What was your first job as a journalist?
Writing OpEds for The Suburban in 2007.
Have you ever used a typewriter?
I started writing on a typewriter prior to my first computer, a 128K Macintosh, in 1984.
How is social media changing news?
It's the crack cocaine of journalism.
Who's your favorite fictional journalist?
I don't have a favorite, but there is too much fictional journalism today.
What does it mean to be a journalist?
It's a personal window on the world - with serious risks for war correspondents, who I greatly admire.
How do you prefer to be pitched on stories?
Explain to me why it fits my interests, and with an angle no one has covered previously.
What tools and software do you use to do your job?
Word. Always.
What's your favorite social network?
LinkedIn. More serious than Facebook, Less hate.
Who do you wish followed you?
The politicians whose poor economic decisions I like to expose.
Why did you become a journalist?
I was looking for an intellectual exercise outside of my role as a business leader.
Did you work for your high school newspaper? If so, what did you do there?
I did not. I was involved in the yearbook instead. I managed to produce it within budget and left a surplus for the following year.
What story are you most proud of writing or working on?
During the financial crisis of 2008-9 I wrote a series of articles on the bank stress tests that correctly predicted the results.
What advice can you offer to aspiring journalists?
You better love it, because it's a tough day job.
When's the best time to pitch you?
In the early evening when I have a Scotch in hand and am ready to listen.
What's the best pitch you ever got?
I was invited to chair a session on Candian competitiveness at the Montreal Economic Forum, and that only cost $5K!
What's the worst pitch you ever got?
That I should do a video interview for a 10 minute spot on TV and pay $20,000 for the privilege of appearing
What's your favorite drink?
Scotch, neat. Don't dilute a quality beverage.
When you're not at a computer, where are you most likely to be?
Skiing, sailing, driving one of my vintage cars or on a plane seeking new adventure.
Aside from your own, what's your favorite publication to read?
The Economist.
What's the most common misperception about your beat?
That I can make a living off it.
