Prime Minister Appoints Two New Canadian Representatives to the APEC Business Advisory Council

Prime Minister Jean Chrétien today appointed two new Canadian representatives to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Business Advisory Council (ABAC), a permanent private-sector advisory body created to give APEC Leaders business perspectives on how to sustain growth and expand trade in the region. The new Canadian representatives to the ABAC are:

APEC Leaders established the ABAC in 1995 to ensure that APEC's policies and direction fully reflect the views and interests of the private sector. The ABAC is the primary mechanism for ensuring that the business sector plays a leading role in maintaining the momentum towards APEC's goal of bringing about free and open trade and investment in the Asia Pacific region by 2010 for developed economies, and by 2020 for developing economies. The second direct dialogue between ABAC and APEC Leaders took place in Vancouver last November.

The ABAC brings together up to three business leaders from each APEC economy, from large businesses as well as from small and medium-sized enterprises. The other Canadian representative is Mr. Paul Gobeil, Vice-Chairman of Métro-Richelieu Inc. Mr. Gobeil was the Chair of ABAC throughout 1997 and will act as co-Chair this year as Malaysia has assumed the chairmanship of APEC for 1998.

Biographies for Mr. Gobeil, Ms. Lever, and Dr. MacDonald are attached.

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Paul Gobeil, F.C.A.
Vice-Chairman, Métro-Richelieu Inc., and Co-Chair of Aérospatiale (Canada) Inc.

Paul Gobeil has Masters' degrees in commerce and accounting and is a graduate of the Advanced Management Program of the Harvard Business School. During his career, Mr. Gobeil has served as an executive of some of Canada's leading food retailers, including Provigo Inc., Loeb Inc. and IGA Canada Ltd., and held a number of corporate directorships, including the Royal Trust Company, Hydro Québec International and Domtar Inc. In 1985, he entered provincial politics in Québec and became Minister responsible for Administration and Chairman of the Conseil du Trésor. In 1988, he was appointed Québec's Minister of International Affairs. Mr. Gobeil joined Métro-Richelieu Inc. and Aérospatiale (Canada) Inc. in 1990, and currently sits on the boards of directors of several other companies, including the National Bank of Canada and l'Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec.

Mrs. Andrina Lever
President Lever Enterprises

Mrs. Lever was originally called to the Bar as a Barrister at Gray's Inn, England and as a Barrister and Solicitor in Victoria, Australia. With more than 20 years experience in banking, advertising and finance, she has specialized in consulting to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with respect to corporate finance and managing for growth. She is co- founder and Managing Director of Expansion International Advisory Inc., a private consulting firm that specializes in advising companies about expanding beyond their traditional geographic boundaries. Mrs. Lever is also President of Lever Enterprises, which specializes in international commercial development. Mrs. Lever acts as an advisor to major lending institutions with respect to women in business and access to credit for women, and she advises the Federal Government on lending and access to credit for SMEs. From 1995 until 1997, Mrs. Lever was President of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada and sat on the Board of Directors of Les Femmes Chefs d'Enterprises Mondiales-the International Association of Women Entrepreneurs. Mrs. Lever is also founder and President of the Women Entrepreneurs of Canada Foundation and was one of the founders of the Women Leaders Network of APEC.

Dr. John S. MacDonald O.C., P.Eng.
Chairman, MacDonald Dettwiler

Dr. John MacDonald holds an honours degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia, and a Masters Degree and Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. MacDonald is one of the founders of MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates Ltd., and served as President and Chief Executive Officer until September 1982. He is now Chairman of the Board. Dr. MacDonald is active in an advisory capacity to the government, serving as Canada's member of the Eminent Persons Group of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from 1993 to 1995. In the past, he served as a member of the Science Council of Canada, the National Research Council, the British Columbia Premier's Advisory Council on Science and Technology, the National Advisory Board on Science and Technology, and was a founding member of the Science Council of British Columbia. He was also a member of the Sectoral Advisory Group on International Trade (Automotive and Aerospace Sector) during the Free Trade Negotiations with the U.S. Among his many achievements, Dr. MacDonald is an Officer of the Order of Canada.