A TRIBUTE TO THE HON. DONALD JOHNSTON - OECD SECRETARY-GENERAL (1996-2006)
A FRIEND TO GCEL
Digitalization of the B2B marketplace is key to the future sustainable growth for all nations”
DEARBORN, MICHIGAN, UNITED STATES, February 11, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- GCEL1 lost a great friend this past week as Donald Johnston2, “Don” for his friends, passed away at 85 years of age.— Hon. Donald Johnston
Don joined GCEL nearly five years ago when he enthusiastically accepted the invitation to become the Chair of GCEL’s Advisory Board for the Americas. Although he had just surpassed the wise age of 80 years, Don was fascinated by the potential of GCEL’s innovative Digital Economy Platform to boost the prosperity of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) worldwide.
Don Johnston was an outstanding Canadian who started his career as an associate and friend of the Hon. Pierre Elliott Trudeau, a longtime Canadian Prime Minister. He served his country as the President of the Treasury, Minister of State and Economic Development, and Minister of Science and Technology. He then moved to Paris, where he served for ten years as the OECD Secretary-General, leading this international organization and overseeing its expansion and growth.
His latest book, “Missing the Tide: Global Governments in Retreat,” featuring his picture as the OECD Secretary-General with Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, calls for multilateral action and government investment to rebalance the world economy. This need for action is precisely why he embraced GCEL’s mission to make international trade more efficient and improve SME’s access to finance and internationalization, thus creating millions of jobs worldwide.
In 2018, Don published with GCEL’s Co-Chairman Captain Samuel Salloum an article in the official G7 Canada publication titled “ The Birth of the Digital Economy - Achieving Real Economic Integration.” Given his understanding of the world’s economic challenges, he equally understood that “digitalization of
the B2B marketplace is key to the future sustainable growth for all nations, as it affects every aspect of public and private life.”
Don worked hard all his life towards creating greater prosperity for all, now and for generations to come. Just five days before his passing, he was collaborating with GCEL on further expanding GCEL’s mission around the world.
The GCEL team gives its condolences to Don’s family and friends. He was our true friend and will be deeply missed.
Gregory Bird -Deputy Secretary-General
GCEL
g.bird@gcel.net
1 https://www.gcel.net
2 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Johnston