Biographical notes

Annie Dubé (BA [Administration], Laval University, 2001; MBA [International Business], Laval University, 2003) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2003. At Headquarters, she was recently the deputy director of the EU Commercial Relations and Advocacy Division from 2016 to 2017 and the director of the Aerospace, Automotive, Defence and Information and Communications Technologies Practices Division from 2017 to 2018. Previous assignments at Headquarters include, among others, deputy director in the Office of the Deputy Minister for International Trade from 2007 to 2009 and economic policy officer for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation from 2003 to 2004. She has served abroad in positions including, from 2005 to 2007, vice consul and trade commissioner at the consulate general in Mumbai; from 2009 to 2011, first secretary and trade commissioner at the embassy to South Korea; and from 2011 to 2015, counsellor and senior trade commissioner at the embassy to Switzerland.

Wendy Gilmour (BA Hons [Political Studies and History], Queen’s University, 1989) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1990. She has been posted to Zimbabwe, the United Kingdom and Nigeria and also served in international peace operations in the Office of the High Representative to Bosnia and Herzegovina and the NATO Kosovo Force. She deployed as political adviser to the Canadian commander Joint Task Force Southwest Asia in 2001 to 2002 and in 2008 was posted to Colorado Springs as political adviser to the commander of NORAD. At Headquarters, Ms. Gilmour has served as director of peace operations, as director of the Sudan Task Force and in the Europe and International Security branches. In 2010, she joined Public Safety Canada as senior departmental assistant to the minister. Ms. Gilmour moved to the Department of National Defence in 2011 to become the director general of international and industry programs and then rejoined Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada in 2015 to become director general of trade and export controls. Ms. Gilmour served in the Canadian Forces Primary Reserve as a logistics officer from 1986 to 1992.

Nicole Girard (BA [Law], Carleton University, 2003) joined the Department of Employment and Immigration in 1989. In Ottawa, she held assignments related to immigration enforcement, strategic policy and refugee policy. In her most recent Headquarters position, she was director general of citizenship and multiculturalism policy. She served in Beijing from 2015 to 2018 in the position of migration program manager and area director for North Asia and Oceania, with oversight of Canadian migration programs in eight offices, including those in China, Japan, South Korea and Australia.

Marcy Grossman (BA [Psychology], Carleton University, 1987; MA [Psychology], Carleton University, 1990) has held management positions in several federal government institutions, including the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (1998 to 1999), the Canadian Centre for Management Development (1999 to 2001) and Industry Canada (2001). Between 1990 and 1998, she served in various capacities in the Correctional Service of Canada. She joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2001 as a senior account executive for Investment Partnerships Canada. She has since served abroad as the senior trade commissioner in Dallas (2002 to 2005), as consul general in Miami (2005 to 2009), as consul and senior trade commissioner in Los Angeles (2009 to 2012) and as consul general in Denver (2012 to 2016). Most recently, she was a senior strategist in the creation of Canada’s new investment promotion agency, Invest in Canada.

Diedrah Kelly (BA Hons [Political Science and Central, Eastern European and Russian Area Studies], Carleton University, 2001) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2001. At Headquarters, she worked as the chief of staff to the assistant deputy minister for International Security and Global Affairs, senior nuclear adviser and program manager in the Global Partnership Program and head of the Policy and Programming Unit in the Threat Assessment and Intelligence Services Division. Overseas, she served as political counsellor and consul in Sarajevo (2005 to 2007), head of office at the embassy in Astana (2007 to 2010) and political counsellor in Accra (2005 to 2007).

Pamela O’Donnell (BA Hons [International Relations], York University, 1991) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993. At Headquarters, she has worked in the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force and its successor, the Peace and Stabilization Operations Program. She has served as director of the Civilian Deployment and Coordination Division and as executive director of the Programs Division. She has also worked as director of the Sustainable Development Division and deputy head of the Clean Development Mechanism and Joint Implementation Office and served in the Southeast Asia and Western Europe divisions. Overseas, she has served in Kuala Lumpur as a trade commissioner (1996 to 1999) and in Athens as the political and public affairs counsellor (2002 to 2006). She was Canada’s ambassador to Ecuador from 2012 to 2015.

Deborah Paul (BA Hons [Political Science and French], Carleton University, 1988; MA [Political Studies], Queen’s University, 1992) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993. Her assignments at Headquarters have included parliamentary liaison officer in the Government Policy Division from 1993 to 1995; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development desk officer, and then deputy director, in the International Economic Relations and Summit Division from 1998 to 2001; deputy director in the Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Division from 2004 to 2006; director of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Division from 2006 to 2009; and director of foreign policy planning from 2016 to 2018. She served in Tokyo twice, as second secretary and vice-consul in public affairs from 1995 to 1998 and as counsellor and head of the Political Section from 2009 to 2012, in Warsaw as counsellor for political and public affairs from 2001 to 2004 and in Berlin as political counsellor from 2013 to 2016.

Rita Rudaitis-Renaud (MPA, Queen’s University, 1986; BA Hons [Political Science], University of Toronto, 1984) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2001 as associate director of the Planning, Program Analysis and Planning Division and has held positions as director, property program; executive director, employee services; and, recently, director of the Client Relations Division in the International Platform Branch. Her overseas postings have included Moscow from 2007 to 2010 as counsellor, management, and consul general; and Mexico City from 2012 to 2015 as minister-counsellor, management, and consul general. Before joining the department, Ms. Rudaitis-Renaud was director of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Division at the Treasury Board Secretariat. She had previously held positions in the Department of National Revenue, the Government of Ontario and the Canadian Institute of International Affairs.

Mia Yen (BA [History, French and Politics], Simon Fraser University, 1994; MLIS, University of Western Ontario, 1999) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade as a foreign service officer in 2001. At Headquarters, her assignments have included serving as departmental spokesperson, adviser to the deputy minister of international trade, deputy director in the office of the deputy minister of foreign affairs, head of a team responsible for South Asia bilateral commercial relations and senior policy adviser to Canada’s chief trade commissioner. In 2009, Ms. Yen was seconded to the Privy Council Office, where she served as director of operations of the Afghanistan Task Force and then chief of staff to its deputy minister. Overseas, Ms. Yen has served as legislative analyst at the embassy in Washington, D.C., and trade commissioner in Kuala Lumpur. In 2012, Ms. Yen began serving in Myanmar, where she was tasked with setting up Canada’s new embassy in the country. She was Canada’s first-ever resident chargé d’affaires there before becoming senior trade commissioner and head of mission administration. In 2016, she returned to Ottawa as director general responsible for Canada’s foreign service directives. Ms. Yen was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal and is a recipient of the Head of the Public Service (Excellence in Service Delivery) Award.