Author: Trevor McPherson MBOT President and CEO

Over the past number of months, the Mississauga Board of Trade (MBOT) has been in listening mode.  In fact, the MBOT team is always in listening mode- working to best understand our members’ needs in what continues to be a volatile and highly competitive global business environment.  If we are to fully deliver on our mission to connect, champion, and advance Mississauga businesses, we must listen, plan, execute, and measure our progress – in that order.

A perfect storm of labour shortages, supply chain delays, runaway inflation, and a nationwide housing supply crisis have heightened the level of business uncertainty in our community.  Of course, the resulting impacts are not evenly felt across all industries, with many smaller businesses and those in the “hardest hit” sectors continuing to rebuild revenues and climb out of their pandemic-induced debt burden.  Meanwhile, others are experiencing significant growth, with access to labour being the only issue holding them back. According to Statistics Canada, the job vacancy rate in the country soared to a new high of 5.9% in June 2022, with Canadian employers collectively looking to fill more than 1 million open positions for a third consecutive month!  It is within this context that MBOT developed its 2023-2025 Strategic Direction.  The result?  A focused strategy that builds on our strong foundation, supports business growth, and helps to shape a thriving, collaborative, and inclusive economy that is the envy of the world.

I’m particularly proud of our stated values:

• Trustworthiness
• Inclusive Spirit and Diversity
• Innovative and Entrepreneurial
• Member-Driven

Over the next three years, we will be focused on 4 overarching priorities:

1. Optimize Our Advocacy and Government Relations Offering to Enable Business Growth and Competitiveness
2. Advance Our Value Proposition Through Targeted Programs and Connecting Diverse Membership Segments
3. Be the Champion for Economic Leadership Through Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships
4. Build Financial Capacity to Drive Organizational Growth and Impact

We hope you find that the above values and priorities align with your own values and needs, and we look forward to realizing our shared goals together.   

I’d like to extend my sincere appreciation to MBOT’s Board of Directors, our amazing staff team, and our incredible members and stakeholders for contributing many thoughtful ideas and perspectives to inform our new strategy.  Learn more about MBOT’s 2023-2025 Strategic Direction at: www.mbot.com/strategicdirection

About the Author

Mississauga Board of Trade