Dennis Darby, BEng Management’84 (Chemical Engineering)

With an ambitious goal on the horizon, the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME) association has recruited Dennis Darby (BEng ’84, Chem & Mgmt) to lead the way.

Named president and CEO of Canada’s largest trade and industry association, Darby will help CME implement a strategy to double Canadian manufacturing activity by 2030.

Released last year, the strategy calls for strengthening the labour force, accelerating the adoption of advanced technology, supporting product commercialization, expanding marketplaces, and ensuring a globally competitive business environment.

“Manufacturing remains the cornerstone of the Canadian economy, representing almost one-third of all economic activity,” said Darby. “It has been and must continue to be the pillar of innovation, of wealth creation, and of prosperity for Canada.”

The CME represents more than 2,500 Canadian companies responsible for an estimated 82 percent of manufacturing output and 90 percent of Canada’s exports.

Darby joins the association after nearly nine years as CEO of the Ontario Pharmacists Association.

He spent 24 years in the manufacturing sector, beginning his career as a product engineer with Procter & Gamble and eventually becoming that company’s Director of North American External Relations.