Full Name
Jock Finlayson
Job Title
Chief Economist
Organization
Independent Contractors and Businesses Association
Speaker Bio
Until January 2021, Jock Finlayson was the Executive Vice President and Chief Economist at the Business Council of British Columbia, an organization representing 250 large and mid-size companies and affiliated industry associations in the province. In that capacity, he led the Business Council’s work on economic, environmental, regulatory and human capital issues of interest to the business community. In 2021, Mr. Finlayson transitioned to the role of part-time Senior Advisor to the Business Council.
In 2023, Mr. Finlayson joined the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association – Canada’s largest construction industry association – as Chief Economist. He monitors and analyses economic trends and public policy developments affecting the construction industry in B.C. and Alberta. Concurrently, Mr. Finlayson maintains an affiliation with the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute, as a Senior Fellow and co-holder of the Peter M. Brown Chair in Canadian Competitiveness.
Mr. Finlayson has a master’s degree in business from Yale University, undergraduate and M.A. degrees from UBC, and a post-graduate diploma in economics from the University of London. He received an honorary doctorate from Royal Roads University in 2014.
He previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Bank of Canada, Canada’s Digital Supercluster, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and the Canada West Foundation. From 2007 through 2017, he was a member of the National Statistics Council. Mr. Finlayson currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards. During 2019-2021, he served on the B.C. Expert Panel on Housing Supply and Affordability.
Mr. Finlayson has written widely for academic publications, think tanks, policy journals, and the media. He is a co-author of two books and has published more than 750 op-eds and opinion pieces on a wide range of economic and public policy topics.
Born in Comox, B.C., he returned to the province in 1994 after completing graduate studies and acquiring more than a dozen years of professional experience in Ottawa, Toronto and the United States. He resides in West Vancouver with his wife Marlene Finlayson.
In 2023, Mr. Finlayson joined the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association – Canada’s largest construction industry association – as Chief Economist. He monitors and analyses economic trends and public policy developments affecting the construction industry in B.C. and Alberta. Concurrently, Mr. Finlayson maintains an affiliation with the Vancouver-based Fraser Institute, as a Senior Fellow and co-holder of the Peter M. Brown Chair in Canadian Competitiveness.
Mr. Finlayson has a master’s degree in business from Yale University, undergraduate and M.A. degrees from UBC, and a post-graduate diploma in economics from the University of London. He received an honorary doctorate from Royal Roads University in 2014.
He previously served on the Boards of Directors of the Bank of Canada, Canada’s Digital Supercluster, the Institute for Research on Public Policy, and the Canada West Foundation. From 2007 through 2017, he was a member of the National Statistics Council. Mr. Finlayson currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Centre for the Study of Living Standards. During 2019-2021, he served on the B.C. Expert Panel on Housing Supply and Affordability.
Mr. Finlayson has written widely for academic publications, think tanks, policy journals, and the media. He is a co-author of two books and has published more than 750 op-eds and opinion pieces on a wide range of economic and public policy topics.
Born in Comox, B.C., he returned to the province in 1994 after completing graduate studies and acquiring more than a dozen years of professional experience in Ottawa, Toronto and the United States. He resides in West Vancouver with his wife Marlene Finlayson.
Speaking At
