An online qualitative focus group exploring Canadian civic sentiment, business leader credibility, bank brand perceptions, and the future role of financial sector executives in national issues — with a featured evaluation of CIBC CEO Harry Cullum.
Seven participants across British Columbia, Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario — a cross-regional sample of informed Canadian professionals. Last initials not collected; first names used per session protocol.
Five pivotal discussion moments that generated the richest participant engagement and clearest insight signals.
The session opened with a fill-in-the-blank exercise that immediately revealed a deeply divided national sentiment. Responses ranged from "hopeful" and "optimistic" to "not hopeful," "tense," and "unsure" — with the majority clustering around cautious ambivalence. The split tracked closely with participants' relationship to Mark Carney's new government and their proximity to the US-Canada border and trade dynamics.
Multiple participants described a visceral personal shift in how they feel about crossing the US border — something that was previously routine. The group also shared a common experience of deliberately tuning out US-Canada trade news for mental health reasons, as the constant back-and-forth of tariff escalations became impossible to track. This "deliberate disconnection" from political news is a meaningful signal about information overload.
When asked who is shaping Canada's future beyond politicians, participants initially struggled to name positive figures — but reacted immediately and intensely to a negative example. Galen Weston (Loblaws CEO) triggered a sharp collective response around price-fixing, Buy Canadian greenwashing, and profiteering during a cost-of-living crisis. The airline industry received similar treatment. On the positive side, Toby Lütke (Shopify) and Arlene Dickinson (Dragons' Den) emerged as the only two figures that generated genuine, unprompted enthusiasm.
The group engaged in a substantive debate about whether Canadian bank CEOs have the credibility or motivation to lead on national issues. Skeptics argued that record bank profits are not reaching average Canadians, that banks operate in a stagnant and non-innovative industry, and that their wealth insulates them from everyday concerns. Supporters countered that the financial sector sustains the entire economy and that a National Economic Summit model could channel their expertise productively. The most salient recurring challenge: bank CEOs are seen as operating primarily for shareholders, not citizens.
Participants were shown a stimulus card with biographical and professional statements about CIBC CEO Harry Cullum — a figure none of them had heard of before the session. After reading, the group selected the statements they found most compelling. The strongest-performing message by far was Statement A — Cullum's journey from summer intern at CIBC to CEO — which resonated as a story of loyalty, institution building, and authentic career progression. Statement F (community board memberships: Sinai Health, United Way) and Statement D (proven track record, exceptional team building) were secondary picks. The group consistently noted that the stimulus cards felt too corporate and not "human" enough.
Spontaneous word associations and impressions from participants for each of Canada's Big Five banks, elicited through an unprompted round-robin exercise.
Spontaneous nominations from participants when asked which big five bank contributes most to Canadian society beyond day-to-day business.
Participants reviewed stimulus cards about Cullum's background and selected their most and least compelling messages, then discussed the CIBC initiatives they most want Cullum to pursue.
Participants were asked to choose the single statement they found most positive or compelling about Harry Cullum.
Statement A ("intern to CEO") resonated as authentic loyalty and built-from-within leadership. Statement F valued for concrete, named community organizations vs. vague corporate language of D.
Unprompted requests for information not covered by the stimulus cards — what would make Cullum feel more real and trustworthy.
Six primary themes identified through cross-participant pattern analysis across the full ~90-minute session.
Participant self-reported words for "I am feeling ___ about Canada." Categorized by valence; some participants offered multiple words.
Ten evidence-based insights derived from participant responses across the full session.
Six actionable directions informed by participant insights from this session.