CHOSEN BECAUSE: 

There was no easing into the job for the new economist of the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association last October. First up for Oumar Dicko, 31, was assessing the just-signed — and crucially important — United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement. His verdict on the trade pact: Welcome certainty for dealers and the auto sector. Next, a deep dive into Canada’s zero-emissions strategy and persuading the government to expand the list of eligible vehicles. 

But for a public-policy enthusiast who grew up with pictures of Ford Mustangs on his Montreal bedroom walls, the work is fascinating and fun. 

“It was a great career move,” says Dicko, who also serves as a lieutenant in the Armed Forces Reserve. 

His next priorities? Ensuring that federal-election candidates understand the contribution of franchised dealerships to the economy, and that dealers are reimbursed promptly for rebates under the new federal vehicle-electrification program. 

IN HIS OWN WORDS

“It provides me the best of both worlds — being able to have my civilian life and work as an economist for the Canadian Automobile Dealers Association, something that I am passionate about, and at the same time continue to serve [in the Armed Forces Reserve] and give back to Canada.”