Head Of Newly Created Invest Nova Scotia Quits After Two Weeks
HALIFAX—The head of a newly created government organization has quit just two weeks after Premier Tim Houston appointed him.
The provincial government announced today that Tom Hickey has left his position as executive chair of Invest Nova Scotia.
The province did not specify exactly why Hickey left the job so soon. However, in a brief news release, Premier Tim Houston said he “[appreciated] Mr. Hickey’s candour in assessing his capacity to make the sacrifices necessary to provide the level of attention that Invest Nova Scotia requires.”
Sixteen days ago, on July 26, the province announced a massive consolidation of its key economic development and infrastructure organizations.
At the time, the province said the move was made to “address issues of overlapping mandates, duplicate operations, outdated legislation, and arm’s-length boards making decisions involving millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money.”
Part of the consolidation saw Nova Scotia Business Inc. and Innovacorp merged into the new Invest Nova Scotia. The boards of both organizations (14 people in total) were sacked and replaced by Hickey as the single “executive chair.”
According to information the province provided at the time, the executive chair’s role was to oversee the transition of the two organizations into the new Invest Nova Scotia.
In a July 29 message, Hickey assured Innovacorp clients it was “business as usual” until the new crown corporation was officially established.
“The Innovacorp team is still closing new investment deals, meeting with new prospects and co-investors, and supporting its existing portfolio,” he said.
With Hickey gone and the executive chair position empty, the province says Minister of Economic Development Susan Corkum-Greek will lead Invest Nova Scotia.
Corkum-Greek did not make herself available for an interview with Huddle.
In an email, we asked the minister to comment on Hickey’s quick turnover, what that volatility says about the state of Invest Nova Scotia, and how effectively the organization can run without a board and the replacement “executive chair” position empty.
“We want to assure our partners and the business community that the people and programs they currently rely on remain in place. These organizations will be fully supported throughout this transition so that clients can continue to be well-served,” she said in an emailed statement.
Trevor Nichols is the associate editor of Huddle, based in Halifax. Send him your feedback and story ideas: [email protected].