Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced the following diplomatic
appointments:
James Bartleman becomes Ambassador to the European Union.
Richard Belliveau becomes Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of
Algeria.
Jacques Bilodeau becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium.
Robert Collette becomes Ambassador to the Republic of the Philippines.
Jean T. Fournier becomes High Commissioner to Australia with concurrent
accreditation to the Republic of Nauru and the Republic of Vanuatu and as Ambassador
to the Republic of Palau.
Louis Hamel becomes Ambassador and Permanent Delegate to the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.(UNESCO), in Paris.
Margaret Huber becomes Ambassador to the Czech Republic.
Melvyn MacDonald becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia with
concurrent accreditation to the State of Bahrain, the Sultanate of Oman and the
Republic of Yemen.
Michel Perrault becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of Cameroon with
concurrent accreditation as Ambassador to the Republic of Chad.
Franco D. Pillarella becomes Ambassador to the Syrian Arab Republic with concurrent
accreditation as High Commissioner to the Republic of Cyprus.
Louis Poisson becomes Ambassador to the Gabonese Republic.
Allan S. Poole becomes Consul General in Dallas (United States of America).
Astrid Pregel becomes Consul General in Atlanta (United States of America).
Evelyn Puxley becomes Deputy Permanent Representative and Ambassador to the
Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), in Vienna.
Colin Robertson becomes Consul General in Los Angeles (United States of America).
Sandelle Scrimshaw becomes High Commissioner to Barbados with concurrent
accreditation to the Commonwealth of Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, St. Lucia, the
Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
Michael Small becomes Ambassador of Canada to the Republic of Cuba.
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Biographical notes on the appointees are attached.
For further information, media representatives may contact:
Debora Brown
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES
James Bartleman (BA, Honours [History], University of Western Ontario, 1963) joined
the Department of External Affairs in 1966. He is a member of the Chippewas of Rama
First Nation and received his early education in Port Carling, Ontario. He served abroad
in Bogotá, Bangkok, Dhaka and Brussels. From 1981 to 1983, he served as
Ambassador to Cuba and, in 1986, was named Ambassador to Israel, a position he held
until 1990. In 1990, he returned to Brussels to serve as Ambassador and Permanent
Representative to the North Atlantic Council. At headquarters in Ottawa, Mr. Bartleman
held a number of positions, including Director General, Bureau of Intelligence Analysis
and Security, and Director General, Economic Intelligence Bureau. From 1994 to 1998,
he served as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister and Assistant Secretary to the
Cabinet (Foreign and Defence Policy) at the Privy Council Office. In 1998, he was
named High Commissioner to South Africa and, since 1999, has served as High
Commissioner to Australia. He is married to Marie Jeanne Bartleman, and they have
three children. Mr. Bartleman succeeds Jean-Pierre Juneau.
Richard Belliveau (BA, Honours, University of Toronto, 1965; DES [Canadian History],
Université de Montréal, 1970) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1966 and
served abroad in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Beijing, Algiers, Madrid and Brasilia. From 1992
to 1995, he served as Consul General in Shanghai and, in 1995, was named High
Commissioner to Brunei Darussalam, a position he held until 1997. In Ottawa,
Mr. Belliveau held a number of positions, including Director, Cabinet and Parliamentary
Liaison; Director, United States Transboundary Relations Division; and Director,
Environmental Services Division. Since 1998, he has been Director, Physical Security
and Personal Safety Division. Mr. Belliveau succeeds Franco Pillarella.
Jacques Bilodeau (BA, Université Laval, 1964; BA [Political Science], Université Laval,
1967; MA, École nationale d'administration publique, 1973) joined the Department of
External Affairs in 1967 and served abroad in Havana, Accra, Athens, Paris and, as
Minister-Counsellor, in Rome. In 1990, he was named Ambassador to the Republic of
Senegal, a position he held until 1994. In Ottawa, he held a number of positions,
including Director, Francophone Africa and Maghreb Division; Senior Departmental
Assistant, Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Chief, Policy Staff. Since 1996,
he has served as Deputy High Commissioner in the United Kingdom. He is married to
Jacqueline Lessard, and they have four children. Mr. Bilodeau succeeds Claude
Laverdure.
Robert Collette (BA [Industrial Relations/Administration], Université Laval) joined the
Public Service Commission in 1972, the Canadian International Development Agency in
1974 and the Department of External Affairs in 1986. He served abroad in Kuala
Lumpur, Yaoundé and Beijing. He returned to Beijing in 1997, where he has been
serving as Minister (Economic Affairs). In Ottawa, Mr. Collette held a number of
positions, including Director, Africa and Middle East Trade Division, and Director,
Investment and Technology Division. He is married to Marilyn Collette, and they have
two children. Mr. Collette succeeds John Treleaven.
Jean T. Fournier (BA, Queen's University; MA [Economics] Université Laval) was a
research assistant with the Royal Commission on Bilingualism and Biculturalism from
1964 to 1966. He began his federal government career in 1968 as a Special Assistant
to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development and was appointed
Executive Assistant to the Minister in 1971. In 1973, he was named Associate Director,
Territorial and Social Development, Northern Affairs Branch, and became Director in
1974. From 1976 to 1978, he was Executive Director, Office of Native Claims. In 1978,
Mr. Fournier was named Assistant Deputy Minister, Policy, at the Department of
Communications, a position he held until 1982, when he was named Assistant Deputy
Minister, Department of Finance, responsible for the Federal-Provincial Relations and
Social Policy Branch. He was a member of the Board of Directors of Telesat Canada
from 1978 to 1988 and of the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation from 1982 to
1987. In 1986, Mr. Fournier was appointed Under Secretary of State, Department of the
Secretary of State. In this role he was also a member of the Advisory Council of the
Order of Canada. In 1991, he became Executive Director of the Royal Commission on
Aboriginal Peoples. In 1993, he was appointed Special Advisor to the Privy Council
Office and, later that year, was named Deputy Solicitor General, a position he held until
recently. Mr. Fournier's partner is Jo-Anne Tremblay and he has two children.
Mr. Fournier succeeds James Bartleman.
Louis Hamel (BA [Geography], Laval University, 1969) joined the Department of
External Affairs in 1973 and served abroad in Brussels, in Tokyo, in Paris, where he
was Deputy Director of the Canadian Cultural Centre, and again in Tokyo from 1992 to
1997. In Ottawa, he held a number of positions, including in the Cultural Affairs Division
and in the North Asia Relations Division. Since 1997, he has been Director of the Arts
and Cultural Industries Promotion Division. He is married to Yukiko Kakesu, and they
have one child.Mr. Hamel succeeds Jacques Demers.
Margaret Huber (BA, McGill University; AMP, Harvard Business School; MA, University
of Ottawa) joined Canada's Foreign Service in 1974 and served abroad in Manila, in
Tokyo and at the Canadian Mission to the European Communities in Brussels. In 1991,
she was named Consul General at Osaka, a position she held until 1996. In Ottawa,
she held a number of positions, including Director, European Community Division, and
Director General, Export and Import Controls Bureau. Since 1997, she has been
Director General, North Asia and Pacific Bureau. Ms. Huber succeeds Ronald Halpin.
Melvyn MacDonald (BA [Economics and Political Science], University of Victoria, 1968)
joined the Public Service in 1972 and served abroad in Tokyo (twice), Rome, Oslo and
Kuala Lumpur. Since 1996, he has served in Tokyo, first as Minister-Counsellor
(Commercial) and then as Minister (Economic/Commercial). In Ottawa, he held a
number of positions, including Director, Central and Eastern Europe Trade Development
Division; Director, Planning and Co-ordination Division; and Director, Trade Advisory
Committees Secretariat. He is married to Diane MacDonald, and they have three sons.
Mr. MacDonald succeeds Edward Hobson.
Michel Perrault (BA, Ste-Marie College and Brébeuf College, 1962; BSc [Economics],
Université de Montréal, 1965; master's studies, University of Toronto, 1965-1966) joined
the Trade Commissioner Service in 1970 and served abroad in Bonn, Caracas, Buenos
Aires, Brussels and Paris. From 1993 to 1995, he served as Ambassador to Algeria
and, in 1995, was named Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, a position he held until
1998. In Ottawa, he held a number of positions, including Special Assistant in the Office
of the Minister for International Trade, and Director, East Asia Trade Division. Since
1998, Mr. Perrault has been a team member of the Universal Classification Standards
Section. He is married to Suzanne Perrault, and they have three children. Mr. Perrault
succeeds Claude Baillargeon.
Franco D. Pillarella (BA, University of Ottawa, 1963; LLL, University of Ottawa, 1966;
member of the Quebec Bar, 1967) joined the Foreign Service in 1967. He served
abroad in Bonn, Milan, Rome, Algiers, The Hague and, from 1988 to 1992, as Consul
General in Berlin. In Ottawa, he held a number of positions, including Director, Human
Rights and Social Affairs Division, and Director, Foreign Intelligence Division. Since
1997, he has served as Ambassador to the People's Democratic Republic of Algeria.
Mr. Pillarella succeeds Alexandra Bugailiskis.
Louis Poisson (BA, Université de Montréal, 1968; BScSoc, University of Ottawa, 1969;
MBA, Université de Sherbrooke, 1972) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1973
and served abroad in London, Paris, Algiers and Milan. In Ottawa, he has held positions
in the United States Trade Division, the Africa and Middle East Trade Division, and the
South America and Inter-American Relations Division. Since 1997, he has been
Counsellor (Commercial) at the Canadian Embassy in Madrid. He is married to Louise
Poisson, and they have two daughters. Mr. Poisson succeeds Robert Noble.
Allan S. Poole (BSc [Engineering], Queen's University, 1967; MBA, McGill University,
1971) joined the Trade Commissioner Service in 1971. He served abroad in Belgrade,
Bonn, Chicago and Seattle. In 1991, he was named Consul General in Dusseldorf, a
position he held until 1993. From 1993 to 1997, he served as Deputy Consul General
and Senior Trade Commissioner in Los Angeles. In Ottawa, Mr. Poole held a number of
positions, including Director, Science and Technology Division, and Director, Investment
and Technology Division. Since 1999, he has been Director, Policy and Strategic
Planning Division, Trade Commissioner Service. Mr. Poole is married to June Poole,
and they have three children. Mr. Poole succeeds Jon Swanson.
Astrid Pregel (BA, York University, 1974; MBA, York University, 1978) joined the
Department of External Affairs in 1978 and served abroad as a Trade Commissioner in
Nairobi, New Delhi and Washington. In Ottawa, she held a number of positions,
including Director, Trade Information Systems. Since 1996, she has been Minister-Counsellor at the Canadian Embassy in Washington. Ms. Pregel is married to Abdelkrim
Oka, and they have four children. Ms. Pregel succeeds Marc-André Brault.
Evelyn Puxley (BA, McGill University, 1982) joined the Department of External Affairs
in 1983 and served abroad in Moscow and Brussels. In Ottawa, she held a number of
positions, including in the United States General Relations and Programs Division, as
Departmental Assistant to the Secretary of State for External Affairs, in the Central and
Eastern Europe Relations Division, and in the European Union Division. Since 1996,
she has served at the Canadian Embassy in Washington as Counsellor. Ms. Puxley is
married to Mr. James Hyatt and they have two children. Ms. Puxley succeeds Mary
Mosser.
Colin Robertson (BA, Honours [History and Political Science], University of
Manitoba,1976; MA [International Affairs], Carleton University, 1978) joined the
Department of External Affairs in 1977 and served with the Permanent Mission of
Canada to the United Nations in 1977 and at the Consulate General in New York from
1978 to 1981. From 1985 to 1987, he was a member of the team that negotiated the
Free Trade Agreement with the United States, in 1993 he was Co-ordinator of the
NAFTA implementing legislation, and currently he is the Canadian NAFTA
Communications Co-ordinator. From 1987 to 1992, Mr. Robertson served as Counsellor
and Consul in Hong Kong. In Ottawa he held positions in the United States and UN
Bureaus, the Policy Planning Secretariat, Media Relations Office, Federal-Provincial
Relations and Foreign Policy Communications divisions. His recent assignments have
been as Director General of Public Affairs at the Department of Citizenship and
Immigration, Executive Director of Public Affairs at the Treasury Board Secretariat, and
Senior Advisor for Trade Communications and Director General of Communications at
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade headquarters. He is married to
Maureen Boyd, and they have three children. Mr. Robertson succeeds the Rt. Hon.
Kim Campbell.
Sandelle Scrimshaw (BA, Honours, University of Western Ontario, 1973) began her
career in the Public Service in 1973. In 1979, she joined the Canadian International
Development Agency (CIDA) and, in 1983, joined the Department of External Affairs.
She served abroad in Abidjan from 1984 to 1987 and, in 1987, was named High
Commissioner to Ghana, a position she held until 1990. From 1993 to 1997, she was
Canadian Executive Director at the African Development Bank, in Abidjan. In Ottawa,
Ms. Scrimshaw held a number of positions at CIDA and in the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade, including Director General, Asia Pacific South Bureau.
Since 1997, Ms. Scrimshaw has served as Director General, Africa Bureau. She has
one daughter. Ms. Scrimshaw succeeds Duane Van Beselaere.
Michael Small (BA [Political Science], Princeton University, 1978; MA [Political
Science], University of Toronto, 1980; MPhil [Social Anthropology], Cambridge
University, 1981) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1981 and served abroad
in Kuala Lumpur, Brasilia, San José and, as Minister-Counsellor, Mexico City. In
Ottawa, he has held a variety of positions, including Co-ordinator, United Nations
Conference on Environment and Development Task Force. Since 1996, he has been
Director, Peacebuilding and Human Security Division. He is married to Denise Jacques.
Mr. Small succeeds Keith Christie.
