The appointment of two leading economists to Alberta institutions will add firepower to the public’s understanding of trends in this province and beyond.
Charles St-Arnaud has been named chief economist for Alberta Central
Charles St-Arnaud has been named chief economist for Alberta Central, the central banking facility and trade association for Alberta’s credit unions. Alberta Central says St-Arnaud “brings a solid track record and wealth of experience in economic policy” to the created role.
Meanwhile, Mike Holden has joined the Business Council of Alberta (BCA) as the organization’s vice-president of policy & chief economist. The Business Council calls Holden “one of Canada’s top economists,” and said he will direct the council’s research agenda and speak out on policy and economic issues within Alberta.
St-Arnaud brings more than 17 years of experience as an economist, having worked in both the public and private sector in Canada, and in major international financial markets such as Hong Kong, London and New York. He served as a senior economist in Canada’s Department of Finance during the financial crisis and as an economist at the Bank of Canada.
He has been quoted in the Globe & Mail, National Post, Business News Network, Bloomberg, Wall Street Journal and Financial Times. He will focus on further enhancing the reputation of Alberta credit unions as leaders within the financial services industry, said Ian Burns, President and CEO, Alberta Central.
“Charles is currently working on research that explores the mortgage stress-test and its impact on Albertans and credit unions, which we’re really eager to see the conclusions from,” Burns said.
Alberta Central will publish the study this fall, which asserts that amendments to the mortgage stress-test may cause unintended consequences for provincially regulated financial institutions and Albertans. It also explores how credit unions in Alberta are managing the evolving mortgage landscape.
Mike Holden joins the Business Council of Alberta
Holden joins Business Council from the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME) where he led the organization’s economic analysis and forecasting functions and directed major research projects. He brings more 20 years of experience in economics for organizations including the Canada West Foundation, Parliament of Canada, and Atlantic Province’s Economic Council.
Holden said he has identified three key economic and policy areas that he will be following and regularly commenting on:
- Fiscal Sustainability: keeping government expenses under control, delivering services in an innovative and competitive manner, and adopting a sustainable long-term revenue model
- Business Investment and Competitiveness in Alberta: capital, machinery, and equipment investments, and boosting productivity and innovation measures
- Alberta’s Long-Term Strategy for Shared Prosperity: focusing on wages, quality employment, and environmental sustainability.
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