Mr Harding is a well-known and respected executive in the Canadian business community. He graduated with a Bachelor of Mathematics from the University of Waterloo in 1980 and received his Chartered Accountant designation the following year. Mr Harding began his career at a major accounting firm before joining Hees International (now Brookfield) where he served in progressively senior roles including Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Operating Officer, and ultimately, Chief Executive Officer in 1992. He retired from the Board of Brookfield Asset Management, where he was Chairman from 1997–2010, in 2019.