Doug Griffiths, '16 MBA

Doug Griffiths has built a career on saying “yes” to new challenges — from teaching and public service to authoring 13 Ways to Kill Your Community and now leading the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. With multiple degrees from the University of Alberta, including an MBA, he credits his education with shaping the mindset to embrace change and seize opportunity. As Chamber CEO, he champions Edmonton as Canada’s “North Star City,” driven by honest storytelling, bold trade strategies and authentic community revitalization.

BAA: You’ve had an incredibly diverse career — from teaching to public service to authorship, and now leading the Edmonton Chamber. What inspired these varied transitions, and how has it evolved your leadership skills?

I am very fortunate to have had such a varied career. Each provided me with skills and experiences that prepared me to say ‘yes’ to new opportunities. I am always open to new experiences and fully embrace the mantra, “When a new opportunity or experience presents itself, say ‘yes’ and figure out how to do it on the way.” I have never shied away from a new challenge that provides me a new opportunity to grow and better myself. Some may laugh and say I can’t hold down a job, but for me it is about trying new things and craving new experiences and new challenges.

BAA: How has your educational background — especially your time at the University of Alberta — contributed to your career trajectory?

I have two degrees and an MBA from the U of A. Each degree presented me with new skills and connections that helped me in my career, but more importantly, each degree prepared my mind, and my attitude, for new opportunities. So, I didn’t quite get a degree for a new career path as much as the new degree prepared me to be ready for a new adventure, which created a new career path. The great pivotal moments in my life followed each time I went back to school to learn something new.

BAA: As CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, how do you see Edmonton evolving as a hub for innovation, business, and community? Any short-term goals you hope to achieve?

I see Edmonton growing into its role as Canada’s North Star City. There is so much going on here and this city has so much to offer, from an exceptional quality of life across each neighbourhood, incredible innovation and technology leadership build upon a solid foundation of traditional industries, and an entrepreneurial spirit you don’t get in many other cities. We have everything at our fingertips, if we just start focusing and telling our story. One of this city’s greatest attributes is that it is humble, but one of our worst attributes is that we are humble. We need to tell our story, share our identity, and celebrate our progress. 

BAA: How do you approach tariff and trade disputes in terms of Edmonton’s long-term resilience and economic competitiveness?

I think the tariff issues create more of an opportunity than a challenge. Competitiveness is only developed when it isn’t safeguarded. We have been fortunate to have a great trade agreement with the world’s largest economy and a very porous border for a very long time. This tariff issue is short-term challenge we need to turn into a long-term solution by building the infrastructure necessary to ensure all Canadian businesses can get their products to tide-water, so we can collectively work on accessing other markets. If we don’t take advantage of the crisis and turn it into a solution, we will own responsibility for the next crisis in tariffs and trade that befalls us.

BAA: In your experience, what’s the most common blind spot communities have when trying to “revitalize” themselves?

Communities have a lot of blind spots when they work on revitalizing themselves, hence 2 editions of the book, 13 Ways To Kill Your Community. However, if I had to pick something in particular today, I would pick two. The first blind spot is that communities try to be pretend they are perfect with a slogan that often reads, ‘The best place to work, live and raise a family,' which is a lie. No community is remotely perfect.

Or they try to be like every other community with a generic strategic plan that looks like it could come from any other community. Both miss the point. What makes you unique is what makes you amazing. However, communities often ignore what makes them unique, and instead focus on being like every other generic community or proclaiming they are perfect, both of which will ruin the community.

The second blind spot is a failure in understanding that we only succeed through collaboration and cooperation. Too many  communities think they can ‘go it alone’ or decide to compete with their neighbours, and they become invisible and inconsequential, and as a result, they die. Those are the two big blind spots that prevent communities from securing prosperity over the long-term.

BAA: How do you personally navigate criticism or resistance when trying to drive change?

I used to be far more sensitive to criticism and resistance when I was younger, but now I use it as a prompt to reflect and ask myself a few key questions to ensure I am on the right path. Once I have done that, I shift course, or carry on, and the criticism and resistance actually encourages me. My biggest fear is having everyone in the room agree with me and offer no alternative views or contradictory information.

Leadership, in the end, is about taking in the information you have, making a decision, and supporting your team to get it done. When new information or ideas come to light, it is only responsible to consider them, but then you either incorporate them and adjust, or dismiss them and carry on.