John Wishart Is the New CEO of the Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce
MONCTON – As a young journalist, John Wishart was assigned to cover the monthly meetings of The Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce (GMCC). As of Monday, he’s now the organization’s new CEO, responsible for leading and managing its operations.
“It kind of came full circle,” he said in a phone interview with Huddle. “I’m very honoured to have been chosen by the board to serve as CEO. This organization has a 126-year history so there’s a lot to live up to … I feel great having been given this opportunity.”
Wishart was appointed by the chamber’s Board of Directors, with recommendations from a selection committee made up of board members and representatives of the membership. He was the GMCC’s interim CEO since December and previously served as its communications director.
“We are extremely happy to have such capable hands take over command of the operations and look forward to the new leadership,” Board Chair Mathieu LeBlanc said in a release.
Wishart has served as interim CEO since Carol O’Reilly left the organization last November.
RELATED: CEO Carol O’Reilly Leaves Greater Moncton Chamber of Commerce
A career journalist for 34 years before joining the chamber, Wishart believes he can bring his knowledge and network to the table.
“I think communications is the key attribute, whether that’s your main role as director of communications or whether you’re CEO,” he said. “As CEO, you are the spokesperson for the organization, so communicating verbally and in written text is crucial. So, I think I bring that to the table.
“I [also] spent a lot of years in journalism in New Brunswick and I have a good handle on public policy issues, especially as it relates to business. I also hope to leverage my network of contacts in Greater Moncton. I was born here, I spent most of my time here. A little bit of time in Saint John, Fredericton and Halifax, but this has been home.”
In his new role, Wishart plans to enhance the chamber’s communications and marketing efforts to showcase its independence. He also plans to focus on proving the benefits of membership in the chamber to members, as well as to reach out and appeal to younger entrepreneurs and immigrant businesspeople.
“I think that’s important. There’s a lot of younger people who are doing a lot of interesting things in Greater Moncton. I want to make sure the chamber captures that,” he said.
“There was a study done the last year by a sociologist at [Universite de Moncton] and he found that there are over 100 local businesses that are run by recent newcomers in Greater Moncton, so I want to make sure the chamber reflects the growing diversity of the community.”
On public policy issues, Wishart plans to continue the chamber’s focus on creating a good business environment and connecting businesses with the talent they need.
“The key [issue] that never goes away and always on the top of the list is making sure governments at all three levels understand that the best thing they can do for business is to create a good climate for business to grow and not essentially get in the way or not overtax, so that it’s difficult to grow as a business. That would be fundamental,” he said.
“What some business owners are telling us is that they’re finding it difficult to find the people with the right labour skills. So we’ve gotta make sure our economic growth doesn’t stall because we don’t have the people here to fill the jobs that are available.”
The GMCC has 750 businesses as its members, representing 30,000 employees. It’s a non-profit organization funded by its membership and fundraising efforts.