Liberal MP Scott Brison attends a Toronto news conference on April 16, 2007.
It's unlikely that Scott Brison, the Nova Scotia Liberal MP, ever imagined himself on stage with Kofi Annan, the former secretary-general of the United Nations, and Conservative leader David Cameron, who everyone assumes will be the next British Prime Minister, when he was running his mini-fridge rental business as a young entrepreneur at Dalhousie University. But he'll do just that on Friday in Davos, Switzerland.
Mr. Brison is at the exclusive, invitation-only World Economic Forum along with a number of Canadians, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, Quebec Premier Jean Charest and a handful of very senior business leaders. Author Margaret Atwood is there, too, as part of a panel for the forum's Crystal Awards, which honour those "who have used their art to improve the state of the world."
The 42-year-old Mr. Brison, meanwhile, is speaking on a panel about young global leaders: How can tomorrow's leaders be ensured that public office is also a path worth taking, as many young people who aspire to public service put their "creativity and drive" into the private sector?
In addition to Mr. Cameron, who is 43, the panel features Christine Lagarde, the French Minister of Economy, Industry and Employment, and several others from the private sector. It is moderated by Lord Malloch-Brown, a former UN deputy secretary-general who is now a senior adviser with the World Economic Forum.
(File photo: Yvonne Berg for The Globe and Mail)