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Perspectives | Issue 12
Navigator’s folio of ideas, insights and new ways of thinking
Chairman’s Letter
November 1, 2023
Jaime Watt
| Executive Chairman
“You cannot swim for new horizons until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore,” Faulkner once wrote.
Easier said than done. Today, we all know that courage is not optional. The pursuit of new horizons is a necessity that comes with new and deeper threats.
No matter your line of business, no matter the service you provide, the fear of “horizon risk,” that your plans don’t align with the timeline in front of you, is a familiar one. In the tumultuous cycle we’re in, with a perfect storm of new technology, shifting geopolitics, a collapsing traditional media landscape, and an energy transition the scale of which hasn’t been seen since the Industrial Revolution, most of our time horizons are shrinking.
But while the seas might be rougher, what lies ahead is in many ways more enticing than ever: untapped markets, improved productivity and opportunities more rewarding than your competitors can even dream.
We understand that leading and building trust through choppy waters comes with tremendous risk. But it also brings opportunity.
We swim every day in the waters where the ocean currents of opportunity and uncertainty collide. And in that ocean, where the waters are deepest, knowing when to forge ahead or steer clear requires a rapid and decisive assessment of risk.
In these pages, we offer the insight and analysis you need to make these assessments, from former ambassador to the U.S. David MacNaughton on what the prospect of Donald Trump’s return means for Canada, to the job-killing potential of generative AI, from the fractured media ecosystem, to the dangers of corporate “green hushing.” Issue #12 of Perspectives examines these pressing topics and, of course, much more.
I hope you’ll dive in.
About the author:
Jaime Watt
| Executive Chairman
Jaime Watt is the Executive Chairman of Navigator and a bestselling author. He specializes in complex public strategy issues, serving both domestic and international clients in the corporate, professional services, not-for-profit, and government sectors.
Widely regarded as Canada’s leading high stakes communications strategist, he is a trusted advisor to boards of directors, business and professional leaders as well as political leaders at all three levels of government across Canada. Jaime has led ground-breaking election campaigns that have transformed politics because of their boldness and creativity.
Jaime has been involved in corporate governance education and thought leadership throughout his career and regularly provides expert opinion in challenging governance situations. He is an adjunct faculty member of the Directors Education Program, jointly developed and administered by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He is also a guest lecturer for a variety of Rotman School programs, and the Ivey School of Business at Western University.
Currently, Jaime is the Chancellor of OCAD University. As well, he serves on the board of University Health Network, the Literary Review of Canada, CANFAR and the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
He is a past president or chair of the Canadian Club of Toronto, the Albany Club, Casey House – Canada’s pioneer AIDS hospice, Canadians for Equal Marriage, Canadian Human Rights Campaign and Canadian Human Rights Trust among others. Additionally, he is a past director, trustee or governor of many organizations including the St. Michael’s Hospital Foundation, Stratford Festival, TD Bank Private Giving Foundation, Clean Water Foundation, Toronto’s Harbourfront Centre, and the Canada Institute of the Woodrow Wilson Center for Scholars in Washington D.C.
In his board leadership activities, he has frequently been elected to strategic planning, audit, succession planning, search and crisis management committees.
Deeply involved with efforts to promote equality and human rights issues, he was the inaugural recipient of Egale’s Lifetime Achievement Award and has been awarded the Queen’s Golden and Diamond Jubilee medals for service to the community. He recently received Out on Bay Street’s Leader to be Proud of Award. Jaime has been elected to the College of Fellows of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society, is a Toronto Heritage Companion, and was named one of Toronto’s most influential citizens.
A highly regarded speaker, Jaime often appears as a public affairs commentator in the media. He is a regular contributor to all CBC platforms across Canada and writes a weekly column for The Toronto Star.
Jaime’s debut book, What I Wish I Said: Confessions of a Columnist, is a national bestseller and is already in its second printing. You can find it online and in bookstores nationwide.