Deirdre McMurdy

Deirdre McMurdy has spent her career refining the art of listening.

As the first Canadian business journalist to work simultaneously on air and in print, McMurdy has interviewed – and listened to -  leading CEOs and politicians from across Canada over the past 25 years.

McMurdy began her career covering Bay Street, the emergence of global financial markets and the era of CEO superstars. She occupied a front row seat for stock market meltdowns, corporate scandals, mergers and acquisitions and all the trends that have characterized business management over the years.

In 2006, she moved to Ottawa and immersed herself in a different sort of deal-making - the world of partisan political intrigue and policy-making. Using her knowledge of business, McMurdy has focused on the areas where private and public sectors diverge and intersect.

All of this gives her a unique perspective on what differentiates winners from losers; how best to navigate through periods of profound change and volatility; how to ensure that you are flexible, responsive and ahead of the curve.

McMurdy is widely known as a national business columnist and editor for Maclean’s magazine and columnist for Canadian Business. She covered business for CTV’s morning program Canada AM for five years before starting up and co-hosting a daily business show for Global Television, Moneywise, with Peter Kent.  She has written weekly columns for The National Post and syndicated business and political columns for Canwest’s national newspaper chain.

She is currently a vice-president for the Public Policy Forum, an Ottawa-based think tank and she specializes in environmental policy development and its impact on business.

In December 2008, Roger Martin, Dean of the Rotman Business School, appointed McMurdy as the adjudicator for the National Business Book Awards.

• A Guide To The New Ottawa

  With the election of Stephen Harper's Conservative party, everything you thought you knew about the way government works has changed.
  
  This isn't the usual sort of shift that occurs with a change in regime, the Tories have a moral overlay to their political agenda. The Accountability Act is the centrepiece of Mr. Harper's determined push to improve the transparency of government processes and to streamline it's operation. One of the most controversial aspects of this controversial legislation, is the crackdown on lobbyists and others who have traditionally formed that essential bridge between the public and private sectors.
  
  Senior civil servants live in terror of breaching these evolving rules, which has had an understandlably chilling effect on all forms of traditional access. Every lunch, golf game, charity banquet has to be declared and approved. More than ever before, it's imperative to know how to get your message across and to whom. It's essential for corporations and industry organization to completely re-think the way they deal with government and its policy formation. As a political columnist with almost 20 years experience covering Canadian business, Deirdre McMurdy can offer some unique insights into the mechanics of the new political regime, it's mandate, it's strengths and weaknesses, as well as the personal background of and insights into the key players on the Hill and the dynamics within the newly-merged Tory party.

• Beyond the Headlines of Canadian Business

  You know the value of keeping up to date with developments in Canadian business. And you want to know what is happening abroad that will affect your business. Deirdre McMurdy will give you the background trends and developments that are shaping your future, or talking candidly about the latest business news. She gives you the opportunity to go beyond the headlines, discussing the issues with an energy and interactivity that television news just does not allow. You will have the chance to interact with one of the most knowledgeable and personable business journalists in Canada today. You will have access to unequalled understanding of what matters, why it matters, and what it means for your business.