Schulich x GIIA Roundtable – Innovating Infrastructure Business Models
The inaugural event of the Schulich Real Assets and Global Infrastructure Investment Association (GIIA) collaboration was held on December 4th, 2024. The gathering convened a high-level audience from the sector, and was hosted and sponsored by top-tier law firm McCarthy Tétrault. The roundtable was expertly moderated by Schulich Program Instructor Aaron Vale, exploring the future of Canada’s infrastructure and strategies to increase private investment in infrastructure projects. The panel featured industry leaders including GIIA’s Chief Executive Jon Phillips, Ehren Cory (CEO at the Canada Infrastructure Bank), John Knowlton (Senior Managing Director & Business Manager at OMERS), Brad Nicpon, (Partner at McCarthy Tétrault) and Kenneth Koon (Managing Director at IMCO). The criticality of innovation and collaboration was a theme of the conversation, as the industry strives to support a successful global transition to cleaner energy and climate resilience.
The audience comprised a cross-sectional representation of the infrastructure ecosystem. Investors, government entities, service providers, contractors, academia; as well as associations and advisory groups for the sector were in attendance. Evident in the discussion is the complexity of the sector, and its broad spectrum of stakeholders.
Karen Shlesinger, Schulich’s Program Director of Sustainable Infrastructure, noted, “A collaborative approach will support innovative business models, where value can be created and captured to form revenue streams capable of attracting private capital. Success will require a common understanding across disparate perspectives and alignment of strategic goals. Schulich is working together with the GIIA to foster capacity building, innovation and collaboration in the infrastructure sector.”
GIIA’s Jon Phillips emphasized the need for courageous conversations, decision-making and effective stakeholder engagement. The event fostered critical dialogue towards shaping innovation – an essential ingredient in boosting productivity in Canada’s infrastructure sector. Capacity building will also be required to develop an understanding of infrastructure investment from a private capital context – long-term, patient capital. Schulich is proudly launching a certificate program in 2025 to support these goals. For additional details on the Masters Certificate in Real Assets Investment contact Karen Shlesinger, Program Director of Sustainable Infrastructure. (kshles@schulich.yorku.ca)
Thank you to our partner GIIA, sponsor McCarthy Tétrault, moderator, speakers and our attendees who all contributed to this important and impactful conversation. We look forward to fostering this ongoing dialogue!