The Canadian automotive sector faces a pivotal year in 2026. With the looming threat of new tariffs, shifting global trade dynamics, and the potential for plant closures, uncertainty hangs over the industry. Yet amid the turbulence, automakers, policymakers, and regulators remain focused on forging a resilient and innovative path forward.
Join The Globe and Mail for the fifth annual Future of Automotive Summit, where leading experts and analysts will share fresh insights and strategic forecasts to help steer the industry through this year.
With consumer rebates ending and momentum stalling, the future of electric vehicle adoption may be facing uncertainty. This conversation will explore where EVs stand today—examining sales trends, infrastructure gaps, and public sentiment, while spotlighting what’s next for electrified transportation across the country.
With shifting global trade dynamics and the looming threat of new tariffs, Canada’s automotive industry is bracing for significant cost implications. If these potential restrictions disrupt supply chains, will consumers boost demand for made-in-Canada cars? This panel will delve into the ripple effects of emerging trade policies—from sourcing and production to purchasing decisions.
Toyota has led the auto industry’s electrification revolution and has been the number one seller of electrified vehicles for over 25 years. Offering a full range of carbon-reducing hybrid, plug-in hybrid and battery electric options to meet the diverse needs and budgets of Canadian drivers, Toyota is committed to providing consumers with choice. Having already contributed more than $11B to the Canadian economy, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) was once again the largest auto manufacturer in the country in 2025, assembling over 500,000 vehicles here in Canada. TMMC employs more than 8,500 Canadians and has never laid off a full-time employee in its 37-year history.
Abdel Ali is the Founder and CEO of Kiwi Charge, a Robotics and AI startup on a mission to accelerate the deployment of electric vehicle charging in multi-tenant buildings by eliminating cost-prohibitive upfront infrastructure upgrades. Like a “smart Roomba” for electric vehicles, Kiwi Charge’s flagship innovation is an autonomous mobile charging robot that navigates parking lots at night to charge EVs while drivers sleep.
Prior to founding Kiwi Charge, Abdel Ali was a Venture Capital investor at Relay Ventures and Alate Partners and a Venture builder at R-LABS.
Abdel holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification. Abdel is committed to fostering diversity and inclusion in the venture capital space and is the Co-director of BLCK VC Canada.
Meredith Lilly, Ph.D., is a full Professor and Simon Reisman Chair in International Economic Policy at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs. Her research focuses on North American trade relations, Canada’s trade diversification strategy, economic sanctions, and the use of research evidence in policy making. Prior to her appointment at Carleton, she served as Foreign Affairs and International Trade Advisor to Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She was previously appointed at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, and has worked in policy roles in several Canadian government departments. She engages regularly with foreign governments and diplomats, and is a frequent media commentator on North American trade issues.
She is a member of CD Howe Institute’s International Economic Policy Council, a non-resident scholar at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy in Texas, an Advisory Board member for the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, and serves as the Academic Partner for Canada’s delegation to the North American Forum.
Greta Cutulenco is the CEO and founder of Acerta, a leader in predictive quality software solutions for the automotive and discrete manufacturing sectors. Since founding Acerta in 2017, Greta has led the company’s senior leadership and product development teams, pushing the boundaries of AI-driven analytics in manufacturing.
Greta’s technical foundation includes a Bachelor of Software Engineering and a Master’s in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Waterloo. During her graduate studies, she worked alongside Professor Sebastian Fischmeister within the Real-time Embedded Software research group. Her research focused on harnessing machine learning and AI to drive data insights in industrial applications. Greta’s co-authored studies on anomaly detection (2014) and specification mining (2018) stand out as cornerstone contributions.
This foundational research, along with Greta’s prior roles in software development, systems engineering, and quality and safety engineering at AECL, Bombardier, and Magna, paved the way for Acerta’s spinout from the University of Waterloo.
Greta has been deeply involved with the Automotive Parts Manufacturers’ Association (APMA) since 2018, where she now serves as Vice Chair of the Board. Her industry contributions have been widely recognized, earning her a spot on Forbes’ 30 Under 30 for Manufacturing, designation as an Industry All-Star, and recognition as a Canadian to Watch by Automotive News Canada.
Scott MacKenzie, Director and General Manager of Corporate & External Affairs is responsible for all External Affairs functions for Toyota’s Manufacturing and Sales operations across Canada, as well as several corporate functions specific to our manufacturing operations, including Strategic Planning and Corporate Governance.
Prior to assuming this position, Mr. Mackenzie has held various positions in both technical and administrative roles across both companies.
Scott joined Toyota in 1999, working in Manufacturing Operations before moving to a position in Quality Control. Since then, he has held roles in Technical Purchasing (Supply Chain Development), Corporate Strategy and Planning, and Government Relations.
He is responsible for all External Affairs functions for both TMMC and TCI, including Government Relations, Public Relations, and Corporate Communications. His role in Government Relations has seen him at the frontline of several key policy negotiations, most notably as a trusted advisor to the Federal Government on its successful negotiation of several international trade agreements. In his Strategic Planning role, Scott has helped secure several new product lines for TMMC, including the introduction of RAV4 and Lexus NX to TMMC’s North Plant.
Scott was born and raised in Kitchener, educated at the University of Waterloo, and now resides in Waterloo with his wife and two children.
Brendan Sweeney, Managing Director of the Trillium Network for Advanced Manufacturing, is Canada's leading automotive industry researcher and analyst. Brendan previously served as Project Manager and Research Director at McMaster University's Automotive Policy Research Centre (APRC), where he also taught in the DeGroote School of Business and the School of Labour Studies.
Brendan holds a PhD in Economic Geography from Queen’s University and a B.A. in Labour Studies from McMaster. He has held appointments at the School of Policy Studies (Queen’s University) and the Department of Economics (University of Manitoba). Additionally, he spent a year at the University of Washington as a Visiting Fulbright Scholar.
Petrina Gentile is an award-winning automotive journalist -- one of the few women who cover cars in Canada. Petrina has been writing for The Globe and Mail’s Drive section since 2004. She also covers the automotive beat for CTV NewsChannel on her bi-weekly national segment called "Up to Speed" and has appeared on CP24, CBC, and BNN Bloomberg TV. She produced 18 seasons of the national TV show Car/Business with Jeremy Cato and Michael Vaughan, which was broadcast weekly on CTV and BNN. She has written several non-fiction books for kids including "Big Trucks, Big Wheels," "Dirt Movers," and "The Ballet School." Before focusing on cars, she was a news writer at CTV and a producer at BNN. She has a Master of Journalism (MJ) from Carleton University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Waterloo.
Ryan is the senior research leader supporting the global automotive practice at Deloitte. His primary focus is creating engaging and actionable insight to support the firm’s clients in the automotive industry. Prior to joining Deloitte, Ryan was the Senior Director of Industry Analytics at J.D. Power where he was responsible for leading a group of highly-trained subject matter experts covering a variety of industries including automotive, financial services, insurance, energy and telecom. Ryan also managed the global automotive forecasting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Detroit where he advised clients on issues such as risk management, acquisition due diligence, and market entry strategy. Throughout his 27-year career, he has supported companies across the automotive value chain from manufacturers, suppliers and dealers to private equity firms, financial institutions, and aftermarket service providers. Ryan has been a frequent speaker at industry conferences and has been quoted as a subject matter expert in major media outlets around the world. Ryan holds honours degrees in Philosophy, Classical Archaeology and English Literature from Concordia University in Montreal, Canada.
Janna Streef is the Founder and Owner of Integrated Customs Services Ltd., a trusted customs brokerage firm based in Woodstock, Ontario. With over 40 years of experience as a Qualified Customs Broker with a Professional Designation as well as her Certified Customs Services, Janna has been a strong leader in the industry, helping businesses navigate the complexities of international trade.
For more than 26 years, she has successfully operated Integrated Customs Services Ltd., providing expert guidance on customs compliance, import/export regulations, and trade facilitation. Her deep industry knowledge and commitment to client success have made her an exemplary resource for businesses looking to streamline cross-border operations.