Meet the Calgary Chamber of Commerce's new president

Alumnus Adam Legge

When Adam Legge, MEDes'99, starts his new job later this month, he’ll be the youngest president the Calgary Chamber of Commerce has seen in its 120-year history.

After six years with Calgary Economic Development (CED), Adam’s departure as vice-president and chief economist is a bittersweet one as he’s eagerly anticipating the next step in his career, but sad to leave the team he’s grown with.

But change is good and “the Chamber is looking to go in a new direction and it’s a great opportunity,” he says.

Adam learned all about economic development while taking his masters degree at U of C and married this with his economics and business undergrad degree. And he’s still a student of all these disciplines, albeit one with twelve years of experience in his pocket.

With his two favorite words–curiosity and discovery–influencing all he does, Adam continues to seek many opinions in order to form his own. “I learned the value of an interdisciplinary approach at U of C,” he says. “It’s opened up a world of appreciation for me and made me a better and more balanced thinker and person.”

Located just a few blocks from CED, the Calgary Chamber of Commerce sits in a historic Calgary building, befitting its 120-year place in Calgary’s business community. Outside its doors, signs of growth are all around. The new Bow tower looms across the street and construction workers seem to be permanent fixtures on surrounding blocks, both telling signs that Calgary’s downtown, one of the most concentrated downtowns in North America, is the place for business.

“Calgary is a unique place,” says Adam. “For a while (at CED) we were just responding to good news stories that Calgary is the best performing economy. But underneath that, there is room for improvement to ensure long term prosperity.”

“What I want to ensure the Chamber works hard at achieving is ensuring Calgary is a great city for our businesses, and offers a high quality of life for their employees,” he says. “As a business organization, we need to be part of the conversation about Calgary as a business location and outside of how it looks from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.”

The Chamber is looking to grow in a new direction and eventually become a North American leader in creating member-value with cutting-edge programs and services. But a refreshed strategic direction needs to take root first. “I need to get back out there, listen to our members, engage our key stakeholders and be at the table of key conversations,” he says. A refreshed brand for the Chamber is also a top priority.

“A Chamber that’s a destination and hub for conversation and debate,” is a successful one, says Adam. And it will be part of his overall measure of success. “We want to go beyond what our members normally expect,” and build a brand that resonates with everyone.

In two weeks, Adam will look to start the change the Chamber wants. The Chamber is looking for results, “and I’m a fan of being efficient, but also doing things right.”

Ultimately, Adam will look to strike the best balance of results and what’s right for Calgary businesses and he’ll be supported by his talented team and deep knowledge of the Calgary community.