Perrin Beatty will step down as head of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce at the end of August, the organization announced Thursday.
Mr. Beatty has been president and chief executive officer of the chamber since 2007, making him the longest-serving head of Canada’s largest business organization and one of the country’s most influential lobby groups.
Before joining the chamber, Mr. Beatty had a long career in politics, including as a cabinet minister in Brian Mulroney’s Progressive Conservative government in the 1980s and early 1990s. He was also head of the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. and led Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters, an industry association.
The leadership change is happening ahead of the 100th anniversary of the chamber, which represents 450 regional chambers of commerce and boards of trade, and around 200,000 businesses.
“The way to ensure that we have our 200th anniversary is if we’re constantly renewing ourselves and looking at fresh ideas,” Mr. Beatty said in an interview.
He said his biggest accomplishments at the chamber were during the pandemic, when the organization became a key partner in the federal government’s efforts to support businesses and workers.
It worked with the government on designing emergency loan programs and helped distribute millions of rapid COVID-19 test kits to businesses across the country through its regional network.
“We emerged from the pandemic stronger than we went into it, because we were needed. If chambers of commerce are needed during the good times, they’re particularly needed during the tough times,” Mr. Beatty said.
He said the experience changed how the chamber sees its role in Canadian society and the business world.
Instead of being just a lobby group that aims to influence public policy, the chamber is increasingly aiming to provide tools to businesses to help them succeed, Mr. Beatty said. He pointed to the organization’s Business Data Lab, and its efforts to facilitate corporate mentorship opportunities.
Still, the chamber’s main role is representing businesses in the halls of political power. And in that arena, Mr. Beatty said, there will always be lots of work to do.
“If there’s one message for government, it’s that it needs to see business as a partner and not as a problem,” he said. “There’s tremendous capacity in the business community that could be unlocked if government were willing to ask for the help of business and to make it clear that they really want to work as a partner.”
Senator Hassan Yussuff, the former head of the Canadian Labour Congress, worked closely with Mr. Beatty during the pandemic.
“I think the chamber is going to miss him dearly,” Mr. Yussuff said. “He was not dogmatic. He tried to channel what was best for his members … At the same time, there was a recognition that it had to serve the greater good of the country.”
Mr. Beatty said he intends to remain active in public policy circles after leaving the chamber this summer, and is open to helping governments and businesses on various short-term projects.
A special committee of the chamber, led by the vice-chair of its board, Penny Wise, will start looking for Mr. Beatty’s replacement in the coming months, using a recruiting firm.
“This is an unparalleled opportunity to lead an agile organization that is transforming and growing to deliver more to its members,” Ms. Wise said in a statement. “We’re determined to harness the momentum to make the chamber even more relevant to the next generation of business leaders.”