Carney Announces Major Changes in Senior Public Service Ranks

Carney Public Service Changes Reshape Federal Leadership

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced a sweeping series of changes in the senior ranks of Canada’s public service, reshuffling key deputy minister and agency leadership roles across multiple federal departments.

The appointments, unveiled March 4, 2026, will take effect in the coming weeks and are aimed at strengthening federal leadership capacity amid shifting global and domestic priorities.

Key Deputy Minister Appointments

Among the most notable changes:

• Glenn Purves, currently Global Head of Macro Research at BlackRock Investment Institute, will become Deputy Minister of International Trade.

• David Morrison, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, moves to serve as Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister and will act as Sherpa for the G7 and G20 Summits.

• Arun Thangaraj, Deputy Minister of Transport, becomes Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

• Michael Vandergrift, former Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, becomes Deputy Minister of Transport.

• Ted Gallivan, Interim Deputy National Security and Intelligence Advisor, becomes Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship.

• Dr. Harpreet S. Kochhar, Deputy Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, becomes President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA).

• Paul MacKinnon, President of CFIA, becomes Deputy Minister of Fisheries and Oceans.

• Nancy Gardiner, President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), becomes Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs.

• Cindy Termorshuizen, Deputy Minister for the G7 Summit and Sherpa, becomes Deputy Minister of International Development.

• Rob Stewart, Deputy Minister of International Trade, will lead the creation of a new Financial Crimes Agency.

National Security and Defence Shifts

Several appointments reflect the government’s focus on national security and defence:

• Kevin Brosseau, Commissioner of Canada’s Fight Against Fentanyl, becomes Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence and Commissioner of the Canadian Coast Guard, while continuing his fentanyl leadership role.

• David Angell, Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister, becomes Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

• Dominic Rochon, Chief Information Officer of Canada, becomes Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet (National Security and Intelligence).

• Talal Dakalbab, from Public Safety Canada, becomes Commissioner of Corrections.

Economic and Administrative Leadership

Additional changes include:

• Kaili Levesque becoming Associate Deputy Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and President of FedDev Ontario, while continuing to support the Secretary of State (Nature).

• Francis Trudel becoming Associate Deputy Minister of Public Services and Procurement.

The Prime Minister stated that these leadership changes are designed to support effective delivery of federal priorities while positioning Canada to respond to rapidly evolving global dynamics.

International Appointments and Retirements

Carney also congratulated:

• Christopher MacLennan, nominated as Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean at the World Bank Group.

• Sandra McCardell, nominated as Executive Director for Canada, China, Kuwait, South Korea and Türkiye at the African Development Bank.

The Prime Minister recognized several senior public servants on their upcoming retirements, including:

• Chris Forbes, former Deputy Minister of Finance.

• Bob Hamilton, Commissioner of Revenue.

• Anne Kelly, Commissioner of Corrections, who will become Senior Advisor at Correctional Service Canada pending retirement.

Strategic Realignment

The broad reshuffle reflects a strategic realignment across economic policy, trade, immigration, defence, and national security portfolios.

With Canada navigating global trade pressures, geopolitical tensions, and domestic policy priorities, the Prime Minister’s Office emphasized that refreshed leadership at the deputy minister level will ensure continuity, accountability, and responsiveness in federal governance.

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