Connecting leaders. Building capacity. Driving change.

BHER Executive Summit 2026

 

 

Making the Hard Calls: Going All In on Canada’s Future

February 25, 2026 | Toronto

Canada faces a convergence of challenges. From AI to energy to national security, the choices we make now will shape our future prosperity. For companies, post-secondary institutions, and governments, the hardest part isn’t always deciding what to do. It’s deciding what not to do. BHER’s 2026 Executive Summit will focus squarely on those choices: the hard calls, bold bets, and deliberate trade-offs leaders must make to drive lasting change.

Event Details:
Location: The Globe and Mail Centre — 17th Floor, 351 King St E, Toronto
Tickets: $949 + applicable fees and taxes

 

Building on the momentum of our 2025 events Messy Middle: How Business + Higher Education are Getting Hard Things Done in Canada, and the Strategic Summit on Talent, Technology, and a New Economic Order the 2026 gathering will push further. It will challenge leaders to move beyond pilots and platitudes to commit to the transformative moves that can reshape systems. We’ll convene a curated group of cross-sector leaders and decision-makers ready to challenge assumptions, surface new thinking, and commit to action.

 

Executive Summit Themes:

Canada’s space leadership—astronauts, robotics, and Borealis‑class projects—offers a model for national ambition. We’ll explore how big‑science platforms translate into supply chains, STEM talent, procurement reform, and firm growth.

Canada’s energy transition requires long‑horizon bets—SMRs, grid modernization, and critical workforce pipelines. Industry and institutions will detail what it takes to deliver at pace: permitting, capital stacks, vendor ecosystems, and training pathways.

Operational insights from international conflict and the defence industrial base—procurement agility, dual‑use tech, logistics, and workforce surge capacity—applied to Canada’s readiness.

From recruitment and retention to advanced training and partnerships with colleges, polytechnics, and universities how do we modernize CAF talent pipelines and tech adoption?

Beyond experimentation: governance, privacy, skills, and vendor selection for AI at enterprise scale. We’ll cut through hype to show where AI is moving the needle on productivity and services—and where it isn’t.

An aging workforce can be a productivity asset—if we modernize learning. From professional upskilling to continuing education and modular credentials, how do we make it real for employers and workers?

A candid conversation with Canadian CEOs on capital discipline, global markets, and building firms that scale.

 


Summit Venue

The Globe and Mail Centre
351 King St E, 17th Floor, Toronto
Located in the King East Design District just minutes from the downtown core.

Summit Hotel

Fairmont Royal York, one of Toronto's most notable hotels.

  • BHER’s guest rate: $359 (not including HST 13% and Municipal Accommodation Tax 8.5%).
  • Booking deadline: All reservation requests must be made before January 23, 2026, to use the discounted rate.

Book Today

 

 

Interested in becoming a partner?

Last year’s sold-out Summit brought together over 150 senior leaders for a day of bold ideas, innovative strategies, and real actions that drive meaningful change. We’re building on that success in 2026. Interested in being an active part of the BHER Executive Summit?

Download the Strategic Partnership Program Package

 

BHER Executive Summit 2025
 

Explore highlights from our 2025 BHER Executive Summit
 

The Messy Middle: How Business + Higher Education are Getting Hard Things Done in Canada

An inside look into the key themes and takeaways from BHER Executive Summit 2025, which brought together over 150 leaders from across the country to see what it takes to tackle Canada’s productivity problems.



Check out the 2025 Executive Summit

BHER Executive Summit 2025 - Key Takeaways