David Jacobson, BMO Financial Group, and John Weekes, Bennett Jones LLP
Renewing the Vision of NAFTA
Sponsored by:
David Jacobson became Vice Chairman of BMO Financial Group in October 2013.
Prior to joining BMO, Mr. Jacobson served as the 22nd United States Ambassador to Canada, holding the role from 2009 to 2013. As Ambassador, Mr. Jacobson worked to expand the bilateral trading relationship between United States and Canada which resulted in a 43% increase in two-way trade to the highest level between any two countries in history. Ambassador Jacobson led the Beyond the Border and Regulatory Cooperation efforts to improve the security and efficiency of the border between the two countries. He worked to strike a balance between utilizing North America’s energy resources and preserving the environment, and to foster the shared values of the United States and Canada around the world. For his efforts, Ambassador Jacobson received the State Department’s 2012 Sue M. Cobb Award for Exemplary Diplomatic Service.
Before becoming Ambassador, he served in the White House as Special Assistant to the President for Presidential Personnel. Before joining government service, he was a corporate lawyer in Chicago where he was active in civic and political affairs.
Mr. Jacobson received a J.D. from Georgetown University where he was the Administrative Editor of the Georgetown Law Journal. He received his B.S. from the Johns Hopkins University.
Mr. Jacobson lives in Chicago with his wife Julie. They have two adult children.
John Weekes is a career diplomat who specialized in trade and economic policy issues. He now serves as a senior business advisor at a leading Canadian law firm, Bennett Jones LLP.
From 1991 to 1993 Mr Weekes was Canada's chief negotiator for the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), including for the side agreements on environmental and labor co-operation. He subsequently served as senior assistant deputy minister in the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade with responsibility for managing Canada’s relations with the United States and the implementation of NAFTA, including providing advice to business on how to take maximum advantage of the opportunities that NAFTA afforded. He remains a strong proponent of the value of NAFTA to the three North American countries.
Mr Weekes was Canada’s ambassador to the World Trade Organization (WTO) from 1995 to 1999. In 1998 served as chair of the WTO's top body, the General Council. Mr Weekes was instrumental in the creation of the WTO Committee on Regional Trade Agreements and served as its chair from its inception until 1996. From 1987 to 1991 he served as ambassador to GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) during the Uruguay Round of multilateral trade negotiations which led to the creation of the WTO. He was chair of the GATT Council in 1989 and then of the GATT Contracting Parties in 1990. Mr Weekes has also served as chair of the Uruguay Round negotiating group dealing with the interpretation and clarification of various GATT articles. In the 1970s Mr Weekes was a member of Canada's negotiating team to the Tokyo Round of GATT negotiations.
Between 1979 and 1987, as a senior trade policy official Mr Weekes assisted Canadian ministers at various ministerial meetings. He was actively involved in policy development and international trade negotiations, representing Canada in various negotiations and international meetings.
Mr Weekes is a frequent speaker on the challenges facing Canada in international trade and related political issues. He participates regularly in conferences on these subjects and contributes articles to newspapers and magazines.
Since leaving the Canadian government in 1999 Mr Weekes has been providing strategic advice to clients across a broad range of international trade and other policy matters. In the private sector, before joining Bennett Jones, he has worked with the Washington based public affairs company APCO Worldwide, and the American law firm Sidley Austin LLP.
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