‘I've always believed that leadership is about service and opening doors for others,’ says Anita Huberman. / SUBMITTED PHOTO
Businesses and governments must invest in people and technology to address Canada’s productivity challenge, says Anita Huberman.
“Businesses are dealing with rising costs, workforce pressures, regulatory complexity and rapid technological change,” Huberman, who led the Surrey Board of Trade for 18 years as the president and CEO, told Means & Ways. “But underneath many of those challenges is a larger question: how do we enable Canadian businesses and workers to create more value with the time, talent and resources we already have? Productivity does not mean asking people to work harder. Canadians already work hard. It means giving people better tools, adopting technology faster, developing skills, removing unnecessary barriers and making sure we are not wasting talent.”
She said all businesses should look at their operations and identify efficiencies, whether through AI or investment in skills. “Technology without skills will not transform our economy,” she said. “Small improvements multiplied across thousands of businesses can have an enormous impact on Canada's productivity and competitiveness.”
Childcare, transportation and housing are economic issues too, she said. “If someone cannot participate fully in the workforce because they cannot access childcare, housing or transportation, that is lost economic capacity.”
Huberman received an Outstanding Canadian Award in the lifetime achievement category on Oct. 25. Established in Toronto in 2000, the awards recognize Canadian leaders, professionals and volunteers for their achievements and service.
“Anita Huberman represents the spirit of the Outstanding Canadian Lifetime Achievement Award. … We are very proud to recognize her extraordinary record of service,” Ray Alix, co-founding chair of the Outstanding Canadian Awards, said in a press release.
Huberman, an Honorary Captain of the Royal Canadian Navy, previously also served as a trustee of the National Film Board of Canada and co-chair of Canada’s Disability Inclusion Business Council. She called the award “incredibly humbling.”
“I've always believed that leadership is about service and opening doors for others,” she said. “If there is a common thread through my career, it has been economic development through people. I believe economic development isn't simply about business. It is about ensuring people have the education, skills, childcare, infrastructure and opportunities they need to participate fully in our economy.”
