Travis Toews

Toews attended the University of Alberta.^[5] He then attained a professional accounting designation through the society of management accountants and holds Certified Management Accountants of Canada (CMA) and Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) accounting designations.^[2]

Toews spent twelve years working in a public accounting practice prior to pursuing business interests. After retiring from public accounting practice, Toews invested in, managed and grew a corporate family cattle ranching operation^[5] as well as an oilfield environmental company. Toews has served as a Director on a number of local non-profit boards, as well as provincial and national industry boards and committees including the Alberta Beef Producers and the Canadian Agri-Food Trade Alliance. He served as President of the Canadian Cattlemen's Association from 2010 to 2012.^[6] Toews co-chaired the Agri-Innovators Committee for then federal Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz.^[7] In 2013, Ritz appointed Toews as a Canadian representative on the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) committee designed to improve international food security between APEC countries. Between 2010 and 2012, Toews served as a member of Country of Origin Labelling Canadian World Trade Organization Legal working group in Geneva, Switzerland.^[8]

On April 30, 2019, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney appointed Toews as Minister of Finance of Alberta and President of the Treasury Board.^[2] Toews succeeds Calgary-Buffalo MLA Joe Ceci as Minister of Finance.^[2]

On 24 March 2023, he announced that he would not be seeking re election as an MLA.^[9] He was succeeded in the 2023 Alberta general election by Ron Wiebe from the UCP.^[10]

On May 30, 2022, Toews registered his candidacy to replace Jason Kenney as UCP Leader with Elections Alberta. At the time of his registration he had not publicly declared his intention to run.^[11]

On June 4, 2022, Toews launched his campaign with twenty-three caucus endorsements.^[3] On October 6, 2022, Danielle Smith won the UCP leadership election defeating six other candidates as determined by instant-runoff voting. On the sixth ballot she was declared the winner taking 53 per cent of the vote, defeating Toews who had 46 per cent.^[12][13]