker

Janet L. Ecker has a proven track record of accomplishment inside and outside government in public policy and public affairs. A former Ontario Finance Minister, she managed some of the toughest files at Queen’s Park from social services and education, to economic policy and public-private partnerships.

Now President of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance (TFSA), she heads a growing public-private partnership dedicated to increasing Toronto’s role as a global financial hub and one of the two pre-eminent financial centres in North America. First established by the City of Toronto in partnership with the financial industry, TFSA works on behalf of the entire financial cluster, including its business and educational support sectors.

As its partnerships have expanded under her leadership to include the federal and provincial governments, TFSA’s role is growing to encompass business attraction initiatives and specifically targeted research to drive strategic growth and marketing activities. It focuses on Toronto’s strong value proposition as a financial hub, the sector’s growing international reputation for safety and stability during the recent global economic turmoil, the City’s excellent quality of life and its diverse, well-educated talent pool. Working with Ontario, the City and its education and financial sector partners, TFSA has established the Centre of Excellence for Financial Services Education to leverage the region’s talent advantages. With financial support from both the federal and provincial governments and the industry, TFSA is also developing the Global Risk Institute for Financial Services, to generate applied research into integrated risk management to support talent development, risk regulatory and policy development and to enhance Canada’s and the sector’s reputation as risk management leaders.

Ms. Ecker also serves as Public Policy Advisor to Tramore Group, a project and change management professional services firm. The former chair of the Rouge Valley Health System, she sits on a number of corporate and non-profit boards, is a former fellow with the School of Policy Studies at Queen’s University, and is also a frequent public speaker and media commentator. The first woman to deliver a budget in Ontario in 2002, she received a “Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award” from the Women’s Executive Network and the Richard Ivey School of Business in 2003. She is also a member of the founding committee for Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan organization working to elect more women.