Susan Black

Chief Executive Officer

“At CBoC, we have a responsibility to inform Canadians. We have to equip them with integrated and independent research enabling them to tackle society’s greatest challenges. It is inspiring to lead a team of inquisitive, entrepreneurial and bright minds, whose insightful work has a meaningful impact on Canada’s future. I learn from them every single day.”

Susan Black is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Canada’s leading independent applied research organization. Since 2018, she has led a successful transformation at The Conference Board of Canada and has focused its efforts on providing rigorous research insights to Canadians across nine knowledge areas.

Susan has over 30 years' experience across sectors and industries. As President of Catalyst Canada, CHRO at Intact Financial and SVP, People at Holt Renfrew, Susan has dedicated her career to advocating for inclusive environments, stronger employee engagement, and opportunities for women in the workplace.

Susan believes in the power of people and expanding her horizon on a daily basis.

Susan holds a BA from Yale, has an MBA from Harvard, and obtained a PhD in organizational studies from York University.

Get to know Susan

What brought you to the Conference Board?

In my professional life I’m passionate about a couple of things—understanding the “why” and “how” that explain people’s decisions and behaviors, and helping people grow and get better at what they do. There’s a bit of the teacher in me. Leading the CBoC has been a way to do both of these things—in other words—taking a great research organization and make it even greater.

What impact do you hope to see from your work?

I hope our work helps people make smarter decisions. In today’s hyper-connected world it’s easy to give into our biases or be swayed by patently uninformed opinions, far and wide. I’d like to think that the evidence and analysis we provide fosters thoughtful conversations and more intelligent actions.

What do you do when you’re offline?

Spending time with my family is a big priority—I have a husband and two sons. I’m a voracious reader—everything from Harry Potter to Jack Reacher thrillers to Nomadland and Arrival City. And I’ll admit, guiltily, to occasionally binge watching Netflix. I’m not a fan of cold weather so when spring arrives I try to spend as much time outdoors as it possible, be it long walks, barbeques, reading on the deck.