Francis P. McGuire is the President of the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
He has a rich career background in both government and in the private sector.
From 1985 to 1997, he worked in Premier Frank McKenna’s administration, including as Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Tourism. He was responsible for attracting industry to the province and assisting local companies in their growth. He also is responsible in part for establishing the IT industry in the province and for growing its tourism industry.
From 2000 to 2015 he was President and CEO of Major Drilling Group International, the second largest mineral drilling company in the world.
In 2008 Atlantic Business Magazine named Mr. McGuire Atlantic Canada’s CEO of the Year.
Mr. McGuire was inducted into the New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame and Ernst & Young named him Atlantic Entrepreneur of the Year in 2013.
He’s served on the Board of Directors of Industrial Alliance, Canada’s 4th largest insurance company and as Chairman of the Board of NB Power from 2007 to 2010.
He was also the Chair of the Wallace McCain Institute for Business Leadership at the University of New Brunswick and is an emeritus member of the New Brunswick Business Council.
Francis holds a Master’s degree from the School of Advanced International Studies at Johns Hopkins University in Washington, D.C., a Diploma in European Politics from the Institut d’études politiques de Paris, France, and a BA from Dal and completed Management Training at Western and the Marketing Management at Queen’s.
Last year he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of New Brunswick.
Our chat is heavily rooted in public policy and the future of Atlantic Canada. I hope you enjoy my conversation with Francis P. McGuire.
