Biographies of Service Canada senior management

With over 30 years of experience in the federal public service, Sylvie possesses a wealth of knowledge program delivery, policy analysis and development, line operations, and emergency management.  Appointed in January 2017, she leads over 5,000 employees across the four Western Provinces and the three Territories. 

Sylvie is ESDC’s National Co-Champion for Indigenous Perspectives, a role that reflects her dedication to Indigenous Canadians and reconciliation.  As a leader, Sylvie values diverse perspectives and supports an inclusive work environment that invests in its employees.  She is the BC Federal Council’s Champion for the new professionals development network Governexx and takes an active role in employee mentorship.

Sylvie holds a Master of Business Administration from Simon Fraser University and a Bachelor of Arts with Distinction in Sociology from Carleton University.  She earned both degrees while working full-time as an adult learner.

Her previous leadership roles include Regional Director General for Public Services and Procurement Canada, Pacific Region; Associate Regional Director General for Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Pacific Region; along with additional leadership roles at the Public Health Agency of Canada and the previous BC Federal Council.

As an avid cyclist, Sylvie bikes to work, rain or shine.  (She calls Vancouver home, so rain is usually more likely.)

Élise joined Employment and Social Development Canada in October 2016 as the Assistant Deputy Minister for the Integrity Services Branch. Élise had previously worked at ESDC as Director General of Services Offerings in 2006. She led the implementation of new services offered to citizens by Service Canada such as Passport and led the transformation of the network of more than 620 points of service across Canada with the regions. 

She has a wealth of experience in transformation projects due to her experience as Chief Information and Transformation Officer with Canadian Heritage.

She brings over 30 years of experience in the federal public service in a variety of positions. She served as Director General for Learning Programs at Canada School of Public Service and gained extensive experience at Industry Canada.

In addition to her professional experience, Elise holds an undergraduate degree in Engineering.

Claire Caloren is Assistant Deputy Minister at Service Canada – Quebec Region since September 2015. She leads a team of more than 4,000 employees and manages a budget of $200 million.

Ms. Caloren has more than 30 years of experience in the Public Service, which she acquired at headquarters and two regions.

A firm believer in teamwork and collaboration, she acquired a solid experience through developing strategic directions, managing business service delivery, establishing and maintaining alliances and partnerships with a wide range of organizations and liaising with central agencies.

An engaged executive, she has led a number of transformation initiatives over the course of her career, both in terms of citizen services and internal services. She is the Department’s co-champion of the Managers’ Community.

She previously held the position of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada where she managed a team of more than 2,000 employees, purchase of goods and services valued at more than $16 billion for 140 government departments and agencies.

Ms. Caloren holds a Master and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Ottawa.

Ms. Filbee has degrees from Acadia University (B.Sc. Biology) and Dalhousie University  (MBA – LLB). She recently defended her doctoral thesis in Management in Organizational Complexity at the University of Hertfordshire and passed subject to minor amendments.  She began her career with the law firm McInnes Cooper & Robertson in Halifax, where she practiced for 11 years, the last three as a corporate law partner. She left the practice of law to take up a position with Peat Marwick Stevenson & Kellogg (later KPMG Management Consulting), heading up the Atlanticanada outplacement and downsizing practice for the firm. She later became President of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council.

Following her term with the Council, she spent three and a half years with CIBC, first as Manager, Corporate Development in the field of Public Private Partnerships and then as Director, Commercial Banking. In 2001, she started a strategic consulting practice and later moved to Ottawa to take up the position of Vice-President, Operations for a start-up company providing web-enabled human resources tools. She joined the Public Service of Canada in Industry Canada's Industry Sector in 2002. In January 2009, she became Assistant Deputy Minister of Lands and Economic Development at Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.  In March 2014, she was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister, Atlantic Region, for Service Canada.

Sara continues to be very active in the not-for-profit sector and has a number of interests including sailing, karate, music and reading.

In October 2016, Cliff was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) for Benefits Delivery Services responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Department’s core statutory benefits programs, Employment Insurance (EI), Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS), which total over $116.5B in annual program benefit payments.

Prior to this role, from 2014 to 2016, Cliff was Director General (DG), CPP and OAS within Service Canada, and led the ongoing service delivery and modernization agenda for these programs. Prior to this, from 2009 to 2014, Cliff was a DG within the Integrity Services Branch, and led measures to enhance the integrity and effective risk management of the delivery of the CPP, OAS and EI Programs.

Previously, Cliff held a number of director-level positions within Service Canada. He began his career in the public service in 1996 as a Management Trainee with the Canada Revenue Agency, and also worked at Industry Canada prior to joining Service Canada in 2005.

Stephanie Hébert has worked in the public service for over 20 years.

On October 15, 2017, Stephanie was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister, Program Operations Branch in Ottawa.

Through a number of different executive-level positions, including at Service Canada – Québec Region, Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, and Canadian Heritage, Stephanie has gained broad experience. Notably, she has overseen communications and stakeholder relations, federal-provincial relations, service transformation, parliamentary and cabinet affairs, and program and service delivery. 

Stephanie has a Bachelor of Arts degree (highest honours) from Carleton University and a Master’s degree in Professional Communication from Royal Roads University. She also holds certificates in Public Sector Leadership and Governance, Public Relations, and Public Sector and Not-for-profit Marketing.

Mr. Benoît Long is Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Transformation and Integrated Service Management Branch at Service Canada.

He joined Service Canada and ESDC in September 2014 to lead the Payment and Processing Branch whose core role is to oversee the delivery of benefits across Canada for EI, CPP and OAS representing over $100B in program benefits until October 2016 when the Transformation and Integrated Service Management Branch was created.

Prior to his arrival at Service Canada, Benoît was Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Transformation, Service Strategy and Design, at Shared Services Canada (SSC) where he was part of the original team that led the design to create new department and government wide Information Technology services.

Benoît joined SSC from the Privy Council Office, where he led the creation of government-wide Information Technology, Finance and Human Resources strategy in Administrative Services Review. He was on secondment from his position as Chief Technology Officer of the Government of Canada at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Prior to joining the federal government, Benoît occupied various positions in the private and public sector, including Vice President and Chief Information Officer, Credit Valley Hospital and Trillium Health Centre. He has also held senior executive positions in insurance and banking, including Vice President, Planning and Development, Internet Channel, and Senior Vice President, Strategic Development and Integration at CIBC, one of Canada’s largest banks.

Benoît holds an Executive Program Certificate in Strategy and Innovation from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management, and a Master of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts (Hon.) in Economics from Carleton University.

Heather Sheehy was appointed to the position of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic and Service Policy Branch in September 2017.  She previously spent three years as the Director of Operations, Machinery of Government at the Privy Council Office.  Prior to this she was Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister at ESDC.  Earlier in her career she worked in various departments including Health Canada and (then) Citizenship and Immigration Canada as well as working for two years with the Canadian Medical Association.  Heather obtained her undergraduate in politics from Queens University and has a Masters in Public Administration from Dalhousie University.

Peter Simeoni was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Citizen Service Branch (CSB) in March 2012.

At that time, he already had over 25 years of experience in the public service.

After graduating with a Masters of Arts degree in Public Administration from Carleton University, and with an Honours Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Political Science from the University of Toronto in hand, Mr. Simeoni began his public service career with the Public Service Commission of Canada in 1984.

In 1996, Peter joined the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG), where he held a variety of senior positions: he first led the OAG's professional practices function and he became responsible for the Industry Portfolio audit team after that.

From 2000 to 2003, he was responsible for the Human Resources Development Canada audit team. In 2003, Mr. Simeoni joined the Privy Council Office (PCO) as Director, Senior Personnel and Special Projects, on an interchange assignment from the OAG.

At PCO, Peter held the positions of Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet (Senior Personnel and Special Projects) before leading the team as the Acting Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet.

Prior to being appointed ADM of CSB, Peter was ADM of the Integrity Services Branch in Service Canada.

Mary Ann Triggs is the Assistant Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada/Service Canada, Ontario Region. Instrumental in the development of the Service Canada Initiative, Mary Ann has a passion for service delivery and strategic workforce management.

As Vice-Chair of the Ontario Federal Council, Mary Ann is committed to building strong relationships with community leaders, provincial counterparts and stakeholders to further collaborative service delivery.

In 2016, in recognition of her commitment to Public Service, Mary Ann received the Public Service Awards of Excellence, Joan Atkinson Leadership Award and a second award for leadership in the cross-departmental initiative, Operation Syrian Refugee.

Mary Ann has also received a Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Excellence in Service Delivery (2012), the APEX Career Contribution Award (2010), and a Deputy Ministers’ Award of Merit for Job Bank.

Mary Ann has demonstrated a dedication to service excellence throughout her more than 44-year career in the federal public service. She is known for her proactive and keen interest in the mentorship, support and development of employees. Mary Ann is committed to High-Performing Organization initiatives and building the public service of tomorrow.

Mary Ann has broadened support for employee development through her recent role as co-champion of ESDC’s Executive Community Network and continues to foster a healthy and supportive work environment through her current role as co-champion for the ESDC Pride and Recognition Program.

Mary Ann holds a BA in English and History from York University. In her time away from work, Mary Ann enjoys entertaining family and friends and kayaking at “Dun Cuttin”, her cottage on southern Georgian Bay.