This is a pivotal moment for employee ownership in Canada. We have a new structure that holds enormous promise—the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT)—as well as other employee ownership solutions that can collectively help build resilient, innovative and inclusive businesses where employees are directly rewarded for the success they help create. 

The Honourable Jason Kenney, former Premier of Alberta and BMO Financial Group Senior Advisor, has been a champion of innovation and economic growth throughout his distinguished career in public service. He continues that advocacy through his championing of employee ownership. 

In his keynote address at the 2025 Canadian Employee Ownership Conference, Kenney noted that the “growing attenuation between workers and owners is creating a crisis for capitalism.” This schism has led to community fragmentation, outward capital flows and workers who feel they have no stake in the economy. One of the solutions to closing this gap, Kenney said, is employee ownership.  

“Employee ownership that recenters capital with the workers who actually do the production,” he said “Where they are committed to their local communities. Where automation is embraced not as a threat to the future of the company, but as a way of improving its performance because the workers, who are the owners, have confidence that they will not be the victims but, in fact, the beneficiaries of investments in technology, automation and digitization.”   

Because employee ownership can be used as succession plan, it can be especially attractive for business owners who are planning their exit strategies. Kenney added that growing employee ownership is particularly important in Canada because of a business succession crisis in which 76% of business owners plan to exit within the next decade, yet less than 10% have a formal succession plan in place.   

Kenney highlighted EOTs, which in January 2024 became a formal legal structure in Canada, as an “elegant opportunity” for business owners to continue their legacies after an exit.   

“Of course, owners want a good price for the business they developed over decades,” Kenney said. “But as they’re looking for buyers, usually at the top of their list is somebody who’s committed to their workers, committed to the craft of what they have built, committed to continuing on the legacy and the tradition.”  

Kenney’s remarks made it clear that the success of employee ownership depends on the collective efforts of business owners, legal and financial advisors, policymakers, and advocates coming together to build a strong, sustainable ecosystem that can unlock the full potential of employee ownership in Canada.

Whether you’re a business owner considering succession or an executive looking to create a talent advantage, an employee ownership solution may help you achieve your business goals. Reach out to our team to learn about your options.