If your organisation sits on the front line of trade policy — a manufacturer, an exporter, an energy company, a bank, or an insurer — you are booking speakers into a year where the rules keep changing. On 15 July 2026 the Bank of Canada held its policy rate at 2.25% for a sixth straight decision, naming U.S. trade policy as a key risk and noting that CUSMA is now subject to annual reviews. For the sectors that live and die by tariffs, currency, rates, and risk, “wait and see” isn’t a plan — and your audience wants a speaker who can tell them what’s actually likely to happen.
That’s a narrower brief than a general economic keynote, and it calls for a narrower shortlist. Below are the speakers we book most often through ProSpeakers.com for trade-exposed and finance-and-insurance audiences — each one verified, current, and matched to the industry that needs them. We’ll help you choose the right voice for your goal at no additional charge. If you want the broader roster across all economic and finance needs, see our companion roundup of top Canadian economic and finance speakers for fall 2026.
Key Takeaways
- For trade-exposed and finance audiences in 2026, our most-requested economics speakers are former Bank of Canada Governor Stephen Poloz, deglobalisation economist Jeff Rubin, fiscal-policy expert Don Drummond, former Governor David Dodge, geopolitical strategist Ian Bremmer, and finance broadcaster and moderator Amber Kanwar.
- Stephen Poloz is the standout match for trade-exposed and risk-focused audiences: he ran Export Development Canada, is a Certified International Trade Professional, and his book on economic uncertainty maps directly onto what insurers and exporters are managing right now.
- Manufacturing, energy, and export audiences tend to want Rubin or Drummond; banks and insurers tend to want Dodge, Bremmer, or a finance-literate host like Kanwar, and different economists bring distinct areas of expertise for different audiences. As with all economic speakers, each expert specializes in a distinct area of economic expertise, ensuring the right fit for your event.
- Fees vary by speaker, date, and format and are quoted in Canadian dollars; travel and accommodation are budgeted separately.
- There is no additional charge for ProSpeakers.com‘s services — we match the right speaker to your event goal and manage the logistics, and they work especially well as opening keynotes for strategy-level events.
How are tariffs and trade uncertainty affecting Canadian businesses in 2026?
Trade policy has become a first-order business risk rather than a background factor. The Bank of Canada held its rate at 2.25% in July 2026 precisely because it is caught between a recovering economy and the uncertainty flowing from U.S. tariffs and CUSMA’s shift to annual reviews — it signalled it is prepared to move in either direction depending on how trade plays out. For a manufacturer weighing a plant investment, an exporter pricing a contract, or an insurer modelling supply-chain and political risk, that uncertainty is the whole problem.
This is why the trade-exposed and finance sectors book differently from a general corporate audience. They don’t want a broad “state of the economy” talk; they want someone who has set monetary policy, forecast markets, or managed trade risk professionally, and who can translate today’s headlines into decisions their boards and teams can act on. The six speakers below are organised by exactly that: who fits the factory floor and the export desk, and who fits the boardroom, the trading floor, and the underwriting team.
Why book Stephen Poloz for a trade-exposed or risk-focused audience?
Stephen Poloz is the single best-matched name on our roster for this brief, because trade and risk are his professional home turf. He was the ninth Governor of the Bank of Canada, from June 2013 to June 2020, steering the country through the 2014 oil shock and the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Before the central bank, he spent years at Export Development Canada — Chief Economist, then Head of Lending, then President and CEO — and he is a Certified International Trade Professional. His book The Next Age of Uncertainty won the 2023 National Business Book Award, and he now serves as Special Advisor at Osler, where he helps companies and leaders navigate an uncertain future shaped by trade and rates.
Why Poloz resonates in 2026: his entire thesis is about navigating a riskier, more volatile economy shaped by trade, debt, technology, and demographics — which is precisely the mood exporters and insurers bring into the room this year. Few speakers can connect a Bank of Canada rate decision, a tariff, and a company’s own balance sheet with his authority and plain-language calm. He also brings economic forecasts and practical insights on the structural forces influencing growth.
What he speaks about: monetary policy and inflation, current economic trends and global trade, trade and uncertainty, the long-run forces reshaping the economy, and how to make confident decisions when the outlook keeps shifting. Best for: financial-services and insurance audiences focused on risk, exporters and manufacturers exposed to trade policy, and boards or executive offsites that want a former Governor who explains uncertainty in language a whole room can follow. See related voices on our Future Trends and Global Economy and Risk Management pages.
Request Stephen Poloz’s full bio and availability from our team.
Which economic speakers suit manufacturing, energy and export audiences?
For audiences absorbing tariffs, supply-chain shocks, and energy swings directly, book an economist who has forecast those exact forces for a living. Two of ours specialise here.
Jeff Rubin — inflation, energy, future trends, and the end of cheap globalisation
Jeff Rubin spent two decades as Chief Economist at CIBC World Markets, where he was ranked Canada’s top financial-market economist ten times, and he was among the first economists in the world to predict triple-digit oil prices back in 2005. His work focuses on how structural forces such as energy prices, sanctions, and global trade reshape industries. He is the bestselling author of Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller and, most recently, A Map of the New Normal: How Inflation, War, and Sanctions Will Change Your World Forever (2024).
Why Rubin resonates in 2026: tariffs, sanctions, energy shocks, and deglobalisation are his core beat — the very forces the Bank of Canada is watching as it weighs its next move. For companies in manufacturing and export sectors, he explains current economic trends in plain terms and connects the geopolitics to the price of a barrel and the cost of a container.
What he speaks about: inflation and interest rates, energy and commodities, supply chains and deglobalisation, the Canadian dollar, and how macro analysis ties into financial markets. Best for: energy, manufacturing, real estate, and export-heavy audiences that want a blunt, opinionated macro read.
See Jeff Rubin’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
Don Drummond — chief economist on the real cost of policy, from inside the budget room
Don Drummond spent more than two decades at the federal Department of Finance, rising to Associate Deputy Minister and coordinating Canada’s annual federal budgets, before serving as Senior Vice-President and Chief Economist at TD Bank from 2000 to 2010. His expertise is grounded in decades of policy analysis and research. He is now the Stauffer-Dunning Fellow at Queen’s University and a Fellow-in-Residence at the C.D. Howe Institute.
Why Drummond resonates in 2026: as governments wrestle with deficits, productivity, and the cost of tariffs, few people can connect fiscal and trade policy to a company’s own numbers the way he can. For manufacturers and exporters, he explains what a tariff or a budget line actually does to costs, investment, and competitiveness. He also shows how public decisions shape resource allocation and business strategy inside organizations.
What he speaks about: federal and provincial fiscal policy, taxes and debt, productivity, and the economic issues facing companies as government decisions reach businesses and balance sheets, including corporate governance where relevant to boards. Best for: manufacturers, exporters, boards, and policy-oriented audiences that want non-partisan, data-grounded analysis.
See Don Drummond’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
Which speakers suit financial services and insurance events?
Banks and insurers care about rates, stability, and risk above all — so book a former central banker, a geopolitical strategist, or a finance-literate host who can run the room. Three of ours fit these audiences especially well.
David Dodge — a former Governor on rates, financial markets and financial stability
David Dodge served as the seventh Governor of the Bank of Canada from 2001 to 2008, after stints as Deputy Minister of Finance and Deputy Minister of Health. He holds an honours economics degree from Queen’s University and a PhD from Princeton, and he is an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Why Dodge resonates in 2026: with the Bank holding at 2.25% and weighing trade risk, a former Governor’s read on monetary policy and financial-system stability carries real weight with a bank board or an insurer’s investment committee.
What he speaks about: monetary policy, fiscal sustainability, financial-system stability, and the evolving banking landscape. Best for: financial-institution client events, executive offsites, and policy conferences seeking credible, Canada-focused analysis.
See David Dodge’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
Ian Bremmer — geopolitical risk and the “G-Zero” world
Ian Bremmer founded Eurasia Group, the geopolitical-risk advisory firm, in 1998, and later GZERO Media. He coined the term “G-Zero” to describe a world without dominant global leadership, writes as a columnist and editor-at-large for Time, and oversees Eurasia Group’s closely watched annual Top Risks report.
Why Bremmer resonates in 2026: for insurers and financial institutions, geopolitical risk is the product — trade wars, elections, and conflict now sit at the top of the risk register, and he translates them into decisions boards and investors can act on. He is U.S.-based and commands a premium fee; a virtual session is an option for tighter budgets.
What he speaks about: geopolitical risk, U.S.–China competition, trade wars and tariffs, technology rivalry, and elections. Best for: insurance and financial-services boards, risk committees, and senior investor audiences.
See Ian Bremmer’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
Amber Kanwar — a market anchor who hosts and moderates
For nearly 15 years, Amber Kanwar was one of Canada’s most recognisable financial news anchors at BNN Bloomberg, hosting shows including The Open, The Disruptors, and Market Call, and interviewing CEOs, politicians, and central bankers — including former Governors Stephen Poloz and David Dodge. She now writes the daily Before the Bell newsletter and hosts the In the Money podcast. She holds a BA from Western University and an MA in journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University.
Why Kanwar resonates in 2026: when a finance or insurance agenda is dense with rates, trade, and risk, she keeps it clear, on time, and on point; her engaging presentation style and engaging stage presence help maintain audience attention throughout complex sessions, and she can draw the best out of a panel of economists or executives.
What she speaks about: markets and the economy, disruptive technology and artificial intelligence, and investing trends — plus MC duties and panel discussions. Best for: investor and member events, insurance and banking conferences, and AGMs that want a sharp, current finance host.
See Amber Kanwar’s full bio on ProSpeakers.com →
What does it cost to book an economic speaker in Canada?
Fees vary widely by speaker, date, and format, so we quote per event rather than publish fixed numbers. As a general guide, many Canadian economists and finance commentators fall in the $15,000–$50,000 range in Canadian dollars, while former Bank of Canada Governors and globally known names such as Ian Bremmer sit well above that, and a virtual session typically costs less than a live keynote. Travel and accommodation are budgeted separately for in-person events. Working to a tighter number? We also represent strong voices under five figures — see our speakers $5,000 and under page, and tell us your budget so we can match it. There is no additional charge for ProSpeakers.com‘s services.
How far in advance should you book an economic speaker?
Aim for three to six months ahead, and earlier for the biggest names. Former Governors and international strategists fill premium dates first, especially around fall conference season and the January-to-March planning stretch when banks, insurers, and exporters hold their kickoffs and outlook events. That said, we manage short-notice bookings regularly — so if your date is close, contact us anyway and we’ll tell you honestly who is available and who fits.
Frequently asked questions
Who are the best economic speakers for a finance or insurance event in 2026?
Who are the best economic speakers for a finance or insurance event in 2026? For banks and insurers, our most-requested names are former Bank of Canada Governors Stephen Poloz and David Dodge, geopolitical-risk strategist Ian Bremmer, and finance broadcaster and moderator Amber Kanwar. Each speaks to rates, trade, and risk in language a board or investment committee can act on.
Which speaker is best for a manufacturing or export audience worried about tariffs?
Which speaker is best for a manufacturing or export audience worried about tariffs? Jeff Rubin and Stephen Poloz are the strongest fits. Rubin specialises in energy, supply chains, and deglobalisation, while Poloz brings direct trade experience from running Export Development Canada. Don Drummond is the pick if your audience wants the fiscal-policy and productivity angle.
Can these speakers present virtually?
Can these speakers present virtually? Yes. Most of our economic speakers offer virtual keynotes, fireside chats, and moderated panels, which is often the most cost-effective option for U.S.-based speakers such as Ian Bremmer presenting to Canadian audiences. See our virtual speakers page.
Will the speaker tailor the talk to our industry?
Will the speaker tailor the talk to our industry? Yes. Our speakers customise their keynotes to your sector, audience size, and goal, and many also offer workshops, panels, and Q&A formats alongside the main talk. Tell us whether your audience is manufacturing, energy, banking, or insurance, and we’ll brief the speaker accordingly.
How do we get fees and availability?
How do we get fees and availability? Contact ProSpeakers.com directly with your date, venue, and audience. We manage negotiations, contracts, and logistics, and there is no additional charge for our services.
We respond within hours, not days — so if your 2026 date is set, the sooner you reach out, the more choice you’ll have.
Ready to book an economic speaker?
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