Chair Mr. David A. Brown Counsel Davis Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP Directors Ms. Elyse Allan President and CEO General Electric Canada Ms. Marie Bernard-Meunier Former Canadian Ambassador to Germany Mr. Ian Bird Senior Leader Sport Matters Group Ms. Janice Charette Deputy Minister Human Resources and Skills Development Canada Ms. Siobhan Coady President and Chief Executive Officer Novocom Inc. Mr. Richard Dicerni Deputy Minister Industry Canada Mr. Jim Dinning Chairman of the Board Western Financial Group Mr. Bruce Drysdale Principal Drysdale-Forstner-Hamilton Public Affairs Mr. Allan Gregg Chairman Decima Research Mr. Ron Hicks Ms. Shelly Jamieson Secretary of the Cabinet, Head of the Ontario Public Service & Clerk of the Executive Council Government of Ontario Mr. James Little Chief Brand and Communications Officer RBC Financial Group Mr. Gerard Protti (Ex-Officio) Executive Vice President, Corporate Relations EnCana Corporation Ms. Indira Samarasekera President University of Alberta Ms. Kathy Sendall Senior Vice President Petro-Canada Mr. Jim Stanford Economist CAW Canada Counsel Mr. Brian Levitt Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP

In the 1980s, it became clear that in a global arena where the quality of government directly affects a nation's competitiveness, Canada suffered from the isolation of government from the private sector. The Public Policy Forum was founded in 1987 to provide a neutral venue where the private sector and the public sector could meet to learn from one another.

A 1988 gathering in Calgary served as the defining event for the PPF. Eight federal deputy ministers and twelve CEOs, largely drawn from the oil patch, came together under the PPF's neutral umbrella to talk frankly about the internal workings of government and the constraints under which federal public servants operated. This intervention was instrumental in putting public service reform on the political agenda for the first time in many years. And shortly thereafter, at the PPF's Inaugural Testimonial Dinner, the Deputy Prime Minister announced the creation of the Canadian Centre for Management Development, an educational and training organization for senior managers in the federal public service.

From the original sponsor base of eight, the Forum now has more than 150 participating organizations that cut across all sectors of society - business, labour, academia, government, the voluntary sector, and the media. These sponsors are the strength of the PPF, as well as a continuing validation of its mandate.

The Public Policy Forum's mission is to strive for excellence in government - to serve as a neutral, independent forum for open dialogue on public policy, and to encourage reform in public sector management. Four key factors have distinguished the PPF as a unique organization on the Canadian landscape.

First, the Forum stands resolutely in its belief that high quality government is critical to Canada's quality of life as well as to our prospects as a competitive nation in the global economy. High quality government requires a fundamental commitment to excellence in public policy development and public sector management - a commitment not only by those who govern, but also by business, labour, the academic community, the media, and the voluntary sector.

Second, the PPF has established itself as a neutral, trusted facilitator. It provides a meeting place where diverse and often opposing opinions and interests can be aired openly and debated, and opportunities can be sought for mutual understanding and collaboration.

Third, unlike other public policy organizations, the PPF does not sit in judgment of what government does, but looks at how public policy is developed and how the public service is managed. This approach has enabled it to bring together Canadians from all sectors of society and political viewpoints.

Finally, the PPF lives by its mandate of seeking membership that represents all sectors in Canada.

Our members