Chris Gardner

Chris Gardner is the CEO and President of the Independent Contractors and Businesses Association (“ICBA”) and has led the organization since 2017.

ICBA started in 1975, fifty years later, ICBA has grown in BC, expanded into Alberta, and is now the largest construction association in Canada and one of the largest business organizations in the country, with more than 4,500 members and clients.

ICBA administers health and dental plans for 300,000 people, is the largest sponsor of trades apprentices in BC including women and Indigenous apprentices, trains more than 6,000 construction professionals a year, and provides a mental health and wellness program free for its members. Since it was launched in 2021, more than 20,000 people have participated in the program.

Chris has distinguished himself as a strong and passionate advocate for the construction industry and the issues that impact them, health and safety, the shortage of people in the skilled trades, skills training, and affordability. Business in Vancouver has selected Chris as one of its BC500 in every year since BC500 was established - 2023, 2022 and 2021.

In 2019, 2021 and 2024, ICBA received a Reed Award for the best trade association in North America.

Before joining ICBA, he was a senior executive at two of the largest modular construction companies in North America. Chris lived in Asia for 11 years working for one of South Korea’s largest law firms and for Samsung Electronics. Chris has a Juris Doctor in law from the Peter Allard School of Law at UBC and a Bachelor of Arts from SFU.