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The Leadership Edge: Five Ways to Thrive in a Complex Environment

Date: February 12, 2026
Type: Online

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The Leadership Edge: Five Ways to Thrive in a Complex Environment

APEX invites executives in the public service to Part 2 of an insightful conversation with Graham Flack, former Deputy Minister and Secretary of the Treasury Board. Building on his December 3 discussion following Budget 2025, Graham will take us deeper into what great leaders do differently—especially in times of transition and constraint.

In this session, Graham will unpack strategies for leading with innovation in a rapidly evolving environment. Drawing from his own experience, he’ll share practical insights on taking smart risks, challenging assumptions, and rethinking traditional approaches to leadership.
Why join?

  • Discover actionable strategies for thriving amid fiscal constraint and rapid change
  • Learn how to turn scarcity into a catalyst for creativity and bold experimentation
  • Engage directly with one of Canada’s most experienced public service leaders

You do not need to have attended the December 3 session to benefit from this discussion. Don’t miss this opportunity to gain fresh perspectives and strengthen your leadership for 2026 and beyond.

Event Details

Date & Time: February 12, 2026, 13:00 to 14:00 ET

Audience: All Public Service executives across Canada and internationally are invited to attend APEX’s learning events

Cost: Free

Language: This event will be in English. Simultaneous interpretation will be available via Wordly, an AI-based interpreting service.

Platform: Participants will attend our virtual event via Teams webinar. A meeting link will be sent once you are registered.

Meet the Speaker

Graham Flack
Former Deputy Minister, Government of Canada

Graham Flack is a recently retired federal public servant who held Deputy Minister roles in five different departments. He is currently a Commissioner on the Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission.

He began his career in the Privy Council Office and worked on the Quebec referendum campaign, the Quebec Secession Reference and Clarity Act.
Following 9/11 he became Director of Operations and led work on the Canada-US Smart Borders Declaration as well as Canada’s first National Security Policy.

He held senior executive roles at Natural Resources Canada and the Department of Finance where he was Assistant Deputy Minister, International Trade and Finance and worked on the G7 and G20 response to the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. From 2010 to 2013 he was Associate Deputy Minister then Acting Deputy Minister at Public Safety Canada.

From 2013 to 2014 he was Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet at the Privy Council Office and also served as Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister for Intergovernmental Affairs. From 2014 to 2018 he had the most fun in his career as Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage.

From 2018 to 2022 he was Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada where he managed the largest policy and service delivery department in government and delivered a suite of new income supports for Canadians during
COVID-19 including the CERB. He concluded his career as Secretary of the Treasury Board where he managed the largest spending review in a decade and the most significant public service strike in two decades.

Graham was the founding chair of the Deputy Minister Committee on Innovation and helped establish the Recruitment of Policy Leaders program over 20 years ago – which he continues to support.

He serves on the Board of the Public Policy Forum, Grand Challenges Canada and the University of Kings College and is a Senior Fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute. He received degrees in political science and economics from Dalhousie and Oxford University where he was a Rhodes Scholar. He is a former law clerk of the Supreme Court of Canada and graduated with an LL.B. from Dalhousie University and an LL.M from Harvard University.

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