2/17/2012 Keynote Address

Class Is Article
Canada needs greater corporate innovation and productivity to better compete globally, CN's Mongeau says

Canadian businesses and governments must take "bold steps" to develop world-class enterprises that can drive the nation's competitiveness in global markets, said CN President and Chief Executive Officer Claude Mongeau during an address yesterday to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Ottawa.

Canada has many of the critical resources the world needs, the capital and skills to add value to them, and the transportation infrastructure to efficiently deliver them to global markets, he said, according to a prepared statement. To win its fair share of world markets, Canada needs greater corporate innovation and productivity, buttressed by sound public policies relying on commercial frameworks, Mongeau believes.

"If Canada wants to truly succeed on a global scale, we need an environment where businesses with vision can innovate and thrive, and we all have to embrace change and look forward, not backward,” he said.

CN is trying to become a true supply-chain enabler through collaboration, innovation and continued productivity gains.

“Because the world is not standing still, we need to embrace change, not shy away from it. We all need to raise our play because the game is constantly getting more challenging,” said Mongeau. “With sound public policy and a strong conviction within the business world, together we can succeed by pursuing greater innovation and productivity to ensure a bright and exciting economic future for Canada.”