Backgrounder: Biographical notes

David Angell (BA [Political Science], Yale University, 1986; MA [Political Science], University of Toronto, 1987; MPhil [International Relations], University of Cambridge, 1988) served, most recently, as assistant secretary to the Cabinet, Foreign and Defence Policy, at the Privy Council Office since 2016. He has also served as high commissioner to Kenya (2012 to 2016); as director general for International Organizations, Human Rights and Democracy (2009 to 2012), for International Organizations (2008 to 2009) and for Africa (2007 to 2008); and as high commissioner to Nigeria (2004 to 2007). Mr. Angell was the G8 deputy personal representative (2001 to 2004) and personal representative (2007 to 2012) for Africa and, as such, a principal organizer of the 2002 and 2010 G8 summits at Kananaskis and Muskoka. He has served at the United Nations (1996 to 2001) as alternate representative on the UN Security Council (1999 to 2000), before which he was the advisor to General John de Chastelain on the International Body on the decommissioning of arms (1995) and the Multi-Party Negotiations on Northern Ireland (1996). Mr. Angell has also served at the embassy in Washington, D.C. (1991 to 1993). He is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013).

Sylvie Bédard (BA Hons [Economics], University of Manchester, 1993; MBA, Panthéon-Sorbonne University, 2016) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1995. During her time at Headquarters, she was director of the Centre of Learning for International Affairs and Leadership in the Canadian Foreign Service Institute from 2016 to 2018. She also served as deputy director of Aboriginal Affairs from 2005 to 2006, Canada-United States Relations from 2002 to 2004 and Inter-American Affairs from 2001 to 2002. Overseas, she served in the Canadian embassy in Paris, France, as director of the Canadian Cultural Centre from 2011 to 2016. She also served in the Canadian embassy in Santiago, Chile, as a political and public affairs officer. Between 2007 and 2011, she worked in the private sector as manager of community, Aboriginal and Native American relations with TransCanada.