I hope so.
I am very familiar with the university and colleges model where, when they have a board of governors, for example, in that board of governors they have representation from the student body. If you look at corporations, I think they need to be very strategic and thoughtful about identifying young individuals who have a certain expertise and understanding of technology, trends, or understanding of certain tastes and aspirations of a certain market segment. That's so critical.
Companies need to be forward looking. They need to develop long-term plans. They need to have an understanding of where the market is going, where the trends are going, and where the opportunities exist. To have someone who is younger, who is potentially tech savvy, who understands the changing dynamic a bit differently from some of the individuals in a different age segment, brings in that diversity of thought that I was talking about, that diversity of perspective.
It's also very empowering for young people as well. I think to have that kind of dynamic and dimension is really important. It speaks really to what our Prime Minster has done. Our Prime Minister is the Minister of Youth. He fundamentally believes in empowering young people. He's created a youth council with which he often engages. He often works very closely with them to get their ideas.
Just recently in Calgary, I met with his youth council to talk to them about their views on innovation, their views on the economy, their views on government. It's incredibly impressive to hear their thoughts, their perspectives, which are often not heard in the House of Commons, for example, or often not heard with traditional stakeholders. They bring a very unique perspective. They have a lot of energy. They think in big terms, in a longer-term perspective. I think those are the kinds of qualities, those are the kind of attributes we need to see more of at the board level.
I'm hoping when we're talking about diversity that it's a dimension that companies really understand, appreciate, and focus in on because I think it will create opportunities for them going forward. At the same time, it empowers young people, which is a win-win situation.