Catherine Swift

Catherine Susan Swift is the chairwoman of the executive committee Canadian Federation of Independent Business1, which she joined in 1987. She has previously served as CEO from 1997 and President from 1995.

For the CFIB, Swift coordinates policy issues at the federal and provincial level, and she represents CFIB to government and civil society members.

Swift studied at the University of Toronto and Carleton University in Ottawa, with a B.A.(Honors) in Economics in 1977 and an MA in Economics in 1980.

Swift has a background with the Canadian federal government from 1976 to 1983, in the Departments of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, Industry and Communications.

She was Senior Economist with the Toronto-Dominion Bank from 1983 to 1987.

She is widely published in journals, magazines and other media on issues such as free trade, finance, entrepreneurship and women small business owners. She contributed the article in The Canadian Encyclopedia entitled Small Business.2, and writes for Canada's national newspaper, The Globe and Mail, AbOUT small business.

Swift is a member of the Board of Directors of the Empire Club and a Director of the C.D. Howe Institute.