EVP & Chair of the Economic Blueprint Institute

Giles Gherson is the Executive Vice President & Chair of the Economic Blueprint Institute at the Toronto Region Board of Trade.  He is charged with maximizing the Board’s economic development and competitiveness impact for members, advancing policy initiatives by leveraging the data-driven power of the Board’s Economic Blueprint Institute, and driving strategy across the organization.

Giles brings to the Board more than 25 years of experience, including 15 years with the Province of Ontario, where he held multiple influential Deputy Minister roles – most extensively and recently as Deputy Minister, Economic Development. Previously, Giles has led the government’s economic growth and competitiveness policy, overseen the recent creation of two new agencies, Invest Ontario and IP Ontario, and worked to attract a wave of technology and manufacturing investments, including the retooling of the Province’s auto sector for next generation battery electric vehicles.

Prior to his role in government, Giles worked as editor-in-chief of the Toronto Star, political editor of the National Post and editor of the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business.