Former Deputy Prime Minister
The Honourable John Manley, P.C., O.C., joined Bennett Jones LLP as Senior Business Adviser in September 2019. He is best known as a former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada. He served in the Canadian Parliament from 1988 to 2004 as M.P. for Ottawa South. From 1993 to 2003 he was a Minister in the governments of Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, serving in the portfolios of Industry, Foreign Affairs and Finance, in addition to being Deputy Prime Minister.
Following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Mr. Manley was named Chair of a Cabinet Committee on Public Security and Anti-terrorism, serving as counterpart to Governor Tom Ridge, the first U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security. In recognition of the role he played following 9/11, which he refers to as his “moment of fame”, TIME Canada named him “2001 Newsmaker of the Year” (and gave him some free copies of the magazine).
After a 16-year career in politics, Mr. Manley returned to the private sector in 2004 where he has continued to be active in public policy, as a media commentator, speaker and adviser to governments of differing political stripes. He is Fellow of the CD Howe Institute, the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, and the Institute of Corporate Directors. He is a founding member of the Wilson Center Global Advisory Council, a past member of the Brookings Institution International Advisory Council and served as Chair of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute (CGAI) Advisory Council from 2012-2023. He joined the Advisory Council of the MacDonald Laurier Foundation in 2023.
In the private sector, Mr. Manley has practiced law, and served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Business Council of Canada (from 2010 to 2018). He has been a very active corporate director, and currently serves as Chair of the board of directors of TELUS. He is past Chair of CAE and CIBC, including CIBC USA. He has been active in the not-for-profit sector with CARE Canada and is now a director of Rideau Hall Foundation and an adviser to the Juno Beach Centre..
An Officer of the Order of Canada, Mr. Manley graduated from Carleton University in mathematics and political science, and from the University of Ottawa in law where he was the gold medalist and subsequently law clerk to the Chief Justice of Canada, Bora Laskin. He is the recipient of many awards and honours, including honorary doctorates from 6 Canadian Universities. He is also proudly an honorary chief of the Blood Nation of Alberta.
He was born, raised and continues to live in Ottawa where he enjoys his RedBlacks season tickets, and on Upper Rideau Lake, Ontario where he would always rather be.
Married to Judith for over 50 years, his every day is made better by his 5 grandsons and 2 granddaughters who are perfect in every way.