June 20, 2012 – William Robson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the C.D. Howe Institute, today announced the appointment of a new member to the Institute’s prestigious Monetary Policy Council (MPC). He is Craig Alexander, Senior Vice President and Chief Economist for TD Bank Group.
“Craig Alexander is one of Canada’s leading economists, with strong expertise and a solid track record in the public and private sectors,” said Mr. Robson, who is the MPC’s non-voting chair. “The Monetary Policy Council will benefit greatly from his insights.”
Mr. Alexander has 15 years of experience in the private sector as an economic and financial forecaster. He is also a regular commentator on public policy. He speaks at more than 100 events per year on economic and financial developments, and writes research on a wide array of subject areas.
Prior to joining private sector, he spent four years as an economist at Statistics Canada.
In addition to his role at TD, Mr. Alexander is a strong advocate for the cause of literacy and is a champion of the charitable sector. He also serves on the Board of Directors for several non-profit groups. He is a Trustee of two pension plans and is on the editorial board for the quarterly journal Canadian Public Policy.
A former two-term President of the Canadian Association for Business Economics, he holds a graduate degree in economics from the University of Toronto
The MPC comprises 12 of Canada’s most distinguished financial-market and monetary economists. By convening to discuss the Bank of Canada’s target for the overnight rate – the benchmark interest rate it uses to influence monetary conditions in Canada – shortly before each of the Bank’s interest-rate announcements, the Council provides a regular, independent assessment of the Bank’s stance as it seeks to achieve its 2 percent inflation target.
For more information please contact: James Fleming at 416-865-1904; e-mail: cdhowe@cdhowe.org