New Advisors to Help Ontario Businesses Grow Around the World

Agents-General will drive open for business and open for jobs internationally

The Voice of Canada News

Premier Doug Ford announced the appointment of four new advisors, responsible for providing the government with expert guidance and helping Ontario businesses to attract investment and grow international trade.

“Taking Ontario’s open for business message around the world will help create the good jobs people need right here at home,” said Ford. “Our government will work closely with these experts to make sure they’re delivering what we need and creating opportunities for our businesses to thrive.”

Based in London U.K., Chicago, Dallas and New York City, the first four of up to eight Agents-General will work with the government to create opportunities for Ontario companies and close investment deals. This will increase investment, grow exports and create good jobs in Ontario. The U.S. based Agents-General will work closely with Ontario’s Trade Representative in Washington, whose office will serve as Ontario’s hub for our most important trading partner.

Appointed today, the new Agents-General are:

• Taylor Shields – London – Shields is currently Assistant Vice-President, Marketing for Chubb Insurance, the world’s largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. She is an expert in business development and a graduate of the Queen’s School of Business.

•  Earl Provost – Chicago – Provost has worked at all levels of government for more than 35 years. For the City of Toronto, he delivered the renewal of the Chicago-Toronto Sister City Agreement and the signing of the Music Alliance Agreement between Austin and Toronto. He has a Master’s Degree in Political Management from The George Washington University.

• Jag Badwal – Dallas -Badwal has more than 23 years of experience in Real Estate. He has served on the board of the Peel Children’s Aid Society, Toronto Real Estate Board and Junior Achievement and is a recipient of the Ontario Volunteer Service Awards.

•  Tyler Albrecht – New York City – Albrecht has worked in the finance industry in New York City and Toronto. In his most recent role at Optimize Capital Markets he provided corporate finance services to private companies seeking capital and many private placements, totaling more than $250 million. He holds a degree from Loyola University Maryland. 

The Agents-General are appointed for a period of three years and will be paid CAD$164,910 in the U.S. and CAD$185,000 in the U.K. They will be accountable to real metrics, including deals closed and businesses helped. This will make sure the new jobs deliver what matters most to Ontarians.

Quick Facts

• Nearly one in five Ontario jobs depend on trade, with 1.3 million jobs supported by exports.
• Ontario opened its first international office in London in 1873, before the Federal Trade Commissioner Service or other provinces.
• The Agents-General will serve as the province’s primary international representatives in their locations, working with the province’s existing network of 14 Trade and Investment Offices.
• Ontario previously had representatives called Agents-General in New York (1992), France (1983-1988) and Japan (1990 to 1994).