People

Dr. Charlotte Yates is the APRC's Principal Investigator.

Charlotte also serves as the Provost and Vice-President (Academic) at the University of Guelph and is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Political Science and School of Labour Studies at McMaster University.

Dr. Brendan Sweeney joined the APRC as Project Manager in January 2013. Brendan holds a BA in Labour Studies from McMaster and an MA and PhD in Economic Geography from Queen's. Brendan also taught Labour Studies at the University of Manitoba, held a Fulbright Scholarship at the University of Washington, and most recently, a Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the School of Policy Studies at Queen's. In addition the the automotive industry, Brendan has spent considerable time researching and working with stakeholders in the forest industry and Ontario's education sector.

Brendan is published widely in a number of Canadian and International journals. He teaches regularly in the School of Labour Studies at McMaster; his most recent course examines Labour Relations and Employment Legislation in Professional Sports. He also coaches McMaster's men's and women's varsity lacrosse teams.

Ken Delaney is the APRC's Industry Liaison and Special Advisor. He provides advice on strategic matters; manages the centre's relationships with industry, labour, and government; and undertakes special projects related to the promotion of the APRC.

Ken has a strong labour background. He served as Executive Assistant to the National Director of the United Steelworkers from 2007 to 2011, and was the Steelworkers' Research Director in the 1990s. He was also a key figure in the 1992 employee buyout of Algoma Steel; at the time the largest employee buyout in Canada.

Ken also has extensive management experience. He managed a private equity fund from 1995 to 2006 that made investments in over 30 mid-sized Ontario-based businesses, including several manufacturing companies. Ken is also currently a partner at Prism Economics and Analysis, the Executive Director of the Canadian Steel Trade and Employment Congress, and a member of the Public Policy Forum Board of Directors.

Ken has extensive experience negotiating both collective agreements and shareholder agreements, and representing unions and investment funds in matters related to public policy. He also has extensive experience serving on and reporting to Boards of Directors that have members from labour and business.