Harvard Club of Toronto

Michael McCain on Leadership and Feeding the Future

February 4, 2026 | 4:00 PM
Rotman School -Desautels Hall 
105 Saint George Street, Toronto, ON, M5S 3E6

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Wednesday, February 4,- Michael McCain - Executive Chair of Maple Leaf Foods in conversation with Susan Christoffersen, Dean of the Rotman School of Management.  They will share perspectives on leadership in times of disruption, the future of food, evolving consumer expectations, and how organizations can build resilience in a rapidly changing world. The event will be followed by a networking reception.

Agenda:
3:30 pm - Check-in opens
4:00 pm - Fireside chat + moderated audience Q&A
5:00 pm - Networking reception

Background: 
For more than 25 years, McCain has been one of Canada’s most influential business leaders; he has guided Maple Leaf Foods through industry transformation, global volatility, major sustainability commitments, and one of the largest capital reinvestments in the country’s food sector.
This Inside the C-Suite session will explore the big forces reshaping food production, consumer expectations, and the role of Canadian companies in strengthening national food security and competing globally.

About the speaker:
Michael H. McCain is Executive Chair of Maple Leaf Foods, one of Canada’s flagship food companies, with annual sales in excess of $4.5 billion and a vision to be the most sustainable protein company on earth. Michael has devoted his career to the food industry, starting at McCain Foods in the late 1970s, where he held a variety of roles, including President and Chief Executive Officer of McCain Foods USA. He joined Maple Leaf Foods in 1995 and became Chief Executive Officer of the company in 1998, a position he held until May 2023. Michael is a practical visionary who has been instrumental in establishing Maple Leaf Foods as a sustainable, purpose-driven company with world-class assets, iconic market-leading brands, and bold ambition.

About the moderator:
Susan Christoffersen is the Dean at Rotman, and the William A. Downe BMO Chair, Professor of Finance. From 2015 to 2020, Professor Christoffersen served as the Vice-Dean, Undergraduate and Specialized programs. Her research focuses on mutual funds and the role of financial institutions in capital markets. She has published in top finance journals and cited in The New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Bloomberg News Service, and The Wall Street Journal. Susan has received grants from SSHRC, IFM2, and FQRSC and research awards from Q-Group, Bank of Canada, BSI Gamma Foundation, INQUIRE, and the Swiss Finance Institute.

Event Logistics:
Rotman Events is committed to accessibility for all people. Please contact us no later than 2 weeks in advance of this event if you have any accommodation requirements at events@rotman.utoronto.ca

Questions: events@rotman.utoronto.ca