Canada’s economic strength shapes its choices.
Our capabilities are being tested and new alliances are taking shape.
Explore how economic strength supports Canada’s independence.
Capital, Competition, and Canada
Economic Strength as a Vital National Interest
Part of the Rocky Mountain Conference on Security and Defence
As strategic competition and conflict reshape the global landscape, economic capability has become inseparable from national power. For Canada, disruptions to energy markets, supply chains, and global trade are not abstract — they directly affect our prosperity, stability, and ability to act.
In this Vital National Interests Fireside Chat, François Poirier, President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Energy, joins Peter Tchir, Head of Macro Strategy at Academy Securities, for a timely discussion on how economic strength contributes to Canada’s long-term independence and strategic capacity. Recently appointed to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s advisory board, Mr. Poirier brings perspective from one of North America’s most significant energy infrastructure companies, while Mr. Tchir contributes expertise in financial markets, macroeconomic trends, and geopolitical risk.
Together, they will examine how investment, infrastructure, competitiveness, market confidence, and global alliances influence Canada’s resilience and freedom of action in an increasingly contested world.
The discussion will consider:
- The relationship between competitiveness and national resilience
- Strategic infrastructure in an era of geopolitical uncertainty
- The role of private capital in advancing public objectives
- Regulatory frameworks and Canada’s global position
- Corporate leadership in a democratic society
This conversation builds on earlier discussions in the Vital National Interests series — including Money, Power, and Sovereignty — by focusing on the economic foundations that shape Canada’s ability to act independently.
François Poirier is President and Chief Executive Officer of TC Energy, a leading North American energy infrastructure company. Appointed CEO in January 2021, he previously served as Chief Operating Officer and President, Power & Storage, and has held senior roles across the company including leading its Mexico business, as well as risk management, strategy, and corporate development. He joined TC Energy in 2014 as President, Energy East Pipeline.
Before joining TC Energy, Mr. Poirier spent 25 years in investment banking, consulting, and corporate governance, including as President and Head of Investment Banking and Capital Markets at Wells Fargo Securities Canada, Ltd., and as Group Head of Power and Pipelines Investment Banking at J.P. Morgan Securities in New York.
Mr. Poirier currently serves as an Independent Director of CIBC and is a member of the Business Council of Canada, where he contributes to national-level discussions on economic policy and security, including participation in its National Security Committee. He was recently appointed to Prime Minister Mark Carney’s advisory board, providing industry perspective on Canada’s economic and strategic priorities.
He holds a Master of Business Administration from the Schulich School of Business at York University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Operations Research from the University of Ottawa.
Related Content
Canada's Will to Win: Siezing a Generational Opportunity (10 April 2026, Toronto, ON)
Canada's Will to Win: A Culture of Ambition (31 March 2026, Ottawa, ON)
TransCanada's Origin Story
Peter Tchir is Head of Macro Strategy at Academy Securities, where he leads analysis focused on global markets, fixed income, credit, geopolitics, and macroeconomic trends. Through Academy’s Macro Strategy practice, he advises corporations and asset managers on how geopolitical developments, economic policy, and market dynamics affect investment environments and strategic decision-making.
Mr. Tchir has advised institutional investors and corporations since 2009 and brings extensive experience as both a trader and portfolio manager. Over the course of his career, he has traded and structured a wide range of fixed income products, including synthetic CDOs, high-yield bonds, aircraft leases, indices, and fixed income ETFs.
Widely recognized for his market commentary through the “T-Report” and frequent appearances on financial news networks, Mr. Tchir is known for challenging consensus assumptions and connecting global events to market outcomes in practical and often provocative ways. His work frequently examines the intersection of economics, policy, energy, risk, and geopolitics.
Part of the Vital National Interests Series
This Fireside Chat continues RAUSI’s Vital National Interests series, extending national security analysis beyond defence policy to include the institutional foundations that sustain sovereign decision-making.
Law, Legitimacy, and Limits: Rule of Law as a Vital National Interest
Rules constrain power. Until power tests the rules. That tension shapes security. Discover why rule of law still matters in national defence.
Money, Power, and Sovereignty: Why Central Bank Independence is a Vital National Interest
Money creates power. Power pressures money. Central banks stand between them. Discover why their independence is a vital national interest.
Capital, Competition, and Canada: Economic Strength as a Vital National Interest
Canada’s economic strength shapes its choices. Our capabilities are being tested and new alliances are taking shape. Explore how economic strength supports Canada’s independence.
Watch VideoWatch for details of our next RMCSD presentation.
The Rocky Mountain Conference on Security and Defence (RMCSD) is a signature initiative of the Royal Alberta United Services Institute (RAUSI).
RMCSD brings together subject matter experts and the public for non-partisan, hour-long online dialogues exploring the full spectrum of global security and defence issues. Each session begins with focused insights from our speakers, followed by open discussion and audience Q&A.
Our goal is to foster informed, thought-provoking dialogue that helps Canadians better understand the challenges and opportunities shaping today’s security environment.
Learn more about RAUSI and our mission.