Doug Ford gives $165,000 appointments to insiders and lacrosse player connected to chief of staff

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Ontario Premier Doug Ford is appointing four new trade advisers to his Progressive Conservative government, two with strong personal ties to his office in addition to a former party president.

 

On the day Mr. Ford unveiled a sweeping cabinet shuffle, his office announced four “agents-general" appointees to the United States and London who will earn between $165,000 to $185,000 a year, plus expenses, to help Ontario businesses attract investments and grow.

 

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Among them is Tyler Albrecht, a 26-year-old recent university graduate and financial analyst, who was given the New York City post. Mr. Albrecht has ties to Mr. Ford’s chief of staff, Dean French, through their mutual involvement in lacrosse. He is also friends with Mr. French’s sons.

 

“When you look at the four advisers chosen today, you’ll see a group that is highly qualified across a broad range of sectors and skill sets,” Ivana Yelich, Mr. Ford’s press secretary, said in an e-mail.

 

“One of the key sectors that we are targeting is the financial sector, such as banking and investment. With experience in the financial sector in the United States and Canada, Mr. Albrecht is not only qualified, but also aligned with the priorities of this government and our business-friendly approach.”

 

The three-year appointments include former Ontario PC Party president and real estate agent Jag Badwal, who will be based in Dallas, where Ontario trades nearly $17-billion annually. He will also be responsible for representing Ontario in the southern region of the United States.

 

Earl Provost, former chief of staff to former Toronto mayor Rob Ford and former executive director of the Ontario Liberal Party, will take on the role in Chicago. He joined the Premier’s office last month as a senior policy adviser on intergovernmental affairs. During his time at City Hall, Mr. Provost helped deliver the Chicago-Toronto sister city agreement.

 

Mr. Ford also appointed Taylor Shields, a marketing executive, to the London posting, which carries the highest salary.

 

Ms. Shields is an assistant vice-president for marketing at Chubb Insurance, where she has worked for 12 years, according to her LinkedIn profile. She graduated from Queen’s University in 2007 and later returned there for an executive education program. It is not known if Ms. Shields has any ties to the PC party or the government.

 

None of the appointees responded to requests for comment on Thursday.

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