Page 7 - Thirty-Sixth Conovcation - November 4, 214

HONORARY DEGREE RECIPIENT
JOCK FINLAYSON
November 4, 2014, 2:00 p.m.
Jock Finlayson is a distinguished business economist. For the past 20 years, he has been a leading voice on economic and public policy issues affecting British Columbians. As executive vice-president and chief policy officer at the Business Council of British Columbia, Finlayson represents the interests of 260 large and mid-sized companies and affiliated industry associations.
A master communicator, Finlayson’s insight into economic policy has benefitted the entire province. He translates complex economic concepts into applied knowledge for the benefit of government, business owners and residents of British Columbia. A frequent commentator on economic, business and public policy issues, Finlayson has published more than 300 op-ed pieces for newspapers, including the Vancouver Sun, Troy Media, and the National Post. Born and raised in Comox, B.C., he cares deeply about the province’s economic future.
Finlayson directs the Business Council’s work on economic, fiscal, tax, environmental, regulatory and human capital issues. He manages the organization’s policy and research staff, and oversees its publications. He represents the Business Council before legislative committees and government regulatory bodies, and works closely with senior business executives across the province. Prior to assuming his current role, he was vice-president and chief economist at the Business Council until 2001.
Finlayson was a member of the board of directors of the Bank of Canada for six years until 2013, during which time he chaired the corporate governance committee as well as the fellowship nominations committee. He is a member of the National Statistics Council and sits on the boards of the Institute for Research on Public Policy and Genome BC. He is also a fellow of Royal Roads University.
Prior to joining the Business Council, Finlayson was vice-president of research at the Canadian Council of Chief Executives. He has also served on the board of the B.C. Innovation Council and for several years was a member of the provincial government’s Degree Quality Assessment Board. He is past president of the Association of Professional Economists of B.C. and the Ottawa Economics Association.
Finlayson holds a master’s degree in business from Yale University, and undergraduate and MA degrees from UBC. He earned a post-graduate diploma in economics from the University of London.
He resides in West Vancouver with his wife, Marlene.
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