Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the appointment of Dominic Barton as chair of the board of directors of Invest in Canada and Gurinder Grewal as chief executive officer of the organization, as the federal government pushes to attract $1 trillion in total investment to the country over the next five years.
Barton brings decades of experience in global business, investment and public service. He is chair of Rio Tinto and of LeapFrog Investments and spent more than 30 years at McKinsey & Company, including nine years as global managing partner. He previously chaired Canada’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth and served as Canada’s ambassador to China from 2019 to 2021.
Grewal has spent his career putting capital to work in the energy, industrials, infrastructure and technology sectors. He is founder and managing partner of MEM Growth Partners and previously spent more than a decade at Advent International, where he was a partner and co-head of industrials, infrastructure and energy.
Together, the two men will lead Invest in Canada as it works to catalyse billions of dollars in new investment in Canadian energy, critical minerals, artificial intelligence and infrastructure, in co-ordination with the Major Projects Office and provincial, territorial, Indigenous and municipal partners.
“Canada has what the world wants. We’re an energy superpower, with the most educated workforce in the world and rock-solid fiscal strength. As we look to capitalise on these strengths with new investors, Dominic Barton and Gurinder Grewal have the experience and ambition Canada needs. Under their leadership, Invest in Canada will catalyse billions in new investments into Canada to build a stronger, more independent, more resilient Canadian economy for all,” Carney said.
Dominic LeBlanc, president of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and minister responsible for Canada-U.S. trade, intergovernmental affairs, internal trade and one Canadian economy, also weighed in on the appointments.
“Canada has what the world needs – critical minerals, clean and conventional energy, and the skilled workforce to build major projects at scale. I know that Mr. Grewal and Mr. Barton will bring exactly the experience needed to build on Invest in Canada’s strong foundation and attract global capital to the projects that will define Canada’s economic future,” LeBlanc said.
Barton will serve as chair on a part-time basis for a three-year term, while Grewal will serve as CEO full-time for five years. The Prime Minister thanked outgoing chair Karl Tabbakh for his three years of service, noting Tabbakh has agreed to remain on the board to support the leadership transition.
Foreign direct investment in Canada reached $1.6 trillion by the end of 2025, up 6.9 per cent from the previous year, with inflows totalling $96.8 billion — the highest annual level since 2007. In 2025, Canada led the G7 in FDI inflows per capita and ranked second in FDI outflows per capita.
