Prime Minister Carney announces changes in the senior ranks of the public service
December 19, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
Today, the Prime Minister, Mark Carney, announced the following changes in the senior ranks of the public service, to take effect early in the New Year:
Francis Bilodeau, Associate Deputy Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, becomes Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage.
Shalene Curtis-Micallef, Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, becomes Deputy Minister of Health.
Chris Forbes, Deputy Minister of Finance, becomes Senior Official at the Privy Council Office.
Christiane (Chris) Fox, Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council, Associate Secretary to the Cabinet, and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, becomes Deputy Minister of National Defence.
The Honourable Marie-Josée Hogue, a Puisne Judge of the Court of Appeal of Québec, becomes Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada.
Michelle Kovacevic, Associate Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services, becomes Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services.
Nick Leswick, Executive Director, Policy, Bank of Canada, becomes Deputy Minister of Finance.
John McArthur, Inaugural Director, Center for Sustainable Development, and Senior Fellow, Global Economy and Development, Brookings Institution, becomes Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (Economic Policy), Privy Council Office.
Isabelle Mondou, Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, becomes Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Associate Secretary to the Cabinet.
Alison O’Leary, Associate Deputy Minister of Finance, becomes Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Privy Council Office.
Greg Orencsak, Deputy Minister of Health, becomes Deputy Minister of Natural Resources.
Rob Wright, Associate Deputy Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, becomes Deputy Minister of Labour.
These leadership changes will support the strong, effective delivery of priorities and reinforce our continued focus on results for Canadians.
The Prime Minister also congratulated the following individuals on their departure from the public service. He thanked them for their dedication and service to Canadians throughout their careers and wished them all the best in the future:
- Stefanie Beck, Deputy Minister of National Defence.
- Annette Gibbons, former Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.
- Sandra Hassan, Deputy Minister of Labour and Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development, becomes Senior Advisor at Employment and Social Development Canada, pending her upcoming retirement.
- Paul Ledwell, former Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs.
- John Moffet, Associate Deputy Minister of Environment and Climate Change.
- Kristina Namiesniowski, former Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development.
- John Ostrander, Business Lead, Benefits Delivery Modernization, Employment and Social Development Canada.
- Gina Wilson, Deputy Minister of Indigenous Services, becomes Senior Official at the Privy Council Office, pending her upcoming retirement.
Additional changes to the senior ranks of the public service will be announced early in the New Year.
Biographical notes
- Francis Bilodeau
- Shalene Curtis-Micallef
- Chris Forbes
- Christiane (Chris) Fox
- The Honourable Marie-Josée Hogue
- Michelle Kovacevic
- Nick Leswick
- John McArthur
- Isabelle Mondou
- Alison O’Leary
- Greg Orencsak
- Rob Wright
- Sandra Hassan
- Gina Wilson
December 19, 2025
Ottawa, Ontario
The world is increasingly dangerous and divided. The rules-based order that has underpinned global prosperity for decades is undergoing a profound transformation – driven by geopolitical realignment, economic upheaval, and the accelerating pace of technological change. Fifty years ago, in the face of similar challenges, a small group of advanced economies came together to form what is now the G7, choosing to build a new international system of cooperation.
Canada has built on that legacy as G7 President. At the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, and in the months that followed, Canada brought together G7 members and nations from every continent to advance solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges.
To deter new aggression and fortify our collective security, Canada:
- Strengthened support for Ukraine, announcing $2 billion in new military assistance for Ukraine, disbursing a total of $5 billion in new loans under the G7 Extraordinary Revenue Acceleration Loans mechanism, elevating Ukraine’s participation at the G7, and mobilising international support for the return of Ukrainian children and post-war reconstruction;
- Increased pressure on Russia, imposing additional sanctions alongside G7 partners and coordinating with the European Union and United Kingdom to lower the price cap on Russian oil, and working with partners to address shadow fleets;
- Boosted international cooperation on wildfire prevention, launching the Kananaskis Wildfire Charter and securing its endorsement from all G7 members and 12 additional partner countries, investing $120.4 million in satellite-enabled wildfire data, preparedness, and prevention;
- Countered transnational repression and emerging threats, investing $500,000 to establish the G7 Rapid Response Mechanism Digital Transnational Repression Detection Academy, developing a Resilience and Response Framework alongside G7 leaders, and launching the Joint Canada-U.K. Common Good Cyber Fund;
- Combatted organised and financial crime, supporting coordinated action to counter migrant smuggling, including a G7 Call to Action for social media platforms, and endorsing a Financial Crime Call to Action targeting money laundering, terrorist financing, and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction; and
- Promoted peace and security in the Middle East, reiterating our support for President Trump’s Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict, welcoming the ceasefire and the release of hostages, and stressing the urgency of returning the remains of deceased hostages. Canada also welcomed the increased flows of aid – calling on all parties to allow for humanitarian assistance without interference at scale – and affirmed our readiness to engage with Arab partners to chart a way forward on reconstruction in Gaza and build lasting peace.
To advance global energy security and the digital transition, Canada:
- Led initiatives to develop secure and reliable critical minerals supply chains, creating the Critical Minerals Production Alliance – an alliance that has already spurred 26 new investments, partnerships, and measures to unlock $6.4 billion in projects with G7 partners and beyond, launching the G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan with $80.3 million in Canadian support, and delivering a new roadmap to advance standards-based critical minerals markets;
- Bolstered energy security, issuing a Call to Action on Enhancing Energy Securityto strengthen cooperation on energy technology supply chains, resilience, and transition pathways;
- Accelerated AI adoption, committing up to $185.6 million to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), energy innovation, responsible AI use, and digital inclusion, including through the SME AI Adoption Blueprint. Canada also launched the G7 GovAI Grand Challenge to support the digital transformation of governments;
- Advanced the development and use of quantum technologies, providing $22.5 million to support development, commercialisation, and international collaboration, building on the Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies. Canada also expanded global collaboration on quantum through a funding call for G7 academic research partnerships, a Canada-U.K. transatlantic quantum communication demonstration project, and an upcoming Canada-Germany funding call; and
- Aligned energy and AI planning, launching a G7 Energy and AI Work Plan to address growing energy demand from AI and data centres in partnership with industry.
To build a more resilient global economy, Canada:
- Expanded international trade and security relationships, inviting key non-G7 partners to participate and strengthening bilateral cooperation on critical minerals, energy, LNG, nuclear, and batteries;
- Welcomed the G7’s achievement in mobilising over $570 billion for the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment to strengthen supply chains, modernise the financial infrastructure, and spur economic growth by improving coordination across economic corridors, country platforms, and zones; and
- Unlocked new financing for developing countries, announcing up to $544 million in portfolio guarantees to catalyse up to $2.2 billion in new financing for Latin America and the Caribbean and investing $391.3 million to catalyse private capital toward development projects around the world. Canada also launched the G7 Infrastructure Investment Council, led by FinDev Canada, to align development finance institutions with leading infrastructure and asset managers and accelerate investment in emerging markets and developing countries.
This year, as G7 President, Canada delivered historic investments and forged new partnerships – positioning our nation as a steadfast defender of multilateralism, a force for peace and cooperation, and a global leader in multiple fields including energy, technology, and defence. As France prepares to assume the 2026 G7 Presidency, Canada will carry this momentum forward in pursuit of a more secure, prosperous, and just world.
Quote
“As G7 President, Canada strengthened international cooperation and focused collective efforts toward new opportunities in energy, critical minerals, AI, and quantum. In parallel, Canada transformed our defence capabilities and forged new partnerships to bolster our international leadership. Canada has always led with our values, and in this new era of cooperation, our leadership will be defined not only by the strength of our values, but by the value of our strength.”
— The Rt. Hon. Mark Carney, Prime Minister of Canada
Quick facts
- This was the seventh time that Canada held the Presidency of the G7. France will officially assume the Presidency for 2026 on January 1, 2026.
- Canada hosted the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Kananaskis, Alberta, from June 15 to 17, 2025.
- As G7 President, Canada supported the diversification of trade and security relationships by inviting non-G7 partners to the table, including Australia, Brazil, Chile, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Peru, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, and Ukraine. For Canada alone, this has led to increased cooperation with Australia and Germany on critical minerals, with Italy on energy, and with Japan on LNG, nuclear, and batteries, among others.
- Canada hosted a series of important G7 ministerial meetings throughout the year to advance G7 priorities and deliver tangible results. These included meetings of Foreign, Finance, Trade, Energy and Environment, Development, Interior and Security, Labour, Industry, and Digital and Technology ministers. They were held in Banff, Charlevoix, Montréal, New York City, Niagara Region, Ottawa, Paris, Toronto, and Washington, D.C., and through virtual sessions.
- Since February 2022, Canada has committed over $22 billion in multi-faceted assistance for Ukraine, including over $12 billion in direct financial support – making Canada one of the largest contributors to Ukraine’s recovery and reconstruction.
- Budget 2025 reinforces many of Canada’s G7 priorities, including through the new $2 billion Critical Minerals Sovereign Fund; $925.6 million to boost domestic AI compute capacity, build public supercomputing infrastructure, and accelerate public service AI adoption; $334 million to help anchor quantum companies in Canada and provide pathways for adoption; and $2.7 billion for weather forecasting plus $257.6 million for aerial firefighting capacity to fight wildfires.
- The G7 Presidency sets the agenda for the year and organises and hosts the Leaders’ Summit, ministerial meetings, and other associated events.
Related products
- G7 Critical Minerals Action Plan
- G7 Leaders’ Statement on AI for Prosperity
- Kananaskis Common Vision for the Future of Quantum Technologies
- Kananaskis Wildfire Charter
- G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression
- G7 Leaders’ Statement on Countering Migrant Smuggling
- Prime Minister Carney delivers closing remarks at the 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit
- Prime Minister Carney concludes 2025 G7 Leaders’ Summit
