September 4, 2008
No. 192
The Honourable David Emerson, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointm ments:
Philip Baker becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of Mozambique.
Joseph Caron becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of India, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal and the Kingdom of Bhutan.
Abina M. Dann becomes Consul General in São Paulo (Federative Republic of Brazil).
Glenn V. Davidson becomes Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic.
Ferry de Kerckhove becomes Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt.
Louis de Lorimier becomes Ambassador to the Ki ngdom of Belgium.
Geneviève des Rivières becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Colombia.
Jonathan Fried becomes Ambassador to Japan.
Randolph Mank becomes High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Robert McDougall becomes High Commissioner to the People's Republic of Bangladesh.
Leeann McKechnie becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Guatemala and High Commissioner to Belize.
Barbara Richardson becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Zimbabwe, with concur rent accreditation to the Republic of Angola, and High Commissioner to the Republic of Botswana.
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Biographical notes on the appointees follow.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Lynn Meaha n
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
613-995-1851
Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
613-995-18 74
www.international.gc.ca/index.aspx
Biographical Notes
Philip Baker (BSc [Chemical Engineering], Queen's University, 1984; MBA, Qu een's University, 1986) began his career with the public service in 1990. He held positions at Environment Canada and the Privy Council Office prior to joining the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 2000, where he served as director of the Environment Division, Policy Branch; director general of the Strategic Planning and Policy Division, Asia Branch; and, most recently, three years as director general of the Afghanistan Program, Asia Branch. Mr. Baker is currently head of aid and country program director in Maputo, Mozambique. He and his wife Martina have two daughters, Danika, 13, and Kiana, 11. Mr. Baker succeeds James Hill.
Joseph Caron (BA, Honours [Political Science], University of Ottawa, 1970) joined the Trade Commissioner Service in 1972, and served abroad in Saigon and Ankara. In 1975, he began Japanese language studies, and subsequently served three times at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo, including as minister and head of chancery. During the 1980s, he undertook private-sector assignments involving China, Hong Kong, Korea and Taiwan. In Ottawa , he has held several positions related to Asian and international economic affairs, including G7 summitry. In 1998, he became assistant deputy minister for Asia Pacific and Africa, and served as Canada's senior official for Asia-Pacific Economic Co operation. Until 2005, Mr. Caron served as Canada's ambassador to China, with concurrent accreditation to North Korea and Mongolia, and was ambassador to Japan until this summer. In 2008, Mr. Caron was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Meiji Ga kuin University. He is married to Kumru Caron and they have three children. Mr. Caron succeeds David Malone.
Ab ina M. Dann (BA [Political Science and History], McGill University, 1974; MA [Canadian Politics and International Relations], Carleton University, 1980). Since 1980, when she joined the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce, Ms. Dann has served abroad as a trade commissioner in São Paulo, The Hague and New York. In 1986, she opened Canada's Trade Office in Mumbai. In Ottawa, she served the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade as deputy director of the Media R elations Office, director of the Foreign Policy Communications Division and director for Communications and Media for the 2001 Summit of the Americas. She served as press secretary to both the Minister for International Trade and the Secretary of State fo r External Affairs, and acted as official departmental spokesperson. From 2001 to 2004, she served as director of the department's European Business Development and Connectivity Division. She was also an international fellow at Harvard University's Weatherhead Center for International Affairs. She currently serves as ambassador to Ukraine. Ms. Dann succeeds Jean-Marc Duval.
Glenn V. Davidson (BA [English], University of King's College, 1973; DCL, University of King's College, 2007) was a career naval officer until July 2008. His previous appointments include two operational sea commands i n the Pacific; Canadian Forces attaché at the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo; head of personnel for the Navy; and chief of staff for the military personnel group. From 2002 to 2004, he commanded Canada's Maritime Forces Atlantic, and, from 2004 to 2008, served as Canadian military representative to the NATO Military Committee in permanent session, at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. He was appointed a Commander of the Order of Military Merit in 2002, honoured as the Halifax Chamber of Commerce's 2003 Person of the Year, and awarded the Department of National Defence's DM/CDS Innovation Award in 2004. He and his wife Petra have one daughter, Eleanor. Mr. Davidson succeeds Mark Bailey.
Ferry de Kerckhove (B.Soc.Sci. [Economics], 1968; MA [International Relations], University of Ottawa, 1970) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1973 after serv ing in the Canadian Forces, and working for the United Nations Development Programme and the Centre québécois des relations internationales. He has served in Tehran, Brussels (NATO) and Moscow. In 1998, he was appointed high commissioner to Pakistan and, in 2001, ambassador to Indonesia. At Headquarters, he served in both the Eastern and Western European divisions, and as director of Economic and Trade Policy Analysis and director general of the Policy Group and Federal-Provincial Relations. From July 2006 to April 2008, he was the Prime Minister's personal representative for La Francophonie. He is currently director general of the International Organizations Bureau. He is married to Louise Côté, and they have four childre n. Mr. Kerckhove succeeds Philip Mackinnon.
Louis de Lorimier (B.Soc.Sci. [Political Science], Université du Québec à Montréal, 1979). Before joining the Department of External Affairs in 1982 as a foreign service officer in the political and economic stream, Mr. de Lorimier was a volunteer secondary school teacher with the Canadian U niversity Service Overseas (CUSO) in Nigeria, and the director for overseas programs with CUSO in Montreal. He also worked as a reporter and desk editor with the Journal de Montréal and La Presse. With the department, Mr. de Lorimier served abroad in Abidjan, Seoul, and twice in Paris. In Ottawa, he served as ministerial assistant for parliamentary affairs to former Secretary of State for External Affairs Joe Clark and as director of Francophonie Affairs. He has most re cently served as ambassador to Lebanon. Mr. de Lorimier is the father of three sons. He succeeds Laurette Glasgow.
G eneviève des Rivières (BA Honours [Political Science], University of Ottawa, 1976; MA [Political Science], University of Ottawa, 1980) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1982 and served abroad in Santiago and Kuala Lumpur. F rom 1990 to 1993, she served as officer and deputy director in the Tariffs and Market Access Division. From 1994 to 1996, she was director of corporate planning and program analysis. From 1996 to 2000, she served in London as counsellor responsible for tr ade, investment, science and technology. From 2000 to 2004, she was minister counsellor responsible for commercial and economic affairs in Mexico. She is currently ambassador to Peru and Bolivia. Ms. des Rivières is married to Paul Brazea u. She succeeds Matthew Levin.
Jonathan Fried (BA [Philosophy], University of Toronto, 1974; LLB, University of Toronto, 1977; Masters [Law], Columbia University, 1979) was formerly senior foreign policy advisor to the prime minister and head of the Canada-United States Secretariat, Privy Council Office; senior assistant deputy minister for the Department of Fi nance and Canada's deputy for the G7. Mr. Fried has also held various positions with Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada, notably, as associate deputy minister for foreign affairs and international trade; assistant deputy minister of trad e, economic and environmental policy; director general of the General Trade Policy Bureau and at the same time coordinator for the North American Free Trade Agreement; and principal legal counsel for NAFTA negotiations. He has served abroad as counsellor for congressional and legal affairs at the Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C., and as second secretary and vice-consul at the Canadian Embassy in Brazil. He has most recently served as executive director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean with the In ternational Monetary Fund. Mr. Fried succeeds Joseph Caron.
Randolph Mank (BA [Political Science], Wilfrid Laurie r University, 1977; MA [Political Science], Wilfrid Laurier University, 1979; PhD [Economics], London School of Economics, 1981) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1981 and served abroad in Athens, Stockholm, Jakarta and Tokyo. In 2003, he was a ppointed ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia, with concurrent accreditation to the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. Mr. Mank led the department's efforts in response to the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of December 26, 2004. In Ott awa, he has held a number of positions, including deputy director and acting director of the Japan Division, and director of the Policy Planning Division. He is currently director general of the Asia South and Pacific Bureau. Mr. Mank is married to F umiko Kitano-Mank and they have two children. He succeeds David Collins.
Robert McDougall (BA [History], Uni versity of Victoria, 1973) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1973 and has served abroad in Tokyo, Brussels, New York, Beijing, Hong Kong and Washington, D.C. In Ottawa, he has served as deputy director of the North Asia Relations Division; dir ector of the International Economic Relations Division; and director of the Non-proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Division. In 2001-2, he chaired the Missile Technology Control Regime. He was appointed ambassador to Serbia and Montenegro, and to Macedonia in 2005, and to independent Montenegro in 2006. Mr. McDougall is married to Cathrine Lowther. He succeeds Barbara Richardson.
Leeann McKechnie (BA, Honours [Political Science/English Literature], University of Waterloo, 1988) has served abroad in Lima as counsellor and head of aid, and in Moscow as first secretary and consul. From 2005 to 2007, she served as senior departmental advisor in the Office of the Minister of International Cooperation at the Canadian International Development Agency, where she also held the positions of director of strategic planning, senior program manager of the World Bank Grou p and senior program manager of the Inter-American Program and Summit of the Americas Inter-Agency Task Force. Prior to that, Ms. McKechnie held various positions at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, including senior branch policy analyst and senior program manager of the former Soviet Union Division, with the Program of Assistance for Central and Eastern Europe. She is currently director of policy and planning, Secretariat for the Americas Strategy. Ms. McKechnie succeeds Ke nneth Cook.
Barbara Richardson (BA, University of Alberta, 1972) began her career with the University of Cal gary in 1974. In 1984, she joined the public service with the Canadian Human Rights Commission, where she served as public program consultant and special project manager before joining the Department of External Affairs and International Trade in 1989. Ov er the next three years, Ms. Richardson would serve as strategic planner with the Corporate Management Bureau as well as with the Corporate Review Implementation Team, and as a policy analyst with the Personnel Branch. In 1991, she moved to Employment and Immigration Canada, where she served as deputy director of the Planning and Analysis, International Service Group; visa officer at the Canadian Embassy in the Philippines; and director of the Access to Information and Privacy Division. Rejoining the Depa rtment of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1999, Ms. Richardson served as director of the Access to Information and Privacy Division, and counsellor (political) and deputy permanent representative to the United Nations Environment Programme and to the United Nations Centre for Human Settlements at the High Commission to Kenya, in Nairobi. Since 2005, she has served as high commissioner for Canada to Bangladesh. Barbara Richardson succeeds Roxanne Dubé.