Biographical notes - Diplomatic appointments

Julia G. Bentley (BA [East Asian Studies], Princeton University, 1981; Postgraduate Diploma [Modern Chinese History], Nanjing University, 1983; MA [East Asian Studies], University of Toronto, 1984) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1991. At Headquarters, she has worked in the Asia Pacific Regional Coordination Division and the International Economic Relations and Summits Division. She has served as director of the Northeast Asia and South Asia Relations divisions and as acting director general of the South Asia Bureau. Overseas, she has served in Taipei, in New Delhi and—twice—in Beijing. She has also worked as a development consultant in Montréal, Singapore and Beijing and for three years as director of Winrock International’s NGO Capacity Building Program in China, which was funded by the Ford Foundation. Prior to joining the foreign service, she worked as an international policy adviser for the Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs for five years.

Hilary Childs-Adams (BSL Hons [Translation], Laurentian University, 1976) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1980 following employment at the Parliament of Canada. She served abroad as ambassador to Lebanon and as deputy head of mission at the Embassy to Germany after postings in Brussels, New York City and Mexico City. At Global Affairs Canada, she most recently headed the Government of Canada’s engagement with the World Economic Forum and also worked as director for Western Europe.  As departmental coordinator for national unity, she designed and launched the Public Diplomacy Fund, served as deputy coordinator for federal-provincial-territorial relations and headed the Energy Section. Seconded to Teleglobe Canada in Montréal for two years, she worked on the International Telecommunications Union’s Centre for Telecommunications Development. 

Kati Csaba (BA [Political Studies and Russian], Queen’s University, 1988; MA [Central/East European and Russian-Area Studies], Carleton University, 1993) began her career at External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1993, working on Canada’s assistance program to Hungary. In the following years, Kati occupied several programming and analytical roles covering Central and Eastern Europe, including four Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) postings in the region: as second secretary in Kyiv (1995 to 1997), as head of aid in Sarajevo (1997 to 1999), as head of aid in Moscow (2005 to 2009) and as development director in Kyiv (2009 to 2012). In 2013, she was a member of the transition team responsible for the amalgamation of the then Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and the then CIDA, following which she served as the director of amalgamation implementation in Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada’s Sub-Saharan Africa Branch (2014 to 2015). Most recently, she was the senior director responsible for Canada’s development program with Ethiopia, based at the Embassy of Canada in Addis Ababa.

James Hill (BEd, University of Saskatchewan, 1983; BA [History], University of Saskatchewan, 1985; Post-graduate Diploma [International Studies], University of Candido Mendes, Rio de Janeiro, 1998) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1989. Mr. Hill has served as second secretary and vice consul at the embassy in Iran, consul and trade commissioner at the consulate in Rio de Janeiro, head of the Canadian Kosovo Diplomatic Observer Mission in Pristina, consul general in Rio de Janeiro, high commissioner in Mozambique, chargé d’affaires in Libya, deputy head of mission in Afghanistan, chargé d’affaires in Kuwait and, most recently, consul general in Seattle. At Headquarters, Mr. Hill has held the positions of deputy director of the Western Hemisphere Summits Office, deputy director of the Latin America Division, director for Europe and Central Asia commercial and economic relations and director for Middle East and Africa commercial and economic relations.

Edmond Dejon Wega (BA, University of Moncton, 1998; MBA, Finance, University of Quebec at Montréal, 2000) began his public service career at Transport Canada in 2001. He subsequently worked with the Department of Finance Canada, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat and the Privy Council Office. He joined the Canadian International Development Agency in 2003, working on Canada’s assistance to Central and Eastern Europe. In the following years, he held various managerial positions, including director of the Canada Fund for Africa Secretariat responsible for the delivery of Canada’s G8 commitment in support of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development. He subsequently served abroad, in Addis Ababa (2008 to 2012) and in Maputo (2012 to 2015) as head of aid and senior director responsible for Canada's development programs in Ethiopia and Mozambique. At Global Affairs Canada, Mr. Wega led the Pan Africa Development Program as senior director (2015 to 2016) and most recently served as acting director general of the Eastern and Southern Africa Bureau.