Wiseman’s Big Bet: 100 Million Canadians
Pension CEO turned ambassador pushes bold population boom with elite allies
Meet Mark Wiseman, the Canadian finance powerhouse who’s now stepping into diplomacy as Canada’s U.S. ambassador come February 2026. Born in 1970 in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Wiseman’s got that classic brainiac vibe: a BA from Queen’s University, law degree and MBA from U of T, plus a Fulbright stint at Yale. He kicked off his career in private equity at Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan before joining the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB) in 2005. By 2012, he was CEO, growing assets from $165 billion to over $280 billion by 2016—talk about a glow-up for retirees’ nest eggs. financialpost.com
Business-wise, Wiseman’s resume screams “global player.” Post-CPPIB, he jumped to BlackRock in 2016 as head of active equities and alternatives, managing trillions. weforum.org But drama hit in 2019 when he got fired for not disclosing a consensual office romance—not with his wife, Marcia Moffat (BlackRock Canada’s ex-head), but another colleague. financialpost.com He rebounded as chair of Alberta Investment Management Corp (AIMCo) from 2020-2023, overseeing $158 billion. alterdomus.com These days, he’s a senior advisor at Lazard and Boston Consulting Group, plus chair at Alter Domus. alterdomus.com
Controversies? Wiseman’s no stranger. That BlackRock exit made waves, and his blunt takes on Canada’s “free fall” economy—like bashing supply management for killing innovation—ruffled feathers. financialpost.com His ambassador gig, courtesy of pal Prime Minister Mark Carney, screams cronyism to critics, especially since Wiseman backed Carney’s Liberal bid. townandcountrytoday.com But the biggie is his Century Initiative involvement, drawing fire in Quebec for allegedly threatening French culture via mass immigration. facebook.com
Speaking of Century Initiative, Wiseman co-founded it in 2014 with Dominic Barton (ex-McKinsey boss) and others, and he’s been chair of the board since. This “non-partisan” group’s pushing for Canada’s population to hit 100 million by 2100 through smart immigration and growth policies—up from today’s 41.5 million. Without it? Projections say just 53 million, a 53% drop in annual real GDP growth, and Canada slipping out of the global top 45 economies. They release an annual National Scorecard tracking progress on economy, infrastructure, and more. centuryinitiative.ca Collaborators are stacked: Board includes Goldy Hyder (treasurer), Ebad Rahman (vice chair), Ratna Omidvar, and others. centuryinitiative.ca They’ve got a network of 40+ orgs, a Council of Champions like Adam Janikowski, and an expert panel with folks like Anna Triandafyllidou and Matthew Mendelsohn. centuryinitiative.ca Initiatives focus on immigration, housing, kids’ supports, and workforce dev—think Bill C-35 for national childcare and boosting regional settlement. centuryinitiative.ca
With trade talks looming, Wiseman’s finance smarts (and drama) could make for an interesting ride. At 55, he’s proof that in biz and politics, connections are “king”.
