Biographies

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Paul Thompson, Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Paul Thompson was appointed Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement on January 11, 2022. Previously, he served as Associate Deputy Minister at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada beginning in November 2017.

He held several senior executive positions at Employment and Social Development Canada, such as senior assistant deputy minister for the Skills and Employment Branch, as well as executive positions in various departments, including the Privy Council Office, Fisheries and Oceans Canada and the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Paul holds a master of arts degree in economics from Queen’s University and a bachelor of arts degree in economics and political science from the University of Toronto.

Paul is a father of 3 and enjoys a wide range of outdoor activities.

Arianne Reza, Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement

Arianne Reza became Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in August 2021.

Prior to this appointment, Arianne was the senior official responsible for federal procurement. She oversaw 1,400 employees across Canada that procure more than $14 billion worth of goods and services annually on behalf of over 100 federal departments and agencies. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Arianne led the urgent procurement of critical goods and services to ensure the health and safety of Canadians, including vaccines and personal protective equipment.

Arianne directed the development and implementation of procurement modernization initiatives in the Government of Canada, such as the implementation of a modern, cloud-based electronic procurement solution. During her tenure, Arianne also guided the establishment of PSPC's Accessible Procurement Resource Centre, the implementation of social procurement pilots, the improvement of payment timeliness to suppliers from 30 to 15 days, and the launch of the Policy on Ethical Procurement of Apparel.

Arianne has over 25 years of experience in the federal public service. Throughout her career, she held many interesting positions. Arianne previously worked at the Canada Border Services Agency, where she held senior executive roles in regional and international operations and overseeing commercial and traveller border programs. She was also previously Special Advisor to the associate secretary of the Treasury Board, and special advisor to the president of the Canada School of Public Service.

Arianne holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Carleton University and completed the Advancing Women in Leadership Program from the Sprott School of Business.

Alex Benay, Associate Deputy Minister, Enterprise pay coordination

Alex Benay became Associate Deputy Minister of Enterprise pay coordination in June 2023.

Prior to this appointment, Alex was a senior partner with Levio Business and Technology and Vice Chair of the National Arts Centre. From 2020 to 2022, he served as the Global Lead of Government Azure Strategy at Microsoft where he helped governments around the world adopt cloud technologies.

From 2019 to 2020, Alex was a partner with KPMG where he led the digital transformation of governments and Fortune 500 companies in the areas of technology, people and strategy.

Alex was a Deputy Minister at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat from 2017 to 2019 where he served as Chief Information Officer. In this role, he oversaw key information technology initiatives in service modernization, legacy system management, good governance, and open and transparent government.

Alex was also the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Science and Technology Museums Corporation (Ingenium) where he oversaw the transformation of the country’s national museums. In addition, he is a former Global Affairs Canada executive.

Alex is the author of 2 books: Canadian Failures and Government Digital. He holds a bachelor of arts in history from the University of Ottawa.

Scott Jones, Executive Vice-President of Shared Services Canada and Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada

Scott Jones was appointed Executive Vice-President of Shared Services Canada and Associate Deputy Minister at PSPC in April 2022.

Since August 2021, Scott was Federal Lead on Proof of Vaccine Credentials and Associate Deputy Minister at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). He worked in collaboration with federal partners and provinces and territories to successfully deliver the Canadian COVID-19 proof of vaccination that is used for travel in Canada and internationally. Scott also led IRCC's efforts related to digital transformation, modernization, information management (IM) and information technology (IT) and data, as well as the Citizenship and Passport programs.

Prior to this, Scott was appointed in October 2018 as Head of the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security at Communications Security Establishment Canada. He also held numerous key positions within the agency since 1999. These included Assistant Deputy Minister of IT Security, acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Corporate Services, Chief Financial Officer and Director General of Cyber Defence, providing leadership in the areas of signals intelligence and IT security. Before that, Scott worked at the Privy Council Office as a national security policy advisor in the Security and Intelligence Secretariat.

Scott has been with the public service for over 20 years and is a graduate of the University of Ottawa, where he earned a master of business administration. He also holds a bachelor of applied science in electronic systems engineering and a bachelor of science in computer science from the University of Regina.

Alexander Jeglic, Procurement Ombudsman

Mr. Alexander Jeglic has been named Procurement Ombudsman for a 5-year term.

Alex is a lawyer by background and most recently served as General Counsel for Private-Public Partnerships Canada Inc., a federal Crown Corporation, where he was involved in the procurement processes for large infrastructure projects. He previously held positions of increased responsibility in the United States and Canada including at the Canadian Commercial Corporation as Senior Legal Counsel and the Australian Trade Commission as Business Development Manager and International Trade Advisor in Washington (DC). Throughout Alex’s legal and professional career, he has focused primarily on procurement, contracting and dispute resolution which will serve him well as Procurement Ombudsman.

Alex graduated from Carleton University in Ottawa with a Bachelor of Arts (Law), with a concentration in Business Law, in 2000. In 2001, he completed the Cornell Law School Paris Summer Institute program in international and comparative law and in 2003 completed a Juris Doctor (JD) degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law in Chicago, Illinois with a certificate in International Law.

Alex has also been teaching procurement law at Carleton University since 2010. Alex and his wife Shelley have 4 children.

Mario Baril, Ombud for Mental Health

Mario Baril took on the role of Ombud for Mental Health at PSPC in November 2022. He previously held the role of Ombud for Mental Health and Employee Well-Being at Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada for 4 years.

During his career in the Government of Canada, Mario has occupied several executive positions, including here at PSPC, as Executive Director of Strategic and Business Communications.

Mario has an Ombud certification from York University, an accreditation as mediator from the Institut de médiation et d'arbitrage du Québec (IMAQ), and a Third-Party Neutral course from Saint Paul University. He hopes to continue to launch initiatives aimed at promoting organizational health, offering a range of confidential professional services, and ensuring that employees are equipped to solve the issues and challenges that come their way in the workplace.

As Ombud, Mario brings to PSPC extensive experience in developing strategic partnerships and initiatives to foster psychologically safe workplaces, including:

• the expansion of the Canadian Innovation Centre for Mental Health in the Workplace as a government-wide initiative
• the delivery of the Workplace Mental Health Leadership Certification Program
• as a member of the advisory board for the Centre of Expertise on Mental Health in the Workplace at the Treasury Board Secretariat

Mario holds a master's degree in public administration from l'École nationale d'administration publique (ENAP), a bachelor's degree in economics and public administration from the University of Ottawa, and a college diploma in journalism.

In his spare time, Mario practises many outdoor sports, including downhill skiing, swimming, canoeing, cycling and trekking. His passion for travel has brought him to several countries, allowing him and his family to encounter amazing people and diverse cultures from around the world.

Dr. Katy Kamkar, Associate Ombud and Executive Advisor to the deputy minister on equity, diversity and inclusion

Dr. Katy Kamkar became the Associate Ombud and Executive Advisor to the Deputy Minister on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion at PSPC on May 1, 2023.

In this role, Katy provides strategic and executive leadership for the successful planning, management and delivery of initiatives and projects in support of:

• the deputy minister’s commitments on diversity, equity, and inclusion
• the Clerk of the Privy Council’s call to action on anti-racism, equity, and inclusion in the Federal Public Service
• ombud, mental health and confidential services to PSPC employees and managers

As part of her work with the Government of Canada, Katy has been involved with the ministry of the Solicitor General, the Public Health Agency of Canada and the House of Commons, and has received awards as well as national and international recognition for her work on trauma and resiliency, moral injury and workplace mental health.

One of her greatest interests is providing education to promote mental health awareness, well-being and resiliency. In this capacity, Katy participates in national and international public-speaking engagements to discuss mental health and mental health disabilities and trauma, as well as mental health risk factors (such as moral injury, compassion fatigue and burnout), and workplace mental health and resiliency.

Katy holds a doctor of philosophy and master of arts in clinical psychology from Concordia University. She has a bachelor of arts with specialized honours in psychology and mathematics, and a bilingual excellence certificate from York University/Glendon College. She is a registered Ph.D. clinical psychologist in the province of Ontario. She has worked for over 17 years as a clinical psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), is an Assistant Professor, and will be an Associate Professor as of July 1, 2023, at the University of Toronto within the Department of Psychiatry in the Temerty Faculty of Medicine.

In her spare time, Katy enjoys her special time with her son, family and friends.

Lorenzo Ieraci, Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, Planning and Communications

Lorenzo Ieraci became Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Policy, Planning and Communications Branch on March 28, 2022.

In this role, Lorenzo oversees key corporate and strategic functions in the department, including communications, integrated business planning, Cabinet and parliamentary affairs, and access to information and privacy. He also has responsibilities in helping to lead and coordinate some department-wide priorities, such as accessibility, Indigenous reconciliation and greening. In addition, he coordinates the minister’s portfolio organizations, including Canada Post, the National Capital Commission, Defence Construction Canada and Canada Lands Company.

Previously, Lorenzo was Acting Associate ADM of the Procurement Branch. In that role, he supported the ADM in managing a branch that is responsible for delivering a large part of the government’s $22 billion in spending on acquisitions.

Lorenzo holds a master’s degree in public policy and public administration from Concordia University, and he obtained an Executive Certificate in Conflict Management from the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Law.

Stephanie Kirkland, Assistant Deputy Minister, Pay Administration

Stephanie Kirkland was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Pay Administration Branch at PSPC on June 3, 2019.

In this role, Stephanie oversees the administration of compensation and provides ongoing support to stabilize HR-to-pay efforts across government.

Stephanie joined PSPC in July 2018 as Director General of Business Enabling, Transformation and Analytics within the HR-to-Pay Project Office. Prior to her arrival at PSPC, she held various senior management roles for over 10 years at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Notably, from 2010 to 2014, Stephanie, as Director General of the Biometrics Project Office, led the implementation of a major Crown project to introduce biometric screening into the immigration process, winning various awards, such as the 2014 Government Technology Exhibition and Conference (GTEC) Distinction Award of Excellence in Collaboration.

Stephanie holds a master's degree in public administration with a specialization in management from Dalhousie University.

Kim Steele, Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Information Officer, Digital Services

Kim Steele was appointed Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Digital Services Branch on April 1, 2021.

In her role as CIO, Kim oversees the digital portfolio, including information and data management, cyber security, application development and support, and management of multiple business systems. In addition, she leads key digital projects in support of government priorities and departmental service improvements.

Kim has held several leadership roles in information technology, including ADM of Pay Solutions, and Director General of Project Portfolio Management and the Service Management Sector in the Chief Information Officer Branch (CIOB) at PSPC. Before her arrival at PSPC, Kim was the Director of Information Management Policy in CIOB at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Kim holds a master's degree in library and information science and a bachelor of arts in English literature from the University of Western Ontario.

Simon Page, Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement

Simon Page joined the department as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Defence and Marine Procurement Branch on March 1, 2021.

In his role, Mister Page supports Canada's military and coast guard operations, heading major air, land and marine procurements, and associated sustainment and support service contracts.

Mr. Page retired from the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in December 2019, after more than 35 years of service, to join the public service as a civilian and assume the duties of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (Materiel) at National Defence.

His long career in the CAF began with his enrolment in the Canadian Forces in 1984 under the Regular Officer Training Plan as a Maritime Engineer. Over the years, Mr. Page progressed through the military ranks. In December 2012, he became the Chief of Staff for the Maritime Equipment Programme Management Division of the Materiel Group. In 2015, Mr. Page was promoted to Commodore, and he was posted to the position of Chief of Staff, Operations and in the Military Personnel Command organization in 2018. In June 2019, he assumed the duties of Officer Commanding the Command and Deputy Chief of Staff - Materiel, up until his retirement from the CAF.

Mr. Page graduated from the Royal Military College with a Bachelor in Computer Engineering and also holds a master’s degree in defence studies at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.

Michael Mills, Assistant Deputy Minister, Procurement

Michael Mills was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) of the Procurement Branch (PB) at PSPC in December 2021. In Michael’s tenure, he has instituted several components of strategic branch leadership, along with departmental and federal transformation. Michael has lead several large PSPC initiatives, namely: the Electronic Procurement System; new real property contracts; greening government fleets; and leading the 5% Indigenous procurement target. While managing these many initiatives, Michael and the PB team also led pandemic response procurement assuming the responsibility for vaccine procurement. While pandemic response procurement occupied a large portion of PB’s procurement portfolio, Michael’s team also continued to coordinate approaches to urgent and emergency contracting, including asylum seekers and wildfires. In 2023, Michael continues to lead large complex procurements, such as high-frequency rail and the Canadian Dental Care Plan. In performing these large-scale procurements, Michael remains focused on ensuring that PSPC’s mandate commitments and corporate priorities are followed, in the areas of greening, reconciliation, and diversity and inclusion.

Previous to Michael’s ADM role, he was the Associate Assistant Deputy Minister (AADM) of the Branch's logistics and COVID-19 response teams. In this role, he was responsible for the procurement and delivery of protective equipment and testing supplies for front-line and essential workers and procured testing supplies to support Canada's testing strategy.

Michael is the Reconciliation Champion, as PSPC is committed to advancing reconciliation and increasing Indigenous participation in federal procurement.

From 2017 to 2020, Michael was the AADM for Real Property Services at PSPC where he was responsible for providing senior leadership to Real Property Services' operations, including project management; facilities management; real estate services; strategic sourcing; and infrastructure asset management. He focused on providing excellent client service and using operations to support key government objectives, in particular, greening government operations, modernizing the public service, improving accessibility and advancing Indigenous reconciliation.

Michael has worked for a federal Crown corporation called Public-Private Partnerships Canada, previously known as P3 Canada, where he was Vice-President of Investments. Michael and his team assisted clients from all levels of government to structure public-private partnership transactions and to implement successful public-private partnership procurement strategies.

Prior to working at P3 Canada, Michael held various positions with Crown-Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, the Department of Finance Canada and Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada.

Michael holds a bachelor of arts in political science and economics from the University of Regina and a master of arts in economics from Queen's University.

Paula Folkes-Dallaire, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement

Paula Folkes-Dallaire was appointed to the position of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Defence and Marine Procurement, on April 3, 2023.

In this role, Paula supports Canada's military and coast guard operations by leading major air, land and marine procurements, and associated sustainment and support service contracts.

From 2019 to 2023, Paula served as the Director General of Defence Procurement at the Embassy of Canada in Washington D.C. In this role, she lead a team that manages Canada’s acquisitions under the United States Foreign Military Sales program, as well as an international cooperation program for defence procurement.

Paula has over 14 years of executive experience in a variety of leadership roles within PSPC and Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

She served for almost 4 years as the Senior Director of Canada’s Future Fighter Capability Project, working to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter aircraft.

At Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Paula held leadership roles in:

• program evaluation
• corporate planning, performance and reporting
• corporate risk management
• strategic policy
• real property

She has also held roles within the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and Employment and Social Development Canada.

Paula holds a B.A. in political science, a masters of public administration from the University of Toledo in Ohio, and a Certificate in Cyber Security Risk Management from Harvard. She is a Lean Six Sigma green belt and is a published author in the Canadian Journal of Program Evaluation.

Mollie Royds, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Procurement

Mollie Royds is Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of the Procurement Branch at PSPC. Before joining PSPC in April 2022, Mollie was Director General of Procurement Services in the Materiel Group at National Defence. From September 2017 to July 2019, she was Executive Director in the Government Operations Sector at the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Mollie was the first Executive Director of the Independent Review Panel for the Defence Acquisition Office within the National Defence portfolio. She was also previously Director of Strategic Policy and Integration for the interim Defence Procurement Secretariat at PSPC. Prior to that, Mollie was Director of Strategic Policy for the Northern Affairs Organization at the former Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada. She has also worked at the Privy Council Office, holding positions first as an analyst in the Foreign and Defence Policy Secretariat, and then as Chief of Staff to the Deputy Secretary of Priorities and Planning.

Mollie began her career in the public service at National Defence in the Policy Group, including serving as Deputy Director of Western Hemisphere Policy, as well as a policy analyst in the following directorates: North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Policy, Policy Development and Parliamentary Affairs. She also had assignments as Senior Policy Advisor to the Commander of Canada Command, as well as to the Canadian Armed Forces-commanded Multi-National Brigade under the NATO Stabilization Force in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Mollie has a master of arts in political science from the University of Calgary and a bachelor of arts (honours) from Dalhousie University.

Wojo Zielonka, Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Finance

Wojo Zielonka was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Finance Branch and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of PSPC on September 8, 2020.

In this role, Wojo provides financial leadership and project oversight for the department, including overseeing its annual operating budget in excess of $9 billion. He entered the Government of Canada in 2019 as Special Advisor with Shared Services Canada.

Wojo has more than 30 years of experience in financial services, project management and operations. He previously served as the Chief Risk Officer, the Senior Vice-President of Capital Markets, and later the CFO for the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2009 to 2018). Wojo has also held a variety of international executive roles with General Electric (1996 to 2006). He previously gained in-depth knowledge of federal government finance as an independent member of the Bank of Canada Risk Committee (2009 to 2015), which advised the Department of Finance Canada and the Bank of Canada on risk, including for foreign exchange reserves and the government’s debt strategy.

Wojo holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Carleton University and the Institute of Corporate Directors, Director’ (ICD.D) designation as well as Chartered Professional Accountant and Certified Public Accountant designations.

Catherine Poulin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Departmental Oversight

Catherine Poulin is the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Departmental Oversight Branch (DOB). In this position, Catherine oversees the Industrial Security Sector, the Security and Emergency Management Sector, the Integrity and Forensic Accounting Services Sector and the Security Systems Management Sector. She also serves as the Senior Officer under the Public Servants Disclosure Protection Act and as the Registrar of Ineligibility and Suspension pursuant to the Ineligibility and Suspension Policy.

Before assuming her role on December 30, 2022, Catherine was Director General, Integrity and Forensic Accounting Services, DOB, where she was responsible for the government-wide Integrity Regime, Forensic Accounting Services, the Fairness Monitoring Program as well as the Business Dispute Management Program.

Catherine began her career in private practice before joining the Forensic Accounting Management Group within PSPC, where she occupied the position of Senior Director from January 2015 to July 2018. In that role, she was responsible for the provision of professional forensic services to law enforcement agencies, as well as to other departments and agencies related to financial investigations. Catherine collaborated on many national and international criminal investigations led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and represented Canada as a member of Europol’s Association of Law Enforcement Forensic Accountants.

Catherine holds a degree in business administration from the University of Sherbrooke and a post-graduate diploma in administrative and financial business from the former École supérieure de commerce in Poitiers, France. She is a member of the Quebec Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Order and also holds the American credential Certified in Financial Forensics (CFF).

Kiran Hanspal, Assistant Deputy Minister, Human Resources

Kiran Hanspal was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Human Resources Branch at PSPC on October 7, 2019.

In this role, Kiran is responsible for promoting an agile, inclusive and client-focused culture through integrated talent management practices and workplace well-being, including strategic workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, performance management, learning and leadership development, mental health, awards and recognition, official languages, and diversity.

Prior to this appointment, Kiran served as the Head of Human Resources at Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, from October 2016 to September 2019. At VAC, she advanced a digitized, tiered human resources service delivery model and piloted the pod approach to support HR-to-pay stabilization.

Before her appointment as the Head of Human Resources at VAC, Kiran held senior positions in the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (including the Office of the Chief Human Resources Officer), Natural Resources Canada and Health Canada, where she was responsible for human resources, planning, performance management and evaluation. She has also led the development of strategic and program regulatory initiatives, and her contributions include transforming policies, implementation excellence and fostering innovation.

She is a recipient of the 2018 Michelle C. Comeau Award for her contribution to veteran hiring in the public service. Kiran graduated with a bachelor of science from the University of Toronto and a master of health administration from the University of Ottawa.

Dominic Laporte, Chief Executive Officer, Translation Bureau

Dominic Laporte is the Chief Executive Officer of PSPC's Translation Bureau, the Government of Canada's centre of excellence for linguistic services.

Mister Laporte oversees the translation, interpretation and terminology services that the Translation Bureau provides to the Government, Parliament and courts of Canada in English, French, Indigenous and foreign languages, as well as sign languages. He is also responsible for the Language Portal of Canada, which provides Canadians with free tools to improve their knowledge of English and French.

Mr. Laporte ensures that the Translation Bureau has a strong and highly qualified workforce, leverages the latest technological advances—including artificial intelligence—and works closely with partners and clients to effectively deliver quality linguistic services now and in the future.

Before joining the Translation Bureau, Mr. Laporte worked for several years as assistant deputy minister at Fisheries and Oceans Canada. There, he was responsible for human resources and corporate services before being put in charge of innovation and business transformation. He uses his extensive experience in internal service provision and process redesign to advance the Translation Bureau's cutting-edge initiatives.

Mr. Laporte holds a bachelor's degree in economics, as well as degrees in common law and civil law from the University of Ottawa. He is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Marc Bélisle, Chief Audit, Evaluation and Risk Executive

Marc Bélisle was appointed Chief Audit, Evaluation and Risk Executive at PSPC on November 13, 2019.

In this role, Marc oversees the provision of independent advice, assurance and insight to the Minister, the deputy ministers and senior management on governance, risk management and control processes, in addition to the provision of timely, neutral information to support decision making as well as policy and program improvement for the department.

Marc is also responsible for establishing open and constructive relations and networks with other government departments, central agencies and other stakeholders in the areas of audit, evaluation and integrated risk management. In addition, he ensures that the Office of the Chief Audit, Evaluation and Risk Executive meets the requirements of the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat's policies on internal auditing, evaluation and corporate risk management.

Marc has over 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. He brings with him a wealth of knowledge and experience in the domain of finance and accounting, along with substantial leadership and management aptitudes. He most recently served as Vice-President of Corporate Services and Chief Financial Officer at the Canada School of Public Service. Marc was previously the Director General of the Finance and Procurement Branch and the Deputy Chief Financial Officer at Natural Resources Canada. He has also held various senior-level positions at the Privy Council Office, Statistics Canada, and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. He started his career working in an accounting firm.

Marc holds a bachelor's degree in accounting from the University of Quebec in Outaouais and a Chartered Professional Accountant designation.

Rob Wright, Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure

Rob Wright was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch at PSPC when the branch was created in spring 2019. Prior to that, Rob had been Assistant Deputy Minister of the Parliamentary Precinct Branch since May 2015.

In this role, Rob is responsible for advancing the delivery of new science infrastructure across Canada to meet the needs of our scientists into the future, and carrying on the important work of renewing Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct.

Rob is responsible for Canada’s ambitious 25-year plan to revitalize federal science and technology laboratories. Furthermore, he is responsible for implementing the Long Term Vision and Plan to restore and modernize the buildings and grounds of Parliament Hill. His responsibilities also include providing accommodation for the Prime Minister’s Office and the Privy Council Office, as well as managing all the buildings on the north side of Sparks Street, including retail and commercial space.

Rob joined the department in 2005 and has played several roles of increasing seniority. Before becoming Assistant Deputy Minister, he was the regional head of the department in the Atlantic Region, where he guided the planning and delivery of a broad range of services to clients and was involved in leading a number of major initiatives.

Rob holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from St. Thomas University and Western University. His areas of study included engineering, history, and leadership and governance.

Duncan Retson, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure

Duncan Retson was appointed to the position of Associate Assistant Deputy Minister of the Science and Parliamentary Infrastructure Branch at PSPC in June 2019.

In his role, Duncan supports the delivery of new science infrastructure across Canada to meet the needs of our scientists into the future, and to carry on the important work of renewing Canada’s Parliamentary Precinct.

Before returning to the National Capital Region to take on his current role, Duncan served as Regional Director General of the department’s Atlantic Region for 2 years.

As the regional head of the department, Duncan oversaw the planning and provision of PSPC’s programs and services to federal clients throughout the Atlantic Region. He was also responsible for the delivery of key projects, such as the rehabilitation of Province House in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, and the construction of the Public Service Pay Centre in Miramichi, New Brunswick.

Duncan joined the department in 2013 in the Atlantic Region. He later moved to the National Capital Region, where he held senior positions, including Director General of Operations and Accommodations for the Parliamentary Precinct Branch, in which he was responsible for the operation and maintenance of the historic buildings and grounds of the precinct.

Duncan holds undergraduate degrees from Acadia University in physics, English and education. He also obtained a graduate degree from Western University in English and another in public administration from Queen’s University.

Jean-François Lymburner, acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Services

Jean-François Lymburner, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Services, has stepped in as acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Services, until the position is staffed permanently.

In this role, Jean-François is responsible for providing senior leadership to the Real Property Services operations, including project management, facilities management, real estate services, strategic sourcing, and infrastructure asset management. He is focused on providing excellent client service and using operations to support key government objectives, in particular, greening government operations, modernizing the public service, improving accessibility and advancing Indigenous reconciliation.

Jean-François joined PSPC in 2016 as Director General, Client Relationships and Demand Management, Real Property Services, where his focus was on business priorities, strategies and client satisfaction. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he led the establishment and launch of Minister Anand’s COVID-19 Supply Council and was tasked with providing advice on building innovative and agile supply chains for personal protective equipment.

Prior to joining PSPC, Jean-François served as Director General, Client Relationships and Business Intake, Projects and Client Relationships Branch for IM/ IT service transformation at the newly-created Shared Services Canada. Before that, he was Director General of Strategic Infrastructure, Information Management and Research at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat.

Jean-François holds a bachelor's degree in industrial engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal, and has completed the Certificate in Public Sector Leadership and Governance, at University of Ottawa.

Associate Assistant Deputy Minister, Real Property Services

No biography available at this time. Position vacant.

Lucie Séguin, Assistant Deputy Minister, Receiver General and Pension

Lucie Séguin was appointed Assistant Deputy Minister of the Receiver General and Pension Branch on September 19, 2022.

In her role, Lucie is responsible for leading the operations of the federal treasury, representing $3.15 trillion in cash flows, preparing the Public Accounts of Canada and maintaining the government’s general ledger. She is spearheading the modernization of the Receiver General function, a major initiative that will leverage emerging banking and accounting industry advancements to deliver faster, more convenient and more secure payment experiences for Canadians. 

Lucie also ensures the delivery of government-wide services, including the Government of Canada's pension administration for 8 pension plans, the Canadian General Standards Board, GCSurplus and Seized Property Management Services, and e-clippings. As King's Printer for Canada, she is responsible for the publishing of the Canada Gazette and the Statutes of Canada. In addition, Lucie provides advisory services to departments and agencies on government advertising and public opinion research.

Previously, Lucie was Chief Executive Officer of PSPC's Translation Bureau, where she positioned the Bureau as a centre of excellence in linguistic services for the Government of Canada and a leader in adopting artificial intelligence while ensuring language quality. Lucie oversaw all the translation, interpretation and terminology services, in both official languages and in more than 100 Indigenous and foreign languages, to federal government departments and agencies, as well as to the Canadian Parliament.

Prior to joining the Translation Bureau, Lucie held various executive positions with decision-making and strategic responsibilities at Library and Archives Canada and Natural Resources Canada.

Lucie has 2 children. She holds a bachelor's degree in education, a master's degree in public administration and a Chartered Professional Accountants Canada certification.

Paula Wilson, Senior General Counsel and Executive Director, Legal Services

Paula Wilson became Senior General Counsel and Executive Director of Legal Services at PSPC on September 7, 2022.

In this role, Paula directs and supervises approximately 100 employees, including 74 lawyers who provide legal advice to clients about real property, acquisition of goods and services, pension and pay administration, access to information and disposal of assets.

Before taking on this role, Paula occupied the position of General Counsel and Director of the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, which falls under the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Previous to that, she was Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel with Agriculture and Food Inspection Legal Services from 2017 to 2020. From 2004 to 2017, she occupied various positions within the Legal Services Unit at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Indigenous Services Canada.

Prior to 2004, Paula practised union-side labour and employment law and commercial law at a private sector law firm in Ottawa.

Paula holds a bachelor of arts (honours) degree from Queen’s University and a bachelor of laws degree from the University of Windsor.

Yvette-Monique Gray, Regional Director General, Pacific Region

Yvette-Monique Gray was appointed Regional Director General (RDG) of the Pacific Region in May 2021.

As RDG, Yvette fosters a “One PSPC” approach by supporting integrated planning and risk management in the delivery of major projects and services in Pacific Region. She is also responsible for providing integrated and client-focused services in the areas of Real Property, office accommodation; architecture and engineering; property and project management; environmental services; and land acquisition and disposal.

Yvette supports the region’s excellence in marine operations and oversees commercial, marine and real property contracting; provides internal corporate services; and champions external services that encourage small and medium enterprises, including under-represented suppliers, to participate in federal procurement. She actively supports reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples through procurement and project management work in the region.

Yvette is a passionate advocate for equity, diversity and inclusion, and she is the Executive Co‑Champion for the British Columbia (BC) Building Black Leaders program, an initiative developed on behalf of the BC Federal Council.

Yvette began her public service career as a customs inspector and moved through a wide variety of operational and management positions before becoming an executive with the Canada Border Services Agency in 2006. Her specialty is navigating change and leading specialized teams in highly operational and public-facing environments, and she is the recipient of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in this domain.

Yvette holds a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Alberta and is a graduate of the Public Sector Leadership and Governance Program from the University of Ottawa.

Cheryl Baraniecki, Regional Director General, Western Region

Cheryl Baraniecki began her role as Regional Director General of the Western Region effective December 2, 2019.

Cheryl represents the Minister's and deputy ministers' interests in the Western Region, which covers the provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba and the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. In this role, Cheryl is responsible for providing the department's full range of integrated and client-focused services, such as real property services, including office accommodation; architectural and engineering services; property and project management; environmental services; and land acquisition and disposal. She also delivers services like procurement of goods and services, real property contracting, and support to small and medium enterprises.

Cheryl joined PSPC's Western Region office as Regional Director of Procurement in February 2018. Prior to joining PSPC, she worked within the federal public service beginning in 2000 with Environment and Climate Change Canada, and gained experience serving as a senior departmental contact for stakeholders across the three Prairie provinces and the Northwest Territories and Nunavut. Her skills working horizontally with diverse clients will support PSPC's Western Region well.

Cheryl completed a bachelor of science and a master of science at the University of Alberta in microbiology and cell biotechnology. She has a passion for aviation and dog sports, which she shares with her 2 busy boys, Evan and Ryan, and her husband, Jay.

Alexia Touralias, Regional Director General, Ontario Region

Alexia Touralias was appointed Regional Director General (RDG) of the Ontario Region, effective June 10, 2020.

As RDG of the Ontario Region, Alexia provides executive leadership in the region, representing the Minister's and deputy ministers' interests. In addition to managing the corporate support functions, she is responsible for the provision of integrated services to clients and departments in the region.

Prior to her current role, Alexia has been the Director General of Innovation and Business Development within the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario since September 2015. She has worked as an executive in various capacities within the Agency, including as Acting Vice-President of Business Innovation and Community Development, and as the Director of Canada Business Ontario. She was previously with Infrastructure Canada and the Privy Council Office.

Alexia holds a master's degree in public administration from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, and a bachelor of arts in political science from the University of Windsor in Ontario.

Françoys Bernier, Regional Director General, Quebec Region

Françoys Bernier became Regional Director General, Quebec Region, on November 28, 2022.

In this role, Françoys is responsible for providing the full range of integrated and client-focused services offered by the department in the Quebec Region, where he represents the Minister’s and Deputy Minister’s interests. The region covers the province of Quebec outside of the National Capital Region, with major offices in the cities of Montréal and Québec.

Prior to taking on this role, Françoys was Regional Director of the Centre of Expertise—Professional and Technical Services. His responsibilities included project management; environmental services; architecture and engineering; design; and building and facilities management, which involved providing housing to 22,000 public servants. Françoys also held the position of regional director responsible for the transformation of the Place Bonaventure office in Montréal in 2018. This transformation of a conventional office into an activity-based workplace was the first of its kind in a Government of Canada space. The project has received several national and international distinctions, and over 1,000 visitors from both the public and private sectors have come to see the space to date.

Françoys completed a degree in geography and postgraduate studies in geographic information systems at the University of Quebec in Montréal. Before joining the public service, he worked in academia and in the private sector.

A father of 2, Françoys lives in Montréal.

Glen Hynes, Regional Director General, Atlantic Region

In July 2019, Glen Hynes was appointed Regional Director General, Atlantic Region. In this role, he is responsible for a staff of approximately 700 employees and operations in 11 offices across the 4 Atlantic provinces. The Public PSPC Atlantic team delivers real property, procurement, and a range of other services, including program requirements of the former Enterprise Cape Breton Corporation, now part of PSPC's Cape Breton Operations.

Glen is well known to the Atlantic Region team as a long-serving member at the regional executive table. Formerly the Regional Director in Newfoundland and Labrador, he has been PSPC’s senior official in our eastern-most province. Glen’s national experience as National Account Executive for Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) has been invaluable in strengthening one of our key client relationships. Given DFO’s important presence in Atlantic Canada, his strong track record with this client has served PSPC well.

Glen has experience in major project leadership, service delivery, client relationship management and stakeholder engagement. In 1997, he led the country's largest environmental remediation at Argentia, Newfoundland. Glen has also held regional director positions in accommodation and portfolio management and client relationship management.

A native of Newfoundland and Labrador, where he resides, Glen is a graduate of Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador. He and his partner are parents to 3 children.

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