The OLIP Interns were delighted to meet Alex Philips and Michel Liboiron from CIBC. Both Alex and Michel have extensive experience in the industry of finance and in government relations and share an interest in public service. This combination of perspectives allowed us to learn more about Canadian banks and their role in federal and provincial government relations. On a more personal level, Alex and Michel expressed their interest and support for the Programme, and were excited to meet our cohort.
CIBC is a large employer with several different departments and sectors. Throughout our meeting, we had the chance to get a better understanding of several of these sectors. Most notably, we discussed the significance of government relations, and the complexity of the relationship between the financial sector and the different levels of government. Michel and Alex took the time to explain otherwise challenging concepts in a clear and interesting way.
Alex and Michel shared with us some of what they consider to be the most important tools for the communication of complex policy ideas to people who may have limited background knowledge on the topic area. Stories, case studies, data, and jurisdictional scans are very helpful for communication. But Alex and Michel also stressed the importance of bringing forward specific and effective solutions to policy issues when meeting with political staff or civil servants. We found this very interesting, as these are tools we can use in our placements when briefing our MPPs or conducting stakeholder outreach.
We want to deeply thank Alex and Michel not only for taking the time in meeting with the OLIP interns, but also for answering our many questions in the realm of government relations, Canadian financial policy, and the banking system overall. We deeply appreciate your generous support of the programme and the opportunity to learn from you both!