Disrupting the bear, a podcast by Deloitte Deloitte Canada

We’ve look at the issues and what businesses can do to disrupt the bear. Now what? What does the future hold? What happens after the downturn? What does a new economic cycle look like? And what does that mean for a now stronger and more focused business?

In episode 5, we talk to Craig Alexander, chief economist, Deloitte Canada and Elyse Allan, the retired president and CEO of GE Canada about how to stay on top and continue expanding in the good times.

Growth isn’t just about expanding. Slowdowns often present opportunities to look inward and reassess what’s working and what’s not. It can be a good time to upgrade to new technology in the name of cost savings and productivity. It might be a time to reorganize departments or develop new products and test new ideas. In episode 4, we look at how companies can become leaner and meaner operations.

Mathew Harris, managing partner of Deloitte Private and Candice Faktor, managing partner of Faktory Ventures discuss how to keep your business resilient, adaptive, and digitized in a downturn.

In episode 3, we look at the untapped opportunities during times of uncertainty. With 75 percent of Canadian exports going to the United States, it’s natural for companies to want to expand south. But we live in a big world and there are plenty of growth avenues that many Canadian companies haven’t explored. For instance, we’re doing more trade with Europe, China is expanding, despite what may be happening there now, and many sectors could use Canadian expertise. This episode looks at the many opportunities that Canadian companies should consider.
 
Jennifer Lee, Deloitte’s managing partner for growth platforms, evaluates the industries and sectors that perform well in a downturn and Janet Bannister, the founder of Kijiji and now a partner with Real Ventures, shares her story of success through the last recession.

It’s normal for Canadian companies to want to pull back during a slowdown. If the economy is uncertain, then why take the risk to invest? Many people, though, have successfully launched companies during downturns, while numerous businesses have come out of recessions stronger than before.
 
In our second episode, guest speakers Mark Jamrozinski, managing partner for Deloitte’s Financial Advisory practice, and John Ruffolo, founder of OMERS Ventures and co-founder of the Council of Canadian Innovators, talk about why companies need to stay the course. We look at why pulling back isn’t the best course of action and how to push ahead through the uncertainty.

Our first episode looks at some of the causes of the slowdown and why businesses must continue moving forward. Our guests - Anthony Viel, Deloitte Canada's CEO, Craig Alexander, Deloitte Canada's chief economist and Pierre Pettigrew, executive advisor, international - talk economy, trade wars and business opportunities for Canadian companies.