Shift podcast: Helping you rethink business transformation

Canada needs to double its power capacity by 2050, and we're already wasting 50% of the energy we produce today. So how do we close the gap?In this episode, Emily Heitman, President of Schneider Electric Canada, joins us to unpack the urgent reality of Canada's energy future and why "we need more power, and we need it now." Emily makes the case that the technology to solve our energy challenges already exists. The real work is in adopting it.We dig into the digitization of our electrical infrastructure and why sustainability is a financial advantage rather than a cost. But this conversation goes beyond the grid. Emily shares her philosophy on authentic leadership, why "your EQ is as important as your IQ," and how embracing an iterative mindset makes the future exciting instead of scary.Because as Emily puts it: the future isn't scary if it's iterative. 

What if the most important leadership skill isn't knowing the answer, but being willing to hear one you don't like? Amanda Lang, one of Canada's most recognized business journalists, Chief Financial Correspondent for CTV News, host of Taking Stock on BNN Bloomberg, and bestselling author of The Power of Why and The Beauty of Discomfort, joins Shift for a conversation about the things that quietly shape every decision we make: what we pay attention to, how we stay curious, how we exercise judgment, and how we decide who to trust. We talk about why the smartest people are the least likely to act like know-it-alls, why real curiosity requires humility, how to lead when certainty is impossible, and why trust is earned the same way in a boardroom as it is at home, through transparency, repair and showing up the way you said you would. It's a reminder that in an era of infinite information and AI-generated certainty, the human superpowers, curiosity, judgment and trust, matter more than ever.

What survives when you hand a company to the next generation—and the world has changed underneath you?Mitchell Cohen has run the Daniels Corporation since 1984, building a development company on a conviction that traces back to his roots in Montreal's 1970s housing co-op movement: that housing is a right, not just a product. This September, his son Jacob stepped into the president's chair—by his own account, "in the toughest market our industry's ever seen."In only their second-ever joint interview, Mitchell and Jacob sit down with PwC's Shift for a candid conversation about what it actually takes to pass the torch without losing the soul of a company. They get into why brand isn't a logo but a promise ("we do what we say we're going to do"), what it means to build in a "trust recession," and the chance sidewalk encounter that turned into a quilt called a love poem to an entire community.Along the way they make a surprisingly persuasive case that empathy belongs on the balance sheet—and that the way out of Canada's affordability crisis comes down to a single word: collaboration.If you take one idea away, it's this: you don't have to choose between doing well and doing good—and the next chapter of our cities depends on more people believing it.

What does it take for Canadian leaders to not just survive, but shape the AI revolution? In this episode of Shift, tech journalist, bestselling author, and entrepreneur Amber Mac joins the conversation to unpack why digital literacy is no longer optional — it's a leadership imperative.  From dismantling the myth that AI is "only for the smartest people in the room" to exploring Canada's unique position in global AI innovation, Amber delivers a candid look at the risks of falling behind and the rewards of going first. We dig into the barriers holding Canadian businesses back — risk aversion, regulation, and capital — and why telling stories of transformation matters now more than ever.  Plus: how a purpose-driven, human-centric approach to AI can redefine industries like healthcare, and why the leaders who master the art of learning, unlearning, and relearning will define the next decade.  A must-listen for executives, innovators, and anyone who wants to stop fearing AI — and start leading with it. 

Insurance is meant for life’s hardest moments — illness, loss, the unexpected. It’s one of the most human promises we make. And yet, for many Canadians, the experience still feels confusing, impersonal, and slow. In this episode of Shift, we speak with Rohit Thomas, CEO of BMO Insurance, about what it really takes to transform an insurance company from the inside out — the culture, the legacy systems, and the organizational muscle memory — without losing empathy at the centre of the promise. Over the past year, BMO Insurance has launched Canada’s first bank-led digital insurance storefront, introduced RovrAI, an industry-first AI tool for advisors, and rolled out a new purpose and identity. Together, these moves raise a bigger question that sits at the heart of this conversation: how do you bring digital and AI in the moments that matter most — and still keep it human?