The 3rd Annual Zoomer List: Canada’s Top 45 Over 45: Preston Manning

Preston Manning, 70, President and CEO of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy

After decades in municipal, provincial and federal politics, he still champions the cause of democratic and political reform in Canada. As president of the Manning Centre for Building Democracy, which he and his wife, Sandra, founded in 2005, Manning advocates for the education and training of political activists. A Companion of the Order of Canada, Manning is also involved with the Fraser Institute and the Canada West Foundation. As he succinctly put it at this year’s ideacity, “If you want to work at Starbucks as a barrista, you need 30 hours of training, but you can become a member of Parliament without one hour of training.”