Jim Coutts

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For the footballer, see James Coutts (footballer)

James (Jim) Allan Coutts (born 1938) is a Canadian lawyer, businessman, and former advisor to two Prime Ministers.

Born in High River, Alberta, he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1961 from the University of Alberta and a MBA from the Harvard Business School in 1968. He was called to Bar of Alberta in 1962.

From 1961 to 1963, he practiced law in Calgary, Alberta. From 1963 to 1966, he was a Secretary to Liberal Prime Minister Lester Pearson. After receiving his MBA, he was a Consultant with McKinsey & Company from 1968 to 1970. From 1970 to 1975, he was a Partner with The Canada Consulting Group. From 1975 to 1981, he was the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau.

In 1981, Trudeau appointed Liberal MP Peter Stollery to the Senate so Coutts could run for the Canadian House of Commons in what was thought of as the safe Ontario riding of Spadina. The plan backfired - the voters rebelled and Coutts narrowly lost to New Democrat Dan Heap. Coutts ran again, but lost by a heavier margin in the 1984 election. After, he co-founded Canadian Investment Capital Ltd.

He has been a member of the Board and Foundation of The Hospital for Sick Children. He is a co-founder of the W.O. Mitchell Literary Prize.

In 2001, he was made a Member of the Order of Canada.