Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada: Diplomatic Appointments

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Diplomatic Appointments

January 6, 2015 - Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird today announced the following diplomatic appointments:
Michelle d'Auray becomes Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Canada to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, in Paris, on January 21, 2015.
Marina Laker becomes High Commissioner in Brunei Darussalam.
Sara Wilshaw becomes Consul General in Dallas (United States of America).
Biographical notes on the appointees follow.

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Biographical Notes

Michelle d'Auray headed Canada's then-largest advocacy organization for cultural industries and the arts from 1985 to 1989. Ms. d'Auray started her career in the public service in 1990 at the National Film Board of Canada as director of the Corporate Affairs, Distribution and Communications Division. From 1994 to 1996, she headed the Privy Council of Canada's Intergovernmental Communications Secretariat and from 1996 to 1997 was director general of communications for Industry Canada. In 1998, she headed the Government of Canada's Task Force on Electronic Commerce at Industry Canada and was responsible for the organization in Canada of the 1998 OECD Ministerial Conference on Electronic Commerce. This was followed by positions at Canadian Heritage as assistant deputy minister of strategic management (1999 to 2000) and at Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (2000 to 2004), where she headed the Government of Canada's on-line initiative that made Canada a world leader in electronic service delivery. Ms. d'Auray has over 10 years' experience in deputy minister-level positions: as president of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec (2004 to 2007); as the first woman deputy minister at Fisheries and Oceans Canada (2007 to 2009); as the first chief human resources officer for the Government of Canada (2009); as the first woman secretary to the Treasury Board (2009 to 2012), where she oversaw the one-year comprehensive expenditure review for the Government of Canada; and, since November 2012, as deputy minister of Public Works and Government Services Canada. Ms. d'Auray succeeds Judith A. LaRocque.
Marina Laker (BA [Creative Writing], Concordia University, 1985) worked for seven years as vice president and managing director of Canadian Soccer Supply Co. Ltd. before joining External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1992. First posted as second secretary (political) and executive assistant to the ambassador to Canada's Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York City, she subsequently served as counsellor (political) in Damascus with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Cyprus, counsellor (political) in Berlin and, most recently, as counsellor (political) in Kabul. In Ottawa, Ms. Laker's positions have included deputy director of the Non-proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Division and director of the Peacekeeping and Peace Operations Group in the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force. She has also led Canadian delegations to multilateral peacekeeping consultations and to the Australia Group, which works to prevent the spread of chemical and biological weapons. She is married to Mitchell Lunge, and they have two grown children: Melissa and Westley.
Sara Wilshaw (BA [International Relations and Economics], York University, 1995) worked for Customs and Revenue Canada and Statistics Canada prior to joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1996. Ms. Wilshaw's postings abroad have included first secretary in Tokyo and counsellor at Canada's Permanent Mission to the World Trade Organization in Geneva. In Ottawa, Ms. Wilshaw has held the positions of trade commissioner in the North Asia Commercial Relations Division, senior policy officer in the Multilateral Trade Policy Division, assignment officer in the Assignments and Pool Management Division, executive director of the Strategic Policy Division, director of the Innovation Science and Technology Division and of the Trade Commissioner Service Support Division, and director general of the Office of the Chief Trade Commissioner. Ms. Wilshaw served most recently as minister (commercial) at the Canadian high commission in India. Ms. Wilshaw succeeds Paula Caldwell.

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