Not-for-profit status is questionable. High overhead contribution expectations with little value-add. Directors experience significant pressures to make financial targets while assuming administrative responsibilities above and beyond job description. Lack of strong executive team from a leadership and effective management perspective. Has focused too much on process and not on content or innovation, adding administrative burden on research staff which comes at an opportunity cost — getting business and working on billable projects. Low trust in new CEO and executive team due to lack of transparency in processes, decision-making, and organizational priorities. Lack of thoughtful communication with staff leading to rampant rumours and low-morale. Been without a Chief Economist and VP Policy for far too long - media presence has declined substantially which can be attributed to loss of thought-leadership. It’s not the firings that’s the problem as I would agree many decisions on that front to date we’re watrabtes, the bigger issue that the organization is not addressing are the employees, many of which were fundamental to the success of the Board who have left and are leaving by choice for the above reasons. Lately, there’s a new voluntary departure every week. Little investment in research may impact the sustainability of the organization and its raisin-d’être. You can only contain costs for so long...
