Gerald Campbell becomes Consul General in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (People’s Republic of China), with concurrent accreditation as Consul General in the Macao Special Administrative Region (People’s Republic of China).

Yvon Charbonneau becomes Ambassador and Permanent Delegate of Canada to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris, France.

Denis Comeau becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand, with concurrent accreditation to the Union of Myanmar.

Geneviève des Rivières becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Peru, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Bolivia.

John Deyell becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Malawi.

Patricia Fuller becomes Ambassador to the Eastern Republic of Uruguay.

Yves Gagnon becomes Ambassador to the Argentine Republic, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Paraguay.

Marius Grinius becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Korea.

Robert Hage becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Hungary, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Slovenia.

Gwyneth A. Kutz becomes Ambassador to the Republic of El Salvador.

Marc Lortie becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Spain, with concurrent accreditation to the Principality of Andorra.

Andrew McAlister becomes High Commissioner to the United Republic of Tanzania, with concurrent accreditation to the Republic of Seychelles, and Ambassador to the Islamic Federal Republic of the Comoros.

John McNee becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.

Robert Peck becomes Ambassador to the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria.

Bruno Picard becomes High Commissioner to the Co-operative Republic of Guyana, with concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Republic of Suriname.

Donica Pottie becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Cambodia.

David Sproule becomes High Commissioner to the People’s Republic of Bangladesh.

Carmen Sylvain becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Morocco.

Denis Thibault becomes Ambassador to the State of Kuwait, with concurrent accreditation to the State of Qatar.

David Viveash becomes Ambassador to the Socialist People’s Libyan Arab Jamahiriya.

Michael Welsh becomes High Commissioner to Barbados, with concurrent accreditation to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Saint Lucia, the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis, and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Commissioner to the British dependent territories of Montserrat, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

- 30 -

Biographical notes on the appointees are attached.

For further information, media representatives may contact:

Sébastien Théberge
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851

Media Relations Office
Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada
(613) 995-1874
http://www.international.gc.ca

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES

David Angell (BA [Political Science], Yale University, 1986; MA [International Relations], University of Toronto, 1987; MPhil [International Relations], University of Cambridge, 1988-89) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1989 and served abroad in Washington, in Belfast as a member of the senior staff of the Northern Ireland peace process, and at the United Nations in New York, including as Alternate Representative on the Security Council. In Ottawa, he undertook a variety of assignments, including Director, G8 Summit Africa Action Plan Office, and Deputy to the Personal Representative of the Prime Minister to Africa. Since 2002, he has been Director, Eastern and Southern Africa Division. He and his wife Katherine have two children. Mr. Angell succeeds Howard Strauss.

Stefanie Beck (BA, McGill University, 1987) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1990 and served abroad in Dakar and Canberra. In Ottawa, she served in the Central and Eastern Europe Relations Division and the Japan Division, and as Deputy Director in the United Nations and Commonwealth Affairs Division. In 2002, Ms. Beck was appointed as Ambassador to Cambodia. Ms. Beck is married to Patrice Galvani and they have a daughter and a son. Ms. Beck succeeds Dennis Snider.

Anna Biolik (BA [Literature and Philosophy], Lycée Copernic, Katowice, 1971; MA [French Studies], University of Cracow, 1975; PhD [Comparative Literature], University of Montreal, 1982) taught at the University of Ottawa before joining the federal government. Since 1984, she has worked for the House of Commons, the Secretary of State, the Department of Communications, the Governor General, Canada Post and Investment Partnerships Canada. In 1997, she joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, serving in Ottawa as Director of the International Business Opportunities Centre and the Market Support Division. In 2001, she was appointed as Consul General in St. Petersburg. Ms. Biolik is married to Terry Hargreaves. She succeeds Hector Cowan.

Donald Bobiash (BA [Political Science], University of Saskatchewan; MSc [Industrial Relations and Personnel Management], London School of Economics; DPhil [International Relations], Rhodes Scholar, Oxford University) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1989 and served abroad in Islamabad and Tokyo. In Ottawa, he served in Summit and Francophone Affairs, the South America Relations Division, the Economic Relations with Developing Countries Division, the Southeast Asia Division, the Policy Planning Division and, since 2002, as Director, South Asia Division. Mr. Bobiash and his wife Teresa Rozkiewicz have two daughters. Mr. Bobiash succeeds Jean-Pierre Bolduc.

Jean-Pierre Bolduc (BA, 1967, MA [Economics], 1973, Université de Sherbrooke) worked as a cooperant in Niger from 1974 to 1977. He joined the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1969, where he held various positions in the Francophone Africa Branch, the Area Coordination Group, the International Humanitarian Assistance Division and the Maghreb and Regional Programs Division. Mr. Bolduc was Director General of Strategic Planning and Management for Africa and the Middle East, and acted as a humanitarian adviser to the Commander of the Canadian-led Multinational Force to Eastern Zaire. He was co-chair of one of the commissions at the Burundi Peace Talks and a member of the Adviser Bureau to Nelson Mandela. He was an Ombudsman at CIDA from 1999 to 2001. Since 2001, he has been High Commissioner to Ghana. Mr. Bolduc is married to Ghislaine St-Amour.

Claude Boucher joined the Department of External Affairs in 1975 and served abroad in Kinshasa, Paris (twice) and Mexico. In Ottawa, he served in the Francophone Africa Division and the Western Europe Division. He served at the Privy Council Office from 1987 to 1988, at Environment Canada from 1988 to 1989 in the Political and Strategic Analysis Division and, since 2002, as Senior Coordinator, Federal-Provincial Relations. Mr. Boucher has two children. Mr. Boucher succeeds Kenneth Cook.

Gerald Campbell (BA, University of British Columbia, 1968) joined the Department of External Affairs during the consolidation of the foreign service in 1978. He served in London, Port of Spain, Hong Kong (twice), Kingston and at the Permanent Mission of Canada to the Office of the United Nations in Geneva. In Ottawa, he has served in a variety of positions. From 1994 to 1997, he was Director General, International Region, at Citizenship and Immigration Canada and, in 1997, he was named Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations. In 1998, Mr. Campbell was appointed as High Commissioner to Nairobi and, in 2002, he was appointed as High Commissioner to Bangladesh. He is married to Edith Ming Wai Hung and they have three daughters. Mr. Campbell succeeds Anthony Burger.

Yvon Charbonneau (BA, Mont-Laurier College, 1959; MA [French Literature], 1968, MA [Political Science], University of Montreal, 1980). Following a career as a secondary school teacher, including two years in Tunisia, Mr. Charbonneau served in a number of positions with the Centrale de l’enseignement du Québec, including as president of the organization for 14 years. After several years in the private sector where he made a significant contribution to environmental issues, Mr. Charbonneau was elected as a Member of the Quebec National Assembly in 1994. In 1997, he was elected to the House of Commons as Member of Parliament (MP) for Anjou—Rivière-des-Prairies, and in that capacity served as Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Health from 1999 to 2001, and as Parliamentary Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister from 2003 to 2004. While serving as an MP, he also chaired several parliamentary associations. He retired as an MP in May 2004. Mr. Charbonneau is married to Raja Hammoud and is the father of four children. He succeeds Louis Hamel.

Denis Comeau (BA [Commerce], University of Ottawa, 1973) joined the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce in 1973 and served abroad in Cleveland, Paris, Berne, Jakarta, Singapore, Washington, Tokyo and, since 2001, as Ambassador in Seoul. In Ottawa, he served as Deputy Press Officer, Media Relations, Trade and Competition Advisory Committees Secretariat, and as Director, Japan Division. Mr. Comeau and his wife Jocelyne Boulay have two sons. Mr. Comeau succeeds Andrew McAlister.

Geneviève des Rivières (BA Honours [Political Science], 1976, MA [Political Science], 1979, University of Ottawa) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1982 and served abroad in Santiago and Kuala Lumpur. From 1996 to 2000, she served in London as Counsellor responsible for Trade, Investment and Science and Technology and, in Ottawa, she served in the Tariffs and Market Access Division and from 1994 to 1996 as Director, Corporate Planning and Program Analysis. Since 2000, she has served as Minister Counsellor responsible for Commercial and Economic Affairs in Mexico. Ms. des Rivières is married to Paul Brazeau. Ms. des Rivières succeeds Hugues Rousseau.

John Deyell (PhD [Economic History], University of Wisconsin, 1982) joined the Canadian International Development Agency in 1983 and served abroad in India and Bangladesh. In Ottawa, he served as Director, Institutional Cooperation, Canadian Partnership Branch. Since 2001, he has been Director General, East Africa and the Horn, Africa and the Middle East Branch. He is married to Valerie Gauthier and they have two children. Mr. Deyell succeeds David Stockwell.

Patricia Fuller (BA [Economics and Political Science], Queen’s University, 1986; MSc [Economics], London School of Economics, 1989) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1989 and served abroad in Guatemala and Mexico. In Ottawa, she served in the Economic Relations with Developing Countries Division, the International Financial and Investment Relations Division, the South Africa Task Force, the International Economic Relations Division, the Trade Remedies Division and the Economic and Regional Development Policy Division at the Privy Council Office. Since 2003, she has served as Director of the Softwood Lumber Division at International Trade Canada. Ms. Fuller is married to Professor George Dix. Ms. Fuller succeeds Susan Harper.

Yves Gagnon (BA, 1968, BScSoc [Political Science], University of Laval, 1971; École nationale d’administration, France, 1977) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1971 and served abroad in Guatemala and twice in Paris. In Ottawa, he served in the Personnel Division, the Central America and Caribbean Division and the Cultural Affairs Division. He also served as Director in the Media Relations Division and in the Academic Relations Division. From 1999 to 2001, he served as Director General, International Cultural Relations Bureau. Before serving as Ambassador in Caracas from 1995 to 1998, Mr. Gagnon was Vice-President of the Petro-Canada International Assistance Corporation from 1988 to 1991. Since 2001, he has been Ambassador in Rabat. Mr. Gagnon is married to Patricia Dunberry and they have two children. Mr. Gagnon succeeds Thomas MacDonald.

Marius Grinius (BA [Economics], Royal Military College, 1971) joined the foreign service in 1979 and served abroad in Bangkok (twice), Brussels (NATO), Hanoi and again in Hanoi from 1997 to 1999 as Ambassador. In Ottawa, he served in the Arms Control and Disarmament Division, and later, as the Director of the Asia Pacific South Relations Division and the Southeast Asia Division. In 1999, Mr. Grinius transferred to the Privy Council Office (PCO) and served in the Social Development Policy Secretariat. He was then Director General in the Department of Western Economic Diversification and, since 2002, has been Director of Operations, Security and Intelligence Secretariat at PCO. Mr. Grinius is married to Carolyn Anne La Brash and they have two sons. Mr. Grinius succeeds Denis Comeau.

Robert Hage (BA, University of Calgary, 1968; LLB, University of Toronto, 1971; LLM, University of London, 1972; École nationale d’administration, France, 1984) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1972 and served abroad in Washington, Lagos, Paris and in Brussels at the Canadian Mission to the European Union. In Ottawa, he served as Director of the Legal Operations Division, the International Financial and Investment Affairs Division, the Southern Europe Division and the European Union Division and, since 2002, as Director General, Legal Affairs Bureau. Mr. Hage and his wife Jean have three daughters. Mr. Hage succeeds Ronald Halpin.

Gwyneth A. Kutz (BA [General Humanities], University of Calgary, 1987) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1988 and served abroad in New York at the Permanent Mission to the United Nations, in Lima, in Washington at the Permanent Mission to the Organization of American States (OAS) and in Madrid. In Ottawa, she served in the Personnel Assignments Division and the Regional Security and Peacekeeping Division. In 1999, Ms. Kutz opened and headed Canada’s first diplomatic office in Tirana, Albania. Since 2001, she has been Counsellor and Deputy Permanent Representative of Canada to the OAS in Washington, D.C. Ms. Kutz becomes Canada’s first resident Ambassador to El Salvador.

Marc Lortie (BA [Classical Studies], Petit Séminaire de Québec, 1967; BA [Political Science], Laval University, 1971) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1971 and served abroad in Tunis, Washington, Paris and as Ambassador in Santiago from 1993 to 1997. In Ottawa, he served in the African Affairs Division, the Cultural Affairs Division, the Economic and Commercial Policy Division, the Western Europe Division and the Minister’s Office. He served as Press Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister from 1985 to 1989, as Senior Coordinator for Federal-Provincial Relations, as Sherpa for the Third Summit of the Americas in 2000 and, since 2001, as Assistant Deputy Minister of the Americas. Mr. Lortie is married to Patricia Dunn. Mr. Lortie succeeds Alain Dudoit.

Andrew McAlister (BA, York University, 1972; MA, University of Toronto, 1973; PhD, London School of Economics, 1977) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1976 and served abroad in Dar-es-Salaam, Bangkok, Manila and Geneva. In Ottawa, he served in the Commonwealth Affairs Division, the Anglophone Africa Affairs Division, the Personnel Division, the Senior Management Secretariat, the Security Division, the United States Market Access Division and as Senior Departmental Assistant to the Minister. From 1998 to 2001, he was Director General of the East Africa Program at the Canadian International Development Agency. Since 2001, he has been Ambassador to Thailand. Mr. McAlister and his wife, Bente, have two sons. Mr. McAlister succeeds Janet Graham.

John McNee (BA [History], York University, 1973; MA [History], Cambridge University, 1975; Canada Scholar at Cambridge, 1973-1975) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1978 and served abroad in Madrid, London and Tel Aviv. From 1993 to 1997, he was Ambassador to Syria. In Ottawa, he served in the Policy Development Secretariat, on the Prime Minister’s Task Force on International Peace Security, in the Policy Planning Division, in the United States Transboundary Division and at the Privy Council Office. He also served as Director, Personnel Division, and Director General, Middle East, North Africa and Gulf States Bureau. Since 2001, he has been Assistant Deputy Minister, Africa and Middle East. Mr. McNee and his wife Susan have two children. Mr. McNee succeeds Jacques Bilodeau.

Robert W. Peck (BA [History/Journalism], Concordia University) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1982, first as an Immigration Officer, and served abroad in Lagos, Berne and Athens. In Ottawa, he worked in the Resource Management Division, the Media Relations Office, the Consular Policy Division and the Personnel Assignment Division. From 1993 to 1995, Mr. Peck was Press Secretary and Departmental Spokesman for the Honourable Perrin Beatty and the Honourable André Ouellet. From 2000 to 2002, he was Director of Corporate Communications and Investor Relations at CAE Inc. Since 2002, he has been Director of the West and Central Africa Division at Foreign Affairs Canada (FAC). Mr. Peck is married to Maria Pantazi, also a FAC officer. Mr. Peck succeeds Richard Belliveau.

Bruno Picard (BSc [Managerial Economics], Laval University, 1977) joined the foreign service in 1977. He served abroad as a Trade Commissioner in Cairo, Guatemala City, Rabat and Brussels. From 1999 to 2002, he was Ambassador to the Dominican Republic. In Ottawa, he has worked in the Trade Expansion for the Antilles and Central America Division, the Cabinet and Parliamentary Liaison Division and the Western Europe Division. He was Senior Departmental Assistant to the Minister of State for External Trade, as well as Director of Communications for the Minister for International Trade. He was Director of the Canadian Foreign Service Institute Centre for Professional Development, and has been the Director of the Cabinet and Parliamentary Liaison Division since 2002. Mr. Picard is married to Nicole Proulx and they have three children. Mr. Picard succeeds Serge Marcoux.

Donica Pottie (BA, Saint Mary’s University, 1985) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1991 and served abroad in Beijing and Amman. In Ottawa, she served in a variety of assignments, including in the Policy Planning Staff Division, the office of the Assistant Deputy Minister (Global and Security Policy) and, most recently, the Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Division. She is married to Scot Slessor and they have a daughter. Ms. Pottie succeeds Stefanie Beck.

David Sproule (BA Honours [Political Science], University of Alberta, 1978; LLB, University of Alberta, 1981) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1981 and served abroad in Singapore, Bangkok and Washington. In Ottawa, he served in the Economic Law Division, the Political Intelligence Analysis Division, the Legal Operations Division, the Privy Council Office, the International Economic Relations and Summit Division, the Legal Advisory Division and the Oceans and Environmental Law Division. Since 2003, he has been Director, United Nations, Human Rights and Economic Law Division. Mr. Sproule and his wife Doreen have five children. Mr. Sproule succeeds Gerry Campbell.

Carmen Sylvain (BA [European History], San José State University, 1984; MA [Public Administration], Carleton University, 1995) began her career with Radio-Canada in 1986 before joining the Secretary of State Department in 1987. She was Senior Advisor, Federal-Provincial Relations, at the Privy Council Office from 1991 to 1992, and Director of International Expositions at the Department of Communications from 1992 to 1994. She held various posts at Canadian Heritage from 1994 to 2001, including Director of International Events and Assistant Commissioner General. She chairs the Executive Committee of the International Exhibitions Bureau in Paris and, since 2001, has been Director of the Maghreb and Arabian Peninsula Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (now Foreign Affairs Canada and International Trade Canada). Ms. Sylvain succeeds Yves Gagnon.

Denis Thibault (LLL, University of Sherbrooke, 1972) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1973 and served abroad in Madrid, San Juan, Atlanta, Tunis, Buenos Aires, Caracas and Mexico City. He served as Ambassador in San José from 1998 to 2001. In Ottawa, he served in the Africa Trade Development Division and the Latin America and Caribbean Trade Division. Since 2001, he has been Ambassador to Senegal. Mr. Thibault is married to Isabel Rodriguez Alonso. He succeeds Richard Mann.

David Viveash (BA, University of Windsor, 1971) joined Statistics Canada in 1971 and moved to the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 1977. He has served abroad in Lusaka, Kuala Lumpur, Pretoria and Tel Aviv. In Ottawa, he served in the Policy Branch and the Anglophone Africa Branch at CIDA, and in the Middle East Relations Division, the Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament Division and the Peacebuilding and Human Security Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. Since 2003, he has served as Chargé d’Affaires (Counsellor) in Tripoli. Mr. Viveash and his wife Rosalind have two sons. Mr. Viveash becomes Canada’s first resident Ambassador to Libya.

Michael Welsh (BA [History], University of Western Ontario, 1972) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1972 and served abroad in Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong and Washington. In Ottawa, he has held a number of positions, including Director, United States General Relations Division, Director, Mexico Division and, since 2002, he has served as Director General of the Latin America and Caribbean Bureau. Mr. Welsh and his wife June have two children. He succeeds Sandelle Scrimshaw.

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