Best Of 'Insights': The N.S. Entrepreneur Who Helped Build Three Billion-Dollar Companies

In this rebroadcast of one of the most popular “Insights” podcasts, David Campbell and Don Mills chat with one of Atlantic Canada's most successful business leaders, Clearwater Seafoods co-founder John Risley, someone who has been part of building three different companies that sold for more than $1 billion each.

Risley shares candid opinions about the kinds of public policy changes needed in Atlantic Canada. He also tells the story about how Clearwater Seafoods was founded and the decision to sell to a company with an ownership group that includes a Mi’kmaq First Nations coalition.

“[We] didn’t’ have family in the business and it made sense to pass ownership on to [peope] we thought would be good stewards of what we had put together over the long term,” says Risley.

“The company will have had its best year ever since the sale, so it’s a great way for them to have started off this relationship with the company performing above both their expectations and our expectations.”

This conversation was originally uploaded on May 13, 2021, but the insights are still fresh. You can listen to the conversation with Risley in the player above. Better yet, search for “Huddle Insights” on a podcast platform like Apple or Spotify. Follow the show and never miss an episode. You can also listen to past episodes on those platforms.

The “Insights” podcast combines the experiences of an economist, David Campbell, and a social scientist, Don Mills, to explore the challenges and opportunities facing Atlantic Canada, to promote data-driven decision-making among policymakers, and to encourage a wider dialogue and debate leading to greater prosperity for the region.