February 4, 2026
The Empire Club of Canada Presents
2025 Nation Builder Award – Toronto Blue Jays
Chairman: Saurabh Popat, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Moderator
Hazel Mae, Sports Broadcaster, Rogers Sportsnet
Distinguished Guest Speakers
Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays
Head Table Guests
Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto
Michael Armstrong, Vice President, North American Brand & Sponsorships, TD Bank Group
Joe Carter [By Video]
Rachelle Vaughan, Toronto Blue Jays Fan
Chris Nabeta, Co-Chair, Nation Builder Committee
Seamus Murphy, Co-Chair, Nation Builder Committee
Richard Luft, Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company
Live Performance of Oh Canada and Introductory Video is Shown
Welcome Address by Saurabh Popat, President, Board of Directors, Empire Club of Canada
Incredible video. Good afternoon, everyone. Hope you’ve enjoyed your lunch, or are still enjoying your lunch.
To formally begin, I want to acknowledge that we are gathering on the Traditional and Treaty Lands of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the homelands of the Anishinaabe, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat Peoples. I encourage you all to learn more about the Traditional Territory on which you work and live.
Now, today’s event would not be possible without the generous support of our incredible sponsors. The Empire Club is a non-profit organization, and it is our sponsors, who generously support the club, and make these events possible and complimentary for our online viewers around the world to attend. So, please join me in thanking our presenting sponsors, McKinsey & Company, TD, and Labatt. Thank you so much. Thank you to our major sponsors, LiUNA, McCain, Sam McDadi Real Estate Brokerage, and Waste Connections of Canada. Thank you. And to our Supporting Sponsors, APMA, Deloitte, Humber Polytechnic, Huron University, Live Nation Canada, Toronto Metropolitan University, and Toronto Hydro. Thank you so much. We also deeply appreciate the ongoing support of our Lead Season Sponsors, Bruce Power, Hydro One, and National Bank Capital Markets. And our VIP Season Sponsors, Ellis Don, McKinsey & Company, the Ontario Road Builders Association, and Waste Connections of Canada. Thank you all very much. And finally, thank you to our Media Partner, the Toronto Star, and our AV Partner, Bespoke Audio Visual.
Now, if you have questions for our speakers, please scan the QR code found on your program or through the Q&A function, if you’re online. And for those of you online, if you require technical assistance, please use the chat feature.
Now, although it may be a bit warmer at spring training in Dunedin at the moment, we warmly welcome you all here today, as the Empire Club of Canada proudly honours Canada’s Grand Slam team that occupies a singular and special place in Canada’s national story, the Toronto Blue Jays. [Applause] Hear, hear. For five decades, the Blue Jays have been inspiring Canadians, exciting Canadians, and making Canadians proud. What’s amazing to me is that the same kids who collected their first baseball cards back in the World Series glory years, in 1992 and ’93, got to pass on their passion to their own kids this past year. And last season, they stayed up late, really late, to watch nail-biting games, bond as a family, and live a shared experience with millions of Canadians here at home and around the world.
From small-town baseball diamonds to packed living rooms, from coast-to-coast-to-coast, Canada’s baseball team has helped shape the way we experience sports excellence, share the ups and downs with our communities, and embrace our collective national pride. On behalf of all of us here in this room and everyone online, let me say to every person in the Blue Jays organization, we are so very, very proud of you. Thank you. And our pride comes from what it means to be a team that supports each other, a team that truly cares about each other, that literally and figuratively goes to bat for one another, and drives home a winning spirit with the whole world watching. And yeah, maybe you didn’t win it all, at least not this time, but you absolutely won over all of us, especially at a time when we all needed a lift.
And because you were there when Canada needed you, today we celebrate your unparalleled nation-building effort. [Applause] Absolutely. Hear, hear. That is why the Empire Club of Canada is awarding the 2025 Nation Builder Award to the Toronto Blue Jays in recognition of their extraordinary impact on Canadian culture, community, and identity. This award will be accepted on behalf of the organization by Mark Shapiro, president and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, a person whose leadership has helped renew and guide the franchise both on and off the field. And you’ll see that we have people, from politicians to executives, and baseball legends and fans, here to support them.
Later this afternoon, we will dive deeper into the Blue Jays’ story through a fireside chat conversation between Mark Shapiro and Hazel Mae, whose amazing coverage of the Blue Jays, especially through their World Series journey. [Applause] Yes. Absolutely. Thank you, Hazel. She demonstrated to us, and helped us understand the true grit and resilience of the Blue Jays. And together, Mark and Hazel will explore what it takes to build resilient teams, steward a national brand, invest for the long term, and use a global sports platform to deliver real social impact, particularly, through the work of the Jays Care Foundation. You’ll also hear from Seamus Murphy and Chris Nabeta, Empire Club of Canada board members and co-chairs of the Nation Builder Award Committee, who will speak to the award itself and the values it represents.
Friends, today is about leadership. Leadership that understands what it means to build a legacy and take responsibility. Leadership that invests patiently. Leadership that knows winning seasons matter, but so does what you give back, who you include and how you show up for the country that cheers you on. The Toronto Blue Jays have done all of that and more. They continue to do it. And in recognition of their 50th season this year, it feels especially fitting to pause, reflect, and say thank you. And it’s now my pleasure to invite a leader who knows the role that the Toronto Blue Jays play in the life of this great city, and in the pride that Torontonians feel when the whole country is watching. Please join me, in welcoming the Mayor of Toronto, Olivia Chow.
Opening Remarks by Her Worship Olivia Chow, Mayor of Toronto
I’m warming up everybody for the coming speakers. Good afternoon, friends, members of the Empire Club, and all those joining us online. I want to tell you what I saw this past October. I watched thousands of people gather night after night, at Nathan Phillips Square and everywhere, to cheer on our Blue Jays. Strangers hugging each other. Tears of joy—tears of a different kind, after game seven. But even in those hard moments, support, teamwork, unity. That’s what Blue Jays gave us. Unforgettable moments will carry forever in our hearts. And no matter where in the city you were, every cafe or pub had the game on. You could hear it across every neighbourhood, the cheers, the shouts, the laughter. And it’s the sound of the city coming together.
You taught us something important. It’s not about the name on the back of the jersey. It’s about the team on the front. As Ernie Clement said, “The secret was the power of friendship.” Never give up. Take good care of each other. Keep fighting, even when you are the underdog, when nobody expects you to be here in the first place, except a few folks here, yeah. That’s the Blue Jays way. And it’s the Toronto way. It’s Canada’s way.
And baseball has always been a bridge, in our city. Newcomers, long-time Torontonians, kids learning the game, parents on the sidelines, fans building community on the field. Jays Care Foundation does the same, levelling the playing field for young people, creating belonging, building resilience, and bringing joy of all those kids that love baseball. And that’s what we’re working towards across Toronto, an affordable, caring, and safe home for everyone. More youth hubs and after-school programs, more baseball diamonds—with your help—more first responders to keep neighbourhoods safe, and making sure families can afford to stay in the communities they love.
So, it’s a real honour to be here today to celebrate the Toronto Blue Jays as the Empire Club of Canada’s 2025th nation builder. Thank you, Mark Shapiro, for your vision for this team. You are the driver behind it, thank you. And I want to share a thank you to Hazel Maes, for your years of dedication to this city, trailblazing, and bringing everyone onto the field with you. Blue Jays, you’re Toronto’s team, you’re Canada’s team. And on behalf of the City of Toronto, we are so proud to be your home. And then, are we ready for the next season? One week until pitchers and catchers report. Let’s go, Blue Jays! Thank you.
Saurabh Popat
Thank you so much, Mayor Chow. Appreciate your leadership, and your support of the Jays, as well. Before we continue, I want to take a moment to thank our presenting sponsor, TD. TD has been right there with us through the Blue Jays journey. The roar of the crowd, the late nights, the tension, the joy, and the stories that carried far beyond the final score in those moments. TD understands the value of long-term commitment and the role institutions play in connecting people over time. That makes TD a fitting partner this afternoon. Please join me, in welcoming Michael Armstrong, Vice President of North American Brand and Sponsorships from TD Bank Group.
Michael Armstrong, Vice President, North American Brand & Sponsorships, TD Bank Group
I thought I was coming to the Umpires Club, so this whole thing just caught me a little bit off guard. I was really prepared to really dig in, and really bring it home, and make this really tone out, and bring the tonality really up a notch. But thank you to the Empire Club for bringing us together for such a wonderful afternoon dedicated to championing the people and institutions that help shape our community. It’s a privilege to welcome you all here today, as we celebrate the 2025 Nation Builder Award. This award serves as a powerful reminder that shaping a nation doesn’t happen in one big moment. It happens over time, through leadership, commitment, and by showing up from communities in meaningful ways.
For more than two decades, TD has had the opportunity to do just that alongside the Toronto Blue Jays. We’re proud fans and sponsor of the team, and while our partnership shows up in very visible ways—you’ve probably seen us on the fields, on the jersey, that long post-season run—but at its core, our partnership is really about a shared commitment, a commitment to representing Canada’s baseball team with pride, a dedication to the fans who show up to support win or lose, and a passion for bringing people together. What we’ve always loved about working with the Blue Jays is how naturally the sport becomes a platform of inclusion and community, the very pillars that underscore the best of our nation. Whether it’s the theme nights that reflect the diversity of this country, or the initiatives that welcome new fans to the game, the Blue Jays create spaces where people feel they belong.
One of the best examples of that is the Jays Care Field of Dreams program presented by TD. Through this work, communities across Canada are building and renewing local diamonds, giving young people, including those facing barriers, more opportunities to play, connect, and grow. That’s the kind of impact that lasts well beyond any season, and that’s where we’ll always win. Of course, the Jays story is also filled with unforgettable moments, and we all know them, on the field, from championship years that we still talk about, to last season’s incredible run that captured the energy and the hearts and minds of an entire country. Together, that’s something bigger than even we imagined. Those create memories for everyone.
I’m absolutely thrilled and honoured to be here on behalf of TD, recognizing the Toronto Blue Jays as a friend, as a partner, and as a fan. So, thank you for being here to celebrate such an iconic team that carries the heart of the nation with such great significance. Thank you.
Saurabh Popat
It’s now my pleasure to introduce a few more testimonials, in support of the Nation Builder Award. We’ll begin with someone who is a hero and a legend in Canada, and doesn’t really need any introduction. It’s the one, it’s the only, jumping Joe Carter. So please turn your attention to the screen.
Joe Carter [by video]
Hello, everybody, this is Joe Carter, and hey, I’m sorry I cannot be there today, but you know I love a good party. This year for the Toronto Blue Jays was so special. I mean, as a fan, as a former player, it brought back that pride that we had in the Blue Jays. It brought back the excitement, and it’s very good to see all the excitement, not just here in Canada, but across the whole US. Everybody who I came across, they were like, “Man, we were rooting for the Blue Jays. We were rooting for ’em.” For me to sit back and watch the games, yeah, it was mind-boggling. I mean, it was excitement, it was anxiety. I felt every second of it. In fact, I was more nervous watching the game than I was when I played in ’92 and ’93. So, I would have rather much been there playing the game. But to see those guys perform, Ernie Clement, Vlad Guerrero, Yesavage. That is what brings, you know, it puts a smile on our face. It brings a lot of pride. Very exciting time, and I lived and breathed every single pitch. I never missed a single pitch of every single pitch of that World Series, so that’s how much in tune I was to it.
They had one game, once, to go throw out the first pitch, which was absolutely amazing. And then for me to get there, and to get out there on the field, I was kind of worried, because I hadn’t thrown the ball in a long time, and, you know, you’re 65 years old, it just doesn’t go as far as it used to. But when you step out on that field, it brings back so many memories and, you know, 50-some thousand fans yelling and screaming. But the biggest thing was coming off the field, and trying to get the crowd pumped up, and Vlad had the home run jacket. Man, that jacket looked good, didn’t it? So, to put the home run jacket on me, and I got a chance to run through the gauntlet of players giving high fives. And then at the end, I know Springer always, you know, looks in the camera and gives a little heart sign, so I made sure I did that. So yeah, it was a pumped up moment.
In ’92, ’93, walking around Toronto, you know, during the World Series, during the playoffs. I mean, back then, we had, what, 51,000 fans every single game, and the electricity, just, you couldn’t wait to get to the ballpark as a player. And when you came here—and back then, you know, the crowds were kinda quiet back in the ’90s. But man, once Dave Winfield said, “We want noise,” it was just electric. And I mean, as soon as we stepped onto the field for batting practice, just to warm up, there was just a buzz, and it never stopped until the end of the game. And then after the game, you go, you walk out on the streets, people are still excited, still talking about it, and as a player, man, we could not wait for that to happen, to come back to the game, to come back to the stadium, and get before those crowds. Because, you know, they were our 10th man, and without the fans, we could not have done it. So, ’92, ’93, we owe that all to the fans. Because, man, they came, and they came loud.
So, Toronto Blue Jays, congratulations on this well-deserved award, as we head into the 26th season, the Blue Jays’ 50th season anniversary. Let’s go out, and let’s just finish the job one more time, okay?
Saurabh Popat
Love his energy. One more time. Love that. Now, I’d like to invite long-standing Blue Jays fan, Rachelle Vaughan, to the podium.
Rachelle Vaughan, Toronto Blue Jays Fan
Watching the Toronto Blue Jays has never just been about baseball for me. It’s been about moments, watching games with family, cheering with strangers who instantly felt like friends, and feeling that shared spark when the whole country seems to hold its breath on the same pitch. The Blue Jays are one of the rare teams that truly belong to an entire nation. From coast to coast, people gather around screens, wear the same colours, and share the same hope. They bridge generations, cultures, and cities, reminding us that we’re part of something bigger than ourselves. That’s why the Blue Jays deserve the Nation Builder Award. They don’t just represent Toronto, they unite Canada. Through wins and losses, they’ve given us common ground, shared pride, and a reason to come together. And in a country as vast and diverse as ours, that kind of connection truly matters. Congratulations to the Toronto Blue Jays on winning the Empire Club’s Nation Builder of the Year Award. I cannot wait to see what you do this season. Go, Jays, go.
Saurabh Popat
That was awesome, thank you so much, Rachelle. I would like to now call the co-chairs of the Nation Builder Committee Award to the stage, Seamus and Christopher.
Chris Nabeta, Co-Chair, Nation Builder Committee
We did it.
Seamus Murphy, Co-Chair, Nation Builder Committee
Good afternoon, everyone. I’m Seamus Murphy.
Chris Nabeta
And I’m Christopher Nabeta. Together, we are the co-chairs of the Empire Club of Canada’s Nation Builder Award Committee.
Seamus Murphy
Thank you, Rachelle, for giving us an insight on what watching the Jays feels like for you. Now, we have to come clean about something.
Chris Nabeta
We tried. But we did not make this decision as the neutral and impartial observers.
Seamus Murphy
Yeah, no, not even close.
Chris Nabeta
That’s because, like so many Canadians, we spent the 2025 postseason glued to our screens, and with our butts glued to our chairs—and not just us, but everyone in the family.
Seamus Murphy
Even my dog.
Chris Nabeta
What?
Seamus Murphy
Because every pitch felt like a huge deal. Every inning felt longer than the last one. And in fact, game three of the World Series, which I think we all realized was an instant classic, turned out to be tied for the longest game in fall classic history, at 6 hours and 39 minutes.
Chris Nabeta
My couch still has a dent in it. And when the run finally ended, well, let’s just say there was a brief adjustment period.
Seamus Murphy
Personally, I’m ready for spring.
Chris Nabeta
Well, yeah, I think the fans are ready to do it all over again the next day.
Seamus Murphy
And that experience, being on the edge of your seat, sharing uplifting moments with our family and friends, sharing a single event that brings everyone together all at the same time, that’s exactly what this award is about.
Chris Nabeta
The Nation Builder Award recognizes organizations that bring Canadians together, not occasionally, not accidentally, consistently over time.
Seamus Murphy
It honours the people who shape Canadian culture, who reflect our values, and create moments we carry with us, sometimes for decades.
Chris Nabeta
When the Toronto Blue Jays got the World Series, this choice became obvious.
Seamus Murphy
This is a team that has connected different generations, Canadians from different walks of life, around the country and around the world.
Chris Nabeta
These Blue Jays were distinguished by their teamwork on the field, and they made an impact way beyond it. From unforgettable post-season runs, to long-term investments in fans, facilities, community programs, the Blue Jays understand their role in the national fabric.
Seamus Murphy
They may play for a city, but they also play for a country.
Chris Nabeta
And in 2025, just like we did in the ’90s, Canadians felt that same amazing feeling again, together. This is why so much of—this is how much the Toronto Blue Jays captured the nation.
[Video is Shown]
Seamus Murphy
It’s our privilege on behalf of the Nation Builder Award Committee to recognize the Toronto Blue Jays with the 2025 Nation Builder Award.
Chris Nabeta
To formally present the award, we please welcome back Saurabh Popad.
Saurabh Popat
I’ve been and down so many times, I feel like I’ve been spring training myself. Thank you, Seamus and Christopher, for your incredibly hard work leading up to this award and for being such a tough act to follow today. Congratulations, again, to the Jays. I now invite Mark Shapiro, President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays, to join me on stage, to accept the award, along with the leadership of Rogers Communications, Mr. Edward Rogers, and Tony Staffieri.
[2025 Nation Builder of the Year Award Presented]
Saurabh Popat
To bring this story to life, we are now pleased to move into a fireside chat that goes behind the scenes. In a moment, we’ll all give a big welcome to Mark Shapiro, President and CEO of the Toronto Blue Jays. Mark has spent more than three decades at the highest levels of Major League Baseball, with leadership experience spanning baseball operations, business strategy and league governance. Since joining the Blue Jays in 2015, he has guided the organization through a period of transformation, strengthening player development, investing in high-performance systems, and leading major infrastructure projects that reflect a long-term vision for the team and its fans. Under his leadership, the Blue Jays have returned to the post-season five times, most recently during the unforgettable 2025 run.
Joining Mark in conversation is Hazel Mae, a trusted and familiar voice to Blue Jays fans across the country. Hazel has been a member of Sportsnet’s broadcast team since 2001, and she brings a deep knowledge of the game, exceptional storytelling instincts, and an ability to connect viewers to the people and the moments behind the headlines. Her contributions to baseball in Canada were recognized this year with the Jack Graney Award from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.
Together, Mark and Hazel will explore leadership, long-term stewardship, and what it takes to build such an inspiring team. It’s now my great pleasure to welcome Mark and Hazel to the stage.
Mark Shapiro, President & CEO, Toronto Blue Jays
Over here?
Hazel Mae, Sports Broadcaster, Rogers Sportsnet
Yes, I’m over here. Good afternoon. Edward Rogers and Saurabh have assured me this is a Gatorade-free zone for the next hour or so. Great to be here, thank you. Congratulations to you and your organization, to the Rogers Communications leadership. Boy, the 2025 Nation Builder Award sounds heavy, not just the trophy, right, it sounds heavy. So, when you heard that your organization won this award, what are you thinking, what does that mean to you?
Mark Shapiro
I think it’s an affirmation of so much of why all of us work in sports, commit our life, our life’s work to sport, that there’s opportunities and moments that you don’t think about day-to-day, but you always get back to, to look out in a stadium, to get an email that reminds the connection between generations and families, in this case across our community being not a city, but a whole country. That those moments when we can lift spirits, when we can unite people, when we can bring people together, when we can reinforce a set of values, and, really, in a moment where it was so needed in our country to be able to lift an entire country, it was gratifying, it was fulfilling, and it was kind of an affirmation of, if you work in sports, that’s gotta be one of the reasons that you do it.
Hazel Mae
Absolutely. And you and your organization really gave this country something that we could all rally around and unite behind. I know you’re a numbers guy, Mark. So, I’m gonna throw a few numbers out your way here. 56% of the Canadian population tuned into at least part of the World Series. That’s seven-and-a-half million Canadians per game. That is incredible. Here’s another one, 11 million Canadians tuned into game seven of the World Series, the most watched Rogers broadcast ever—I know, shameless plug, shameless plug, I get it—the most watched Rogers broadcast ever, English language broadcast on record in Canada, and that’s outside of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. It is staggering. So, from your perspective, at what point, Mark, did you think or feel there’s something special about this team, and I guess big picture, something special happening around this great country?
Mark Shapiro
Yeah, I mean, the team, I think the nature of the number of comeback wins. Listen, in these jobs, you’re always kinda hesitant to accept that it’s special. You’re looking for what can go wrong, are we prepared, what’s around the corner, you have a hard time enjoying, and thinking that, oh, this is gonna be special. So I think it wasn’t until, okay, we had to win the last four games of the year just to win the AL East—the hardest division in baseball to win, by the way. Yeah, we did that. And we may not advance, if we don’t do that, because we needed that. We needed to buy in the first round of the playoffs. We’re down 0-2 in the ALCS. I don’t know what the win probability was, but it was low.
Hazel Mae
It was not high.
Mark Shapiro
It was not high. And our guys are like, no problem. So, there were kind of small examples from our players all year, that it was special. From a standpoint of what it was meaning in the broader community, I go back to like a walk with my dog through Churchill Park, and you know, the weather was changing, the leaves had all fallen. There’s a mom pitching to her son. You know, I’m walking by driveways that are normally full of road hockey nets and hockey sticks, and they’re empty, but there’s gloves and batting tees and ball caps. And everyone I passed on the walk had a Jays cap on. And I was like, you know, you’re so insular in your moments, and then you start getting the messages and the calls that, hey, I’ve got family in Calgary, I’ve got family in Vancouver. We’re on FaceTime together watching the game. It’s an unbelievable lift for us. It’s an incredibly unifying moment. And people are stopping you, and just telling you how meaningful it is. And it’s just, you’re not thinking about those things, but there’s just those moments where it’s like, man, this is so big, and we’re having this impact. This is incredible. Stop, reflect, and enjoy that.
Hazel Mae
I bet there were fewer people telling you who you should bat lead off during this past season.
Mark Shapiro
Still got that.
Hazel Mae
Still get that.
Mark Shapiro
Still get that. Free advice never stops. Always there.
Hazel Mae
I’ve mentioned game seven—and listen, having had the good fortune of having front row seats—after that game seven loss, I literally sat on my couch and sulked for two weeks, knee deep in Lay’s ruffled potato chip. I was so heartbroken, like a lot of Canadians. But then I turned my thinking around to how much of an honour, a privilege it was to watch such an historic run. You are a successful executive, but at your core, you’re a baseball fan…
Mark Shapiro
Right.
Hazel Mae
…I know that. So, I’m curious, in the hours after game seven, in the days following, were you dabbled in Lay’s ruffled potato chips?
Mark Shapiro
Definitely not that. But everyone has their own way of mourning.
Hazel Mae
Yes.
Mark Shapiro
You know, it’s gonna be a little bit of a philosophical and personal answer, because I think the way I handled game seven was the way I prepared for game seven. Which was really thinking about that moment, thinking, you know, it’s hard for me to believe, but in three hours, in four hours—didn’t know it would be 11 innings, not 9 innings—the game will be over, and there’ll be an outcome, and we’re gonna either be world champion, or we’re not. And what will that mean? And I think I was really preparing myself more for handling if we won. You know, would that mean I’m a better leader? Would that mean my career is more meaningful? Maybe more importantly, would that mean I’m a better father, a better partner, a better son, friend, brother? Those are the roles that I was thinking about. And then on the converse, asking myself if we lost, is my career less meaningful? Am I a worse leader? Am I a worse father, brother, son, friend?
And so, I was preparing myself that there is a randomness to outcomes, in this case, centimeters multiple times in a game, a ball trap. You know, there’s so many different things that happened that could’ve just changed the outcome, and there is a randomness to kind of what transpires over just a three-hour period. And I wasn’t gonna let that distinguish what was so meaningful about the run-up to that moment.
So, the last out happened. I hugged my son and hugged my daughter—you know, that most important role in life—looked at the 30 family members, my dad, 82-year-old father who instilled that fandom and love of baseball and that bond around the game within me, turned my back to the field, didn’t look at the field again for a long time, went back to my office, went home. Next morning, Edward Rogers calls and says, “I feel like I’ve lost a family member. Like, I don’t, you know, how do you, you know, it’s been such a ride. How do you move forward from this point?” And I told Edward, and I meant it, like, there’s only one way I know to move forward, and that’s to get back to the pursuit, you know, get back to the process.
And, you know, I think because that’s what unites me with our entire organization, that we love the pursuit, we love the process. It wasn’t avoidance, it wasn’t avoiding the bitterness. It wasn’t being any less competitive—because we wanna go 162 and 0, by the way. So we’re not any less—we were chasing perfection, we don’t wanna be any less better than we can possibly be. But it is saying that, like, we know what got us there. It was not one person, one leader, one player; it was a collective effort from an entire organization. And most importantly, the support, you know, of an incredible group of people at Rogers. But, you know, we wanted to get back to work. For our fans, for each other, and because, frankly, it was the only way to find solace, getting back to that process and the pursuit.
Hazel Mae
It’s interesting, because I was going to ask you whether there was, you know, an aha moment, or one particular decision that you made that just turned things around, particularly after 2024. You sort of touched on it. But was there that moment, or was it all building towards 2024?
Mark Shapiro
Yeah. I mean, I think people like to buy into narratives of moments, and mass media kind of likes to paint this dramatic story. And the reality is that it was 10 years of belief, support, and investment from Edward, and Tony, and everyone at Rogers. It was, you know, building out systems and process. It was aligning an organization. It was that collective belief that, you know, thinking about all of our jobs differently and without any weak links, and understanding that we were not going to accomplish anything great unless exceptional efforts were given by every single person across the organization. The people that worked in Toronto, the people that worked across North America, and the Dominican Republic. The ushers, you know, couldn’t view their job as taking people to their seats, they had to view their job as providing an exceptional experience for fans, so they’d come back. The chef couldn’t view his job as feeding our players, he had to view his job as fuelling champions. The clubhouse equipment guys couldn’t view their jobs as washing and hanging uniforms, but building a championship environment. So, it was an entire organization recognizing that we’re not going to overcome our challenges, FX rate, the AL East, the top CBA we had to deal with, unless we have a collective effort across an entire organization of people just taking accountability, taking ownership, and doing exceptional work.
Hazel Mae
And you mentioned ownership. If I could just point out, you know, I thought it was such a classy gesture that Rogers really set aside their brand, that iconic red Rogers sign that was in Rogers Centre, and that’s so familiar to millions across this country. They changed it to blue. I thought I was seeing things. And they did that to honour the Toronto Blue Jays, and to Blue Jays fans across the country. That really says a lot about how, gosh, important if I could say it, this run was to millions from coast-to-coast-to-coast.
Mark Shapiro
No question.
Hazel Mae
No question. I want to tell you a little story.
Mark Shapiro
Great.
Hazel Mae
I am a proud daughter of immigrants. My father immigrated to this country in the early ’70s from the Philippines, and he wanted so much to become ingrained into the Canadian culture that he would watch sports, in order to contribute to the water cooler conversations to feel like, you know, he was one of the guys at work. We had a 13-inch television. He watched his beloved Toronto Blue Jays, and he picked up the English language watching Leafs games—hold your applause. And mom and I would joke years later that dad’s conversation—my late father’s name was Tito—Tito would show up at work, and his coworkers would say, “Hey, Tito, how are you today? How are things going?” And dad would say, “I’m fine. I shoot, I score.”
And so, it brought me to this concept of how much we develop this cultural identity with sports. And you mentioned your father. I mean, you grew up in a baseball and sports-loving household. So, you kind of understand that generational love for competition.
Mark Shapiro
I think, you know, you touch on two things. One, the generational connectivity around the game. It’s so, usually baseball is a game that a grandparent, an aunt, an uncle, an older sibling, you know, passes down, and it’s just, there is a relationship formed around the nature of watching the game, watching summers unfold—because we’re the only game being played in the summer. And it’s just a, it is a special bond, but also the uniqueness here. I’m a grandson of an immigrant, you know, so my dad was a son of an immigrant, which was a similar thing. Baseball was something that they latched onto, you know, stick ball, wiffle ball, catch, you know, ground balls in the street, with a duct tape baseball. That was my summers with my dad. And going to Baltimore Orioles games, growing up as a kid. And now, I had that bond with my daughter, you know, and my son around the game, as well. So, the nature of Canada and Toronto being such a diverse city, and so many people enjoying the game for the very first time, and then thinking that hopefully, we are providing some ignition for that game being enjoyed a generation or two down the line, that this year hopefully did that for a new group of Canadians.
Hazel Mae
I want to turn our conversation to theme of culture. And it’s interesting, as I thought about this, you know, when you think culture, it’s this all-encompassing buzzword used in sports predominantly, I would say, I can think all the way back from say the mid to late 2010’s. I think I heard it mostly basketball and football. But then, you fast-forward to the word culture, and it’s this intense focus on a “winning culture” that many people believe really drives an organization. So, I’m gonna ask you kind of twofold here, misconception of the word culture in professional sports, and maybe big picture, in business. And you know, how do you go about building a winning culture in an organization?
Mark Shapiro
I mean, it has to be, again, that’s not one decision, it’s not one person, but the culture is the identity that provides a compass when times are tough, like a year ago, when people were questioning, and didn’t believe, and calling for change. But it is the compass that gives you the ability to objectively look at the group, believe in what should be believed in, but make the necessary changes that need to be made, as well. It is, you know, it’s gotta be intentional in every single thing that we do, from identifying, to acquiring, to developing, and to deploying talent. And that’s on the business side and the baseball side. But obviously, you know, most meaningfully on the baseball side. And the way we identify talent, scout, and the way we acquire it, draft, you know, trade, sign free agents, and the way we develop it throughout a player development system, and the way we build a major league team, and then use that talent. And ultimately, if everything goes right—and this was one of two times in a 35 year career that I’ve experienced it—you can watch the team play on the field. John Schneider doesn’t have to say what we stand for. Ross Atkins doesn’t have to say what we stand for. Vlady doesn’t have to say. You can watch them play, and know what we’re all about, what that culture is.
And in this case, you know, it was crystal clear. These guys, you know, it was talked about earlier, these guys love each other, care about each other.
Hazel Mae
And they genuinely do.
Mark Shapiro
Yeah.
Hazel Mae
I know that’s thrown out there in professional sports…
Mark Shapiro
You see behind the scenes.
Hazel Mae
…oh, we’re a tight clubhouse. We love each other.
Mark Shapiro
So good teammates, like we’re all trying to be good teammates with the people we work with. And they were tough as heck. You know, they are high-character individuals. Adversity challenges and setbacks, didn’t blanket those. And I think those two things stood out to all of our fans across the entire country at a time when we sought that identity, and we saw that, you know, that identity in our players and in our team—not just in what they said, but more importantly in how they played, win or loss. And it was exceptional. And that’s not, again, that’s not by chance. That’s with intent. That’s making decisions in the way you’re developing players, the way you’re drafting, and the way you’re signing, and the way you build a team.
So, it won’t always be, you know, celebrations and great moments. But I really think like their character was on display more a year ago than it was, you know, last year, when we had more moments to celebrate. But it was incredibly meaningful. And it’s also a representation of all the hundreds and thousands of people behind that were, you know, physical therapists, and analysts, and hitting coaches, and across all of our system that were working so hard to do the same thing.
Hazel Mae
There’s something, there’s a theme, a common theme that really can apply to business and to professional sports, and that’s accountability. And as a leader, you’ve gone through multiple organizations, leading a lot of them. And you have an accountability to stakeholders, players, to ownership. I mean, how do you manage that kind of dance, when expectations may not always align across the board? You do a pretty good job at it, to be honest with you.
Mark Shapiro
Yeah. I mean, I think if we’re not holding ourselves to higher standards than anybody else possibly could, the wrong people are helping lead and run the organization. So, extremely tough on ourselves, and always looking to get better. It’s funny, like you walk around the Blue Jay organization, you’re not gonna see motivational quotes from different military, or sports coaches, or figures. You know, you’re gonna see one thing, get better every day to bring world championships to Canada. That is our mission. You know, and that is making a clear statement that regardless of whether you’re the CEO, or you’re an entry level, you’re an intern, or whether you’re selling tickets, it doesn’t matter what your role is. You wake up every day, and you’re open-minded, you’re humble, and you’re looking to improve and spur others to improve, as well, around the organization. And if we do that collectively, that’s scalable competitive advantage across the entire organization, and that’s also collective ownership. You know, yes, we have an owner, but we all act as owners. We all take accountability for the success of the Blue Jays, because we recognize that what’s at stake. And what’s at stake is 20 million fans, 11 million fans, like a whole lot of fans that care so deeply about the team. So, the opportunity to lift their spirits, the opportunity to give them something to cheer, the opportunity to give them something to bond around is more of a responsibility. And so, when that doesn’t happen, it’s bitter disappointment, it’s reconsideration of how we can be better and what we can do to change and grow, but we also take accountability for that.
Hazel Mae
It’s interesting, when I talked about culture. How does one, when there’s a lot of changes in personnel and the roster, how do you protect that culture from maybe shifting too much?
Mark Shapiro
Well, some change is inevitable. And I think, again, you protect it with the choices you make. Some of that, I think we’re really fortunate that our players are so clear in what their values are, that they can handle that themselves when someone new comes in. A lot of times, the new players that come in choose to come in because they appreciate and they desire to be part of that culture. And some of the answer to that question is, you don’t make that much change. You know, in a business where emotion and momentum seemingly force people to make change for change’s sake, just to feed the monster, I feel incredibly fortunate to work for people that don’t force us to make those changes, unless we think it’s the right thing to do. You don’t make change for change’s sake. You make change if you know you can get better. Not you think, or you’re just doing it to satisfy people. You make change when you know you can get better. And when you make that change, it often involves having to recreate systems, and recreate strategy, and recreate culture. So, you gotta be really careful about how you do it, to what level you do it to. But you have to also balance that with objectively understanding that you’re gonna have to make some changes always, to continue to get better and grow. But the large-scale changes you’re talking about, it’s resisting those a year ago.
Hazel Mae
Right. It’s like Edward Rogers isn’t even here, as we’re talking about him this afternoon. Before I get to some audience questions, you picked up on Get Better Every Day, this mission statement. I love the story behind it. Would you share that with us? Because it wasn’t as if, you know, it was this long, hard thinking process….
Mark Shapiro
Sure it was. Come on.
Hazel Mae
Tell us about how that came about.
Mark Shapiro
Yeah. The story was, it was literally 10 years ago, like right when we first got here. We went down, we got away for two or three days, went to just a hotel, and a small conference room in a hotel, with some of the leaders who had been here for a long period of time. Gibby was in that room, and some of the guys that are still part of our baseball operations leadership team were here, and had been here, Joe Sheehan, and Andrew Tinnish, among others. And then some new people that we brought in, and obviously, Ross Atkins who had just come. And we did what every business does. We like sat down, okay, what’s our mission? What are our values? What are we gonna hang on the walls? What are our mission statements? And I don’t, we came up with something. It was long, you know, it had like 15 bullet points underneath it, and you know, it was really good—I have no idea what it was, by the way.
Hazel Mae
I was gonna ask, that was my follow up.
Mark Shapiro
So Monday morning, I’m driving in, and I call Ross and I’m like, Ross, what do you think? How’d you feel about what we came up with? And Ross says to me, he says, “Mark, you know, it’s really good. But man, I just wish it could just be get better every day.” And I’m sitting there driving, I’m thinking to myself and I’m like, it can be. That’s beautiful. Like, that is so universal. It appeals to every single person in the organization. It makes the statement that we’re a learning culture, and that we place humility and open-mindedness at the core of everything we’re doing, which was really important—because we were trying to transform a culture, at that point. But learning culture doesn’t sound too good for a competitive sports team. So, like, get better every day to bring world championships to Canada, sounds a lot better, and ended up being universal to our business side, to every single person that works there regardless of role, to people that don’t work in Toronto but are part of the Blue Jay organization, which is over half of our organization. It provides connectedness, it provides shared purpose and meaning.
We have a set of values underneath it. We call them clear values, collaborate, learn, empower, achieve, and respect. But our mission is just extremely simple. Whether it’s [Indiscernible] for our Spanish-speaking players, or whether it’s get better every day, every single person knows it. Every person understands, from our players to our coaches, to our performance staff, to people that work in the front office. So it’s been a lasting and meaningful, and as important today, get better every day, to bring world championships to Canada, as it was 10 years ago.
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Hazel Mae
That wouldn’t fit in a t-shirt altogether, if you did that. Okay, let’s get to some questions here. Our first one, sports tourism is now a major trend but for decades, fans have traveled from across—okay, here we go, across, I wish I had glasses—across Canada to Toronto to watch a game. How do the Blue Jays think about the visiting fan experience? That’s a great question.
Mark Shapiro
I think we just think about fan experience, universally. That we want every experience to be exceptional and to exceed the expectations of our fans, whether they’re visiting, we want it to be special for the fans that come to 15 games, that live in the GTA, or if they’re coming in from the Prairies, and only get to see three games a year, we want it to be as equally a special of an experience. What makes our team special is that we’ve got tens of thousands of fans watching us in Seattle, in Detroit, you know, in Minnesota, in Cleveland. And that’s what’s remarkable is just seeing a nation of fans thousands of kilometers away that travel to see us on the road everywhere we go.
Hazel Mae
And you’ve got a pretty darn good broadcast team, but what do I know?
Mark Shapiro
That was the next thing.
Hazel Mae
That was the next one. Thank you. We didn’t even rehearse that. That was really good. For Mark Shapiro, how much did team cohesion and friendships impact on field performance, and how does that culture factor into potential trade and free agency decisions?
Mark Shapiro
Yeah. Great question. I think this is the easiest way to explain, we kind of touched on it earlier, that every one of us has to go to work every day, and going to work every day is a lot better when we like who we work with. And baseball, unlike every other sport is 162 games in 186 days—and by the way, 40 more days, 45 more days in Dunedin, and 30 more games down there, and then we hope to play another three weeks, four weeks at the end of the season, as well. So, it is inefficient when guys don’t like each other. They are likely to not play as well, care as much, work as hard when they don’t like their teammate in the locker next to them. They don’t care about that person when they’re not pulling for that person. Whether you think about like that famous Netflix deck, like the greatest thing you can do for someone is give them someone great to work, with and someone who inspires them, challenges them, raises standards and expectations. We’re thinking about the same thing with our players. Do they align in values? Do they challenge each other? Are they pulling for each other? Do they care about each other? That’s what culture can be, and I think that does translate into a team that outperforms expectations, into a team that does exceptional things beyond what anybody expects, beyond what objective expectations or numbers say they should do. Usually, it’s some environment like that, so that is something I believe deeply in.
Hazel Mae
You and I know that in baseball, usually, the position players all hang out together, the pitchers all hang out together. And I told this story on one of our broadcasts. On an off day off the Florida Keys, there was Chris Bassett, Jeff Hoffman, Ernie Clement and Myles Straw snorkeling together off of Myles Straw’s boat in the middle of nowhere. And they weren’t even talking about baseball, but that brotherhood, as they like to explain it to me, that brotherhood really is advantageous, particularly when things are not going well. Would you agree with that?
Mark Shapiro
I 100% do. Yeah.
Hazel Mae
Next question. What qualities and traits do you believe turn curious and imaginative individuals into strong community leaders and legacy builders?
Mark Shapiro
Wow.
Hazel Mae
I should have thought of this question.
Mark Shapiro
I don’t seem like I’m the right person to answer that question.
Hazel Mae
Well you’re in the hot seat, so give it a try.
Mark Shapiro
I feel like we need the prime minister to answer that question. Geez, I think, you know, you have to care about something other than your own status, fame, power, money. You know, there has gotta be something, a sense of caring for something bigger, a mission, and a large group of people other than yourself. What drives you, what your purpose is, what your why is, what you get out of bed for every single day, has got to be something other than just recognition, advancement, external validation. And I think that once you go through that transformation, that what gives my life purpose, meaning what gives me an identity is something greater than the external perception or validation, but lifting others. That, to me, is probably what would be necessary to be transformative. And that question is really, like, what is the separation between a transactional leader and a transformational leader? That’s the way I like to think about it.
Hazel Mae
All right, I’m gonna end this conversation with a quick congratulations, also, to the Jays Care Foundation, who during the post season raised millions and millions—you talk about lifting people, I mean millions of dollars. In the World Series alone, $25 million jackpot went to a lucky winner. I’m off to spring training in Florida on Friday. So, it is obvious that I was not the winner of the $25 million. But we’re really excited, and we are thrilled for you, and your organization. Congratulations on the 2025 Nation Builder Award. Lots of hard work, lots of really good people behind the scenes to help you get this award. So, congratulations to President and CEO Mark Shapiro, and Company. Now, let’s turn things over to Saurabh. Thanks everybody.
Saurabh Popat
Thanks, Hazel. I know everyone’s anxious to get back to the office, day jobs, wherever you are, but I just want to extend our utmost gratitude and appreciation to Mark and Hazel for that incredible discussion. Thank you again. At this time, as we close out here, I’d like to recognize our presenting sponsor, McKinsey & Company. Now, McKinsey understands what today’s celebration is really about, the long view. Building resilient institutions, investing in leadership, and helping organizations perform at the highest level while earning public trust over time. Please join me, in welcoming Richard Luft, managing partner at McKinsey & Company.
Note of Appreciation by Richard Luft, Managing Partner, McKinsey & Company
All right. Can folks see the T-shirt? Let me keep the jacket open. Tough, tough slot coming after Mark, I gotta say. Oh my God. Let me just first open by saying what an incredible honour and privilege it is to be here. I’m Richard Luft, managing partner of McKinsey & Company, Canada. I’m gonna open with a quote from the former baseball commissioner, Bart Giamatti. We were talking about this a little bit earlier. “Baseball breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings. And then, as soon as the chills rain come, it stops, and leaves you to face the Fall all alone. You count on it.” Well last year, when Canadians needed something to believe in, we could count on the Toronto Blue Jays. To unite us—let’s do a little applause [Applause]—to unite us, to inspire us, and to remind us of what shared purpose looks like. The Nation Builder Award recognizes those who lift the country higher. And McKinsey & Company is proud to sponsor the celebration of a team whose achievements and whose example transcends sport by creating accessible and unified dialogue across every corner of the country.
These Jays, at a time when we really needed it, restored our faith that humility, hard work, and courage mean something. This was Canada’s team. That may sound trite, and it’s been said many times, but it is no less true. We are a sprawling country, and folks from British Columbia could very well be cheering for the Mariners. I myself grew up cheering—I’m from Montréal—grew up cheering for the Expos. I’m not gonna get into the whole Expos, and it’s still hurtful that they’re not around, but nevertheless, my heart and soul now reside with the Toronto Blue Jays.
These Blue Jays had a little something for everyone. And from where I stand, I can’t help myself from making a couple lists here, three lessons that every leader in the room should take from this group in the remarkable run. First, is the primacy of teamwork. Unlike other sports, baseball doesn’t let one player take over. You could have Babe Ruth in the middle of your lineup, but if nobody’s on base, it’s all for naught. Greatness compounds when the pieces fit. Lesson number two, the power of marginal gains. It’s an iconic line from Bull Durham, the greatest sports movie of all time—if you haven’t seen it, you must—”The difference between a 250 hitter and a 300 hitter is about one hit every 20 at bats, just one.” Small advantages, defense, pitch counts worked, lead to decisive outcomes. And third, and we’ve talked about this, culture is stronger than circumstance. This team played with relentless hustle, resilience and accountability, year over year, season over season. Talent gets you to the door, but bringing your best, getting a little better every day is what carries you through it.
And at McKinsey & Company, we applied these same principles in our work with leaders to help them with their toughest challenges. With talent from around the globe, we operate as one team, bringing the right lineup to every engagement, because results matter. On behalf of the entire firm and the country, thank you to the Empire Club of Canada for convening this celebration, to Mayor Olivia Chow for your remarks, our host Hazel, who’s amazing for guiding the program, and to Mark Shapiro for your wonderful words and your leadership. Our congratulations to the proud owners, Rogers Communications, to the entire staff of the Jays organization for this remarkable recognition. Thank you for a season we will never forget, and a standard that brought Canadians together when it really mattered most. And just in closing, best part of all, spring is just around the corner, so here’s to another great season. Go Jays, go.
Concluding Remarks by Saurabh Popat
Thank you so much, Richard, and thank you again to McKinsey & Company, for your incredible support this year. Thank you all to all of our enthusiastic speakers and contributors, to Mark and Hazel, and thank you to the Blue Jays organization for sharing your story with us this afternoon. I’d like to also extend my sincere thanks to all of you for coming, our partners, and everyone who helped make today possible. Events like this reflect what the Empire Club does best, convening leaders, celebrating institutions that matter, and conversations that matter, and creating a space for meaningful public dialogue.
Before we conclude, I want to recognize the students and young leaders joining us here today. Their presence is made possible through the charitable arm, the Empire Club Foundation, and the generosity of our donors. I’d like to invite our student guests, along with Dr. Gordon McIver, president of the Empire Club Foundation, to please stand, as we share some special news. Gordon, students, can you please rise?
So, the news we have for you today is that through the Empire Club Foundation, we are very proud to announce the Hal Jackman Future Nation Builder Awards, a new program that will honour emerging student leaders who are already shaping their communities and Canada’s future. This program is rooted in a simple belief, that nation building begins early by amplifying your voices, and giving students a place in the national conversation. It also reflects Hal Jackman’s decades-long legacy at the Empire Club of Canada, a belief in the power of dialogue and in expanding access to education, networks, and opportunity for the next generation. Thank you to United Corporations Limited, and to Duncan Jackman, for their generous gift in making this program possible. We look forward to sharing more information about this program in the months ahead.
I also hope that you’ll join us for two exciting upcoming events. Tomorrow, February the 5th, we’ll be joined by Tiff Macklem, governor of the Bank of Canada, followed by a fireside chat moderated by Rita Trichur. Governor Macklem will share his first major economic address of 2026, with insights into the forces shaping Canada’s economy and the path ahead. I’m not sure if he’ll provide any baseball projections, but we’ll ask him about that, as well.
And then on April 24th, we’re pleased to welcome Tim Hodgson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, for one year of nation-building, a look back, moving forward. One year into the new government, Minister Hodgson will reflect on a pivotal moment for Canada, examining energy, infrastructure, critical minerals, and what it will take to build with confidence in a rapidly changing global landscape. That’s in conversation with Lisa Raitt. Both tickets, tickets for both events are now on sale.
And as always, as a club of record, all Empire Club events are available to watch and listen to on our website. And a recording of today’s event will be available shortly. Thank you again for joining us to celebrate the Toronto Blue Jays. Let’s all cheer them on for another winning season ahead. And please enjoy the networking reception, and this meeting is now adjourned. Thank you.
