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<p><font size="+1"></font><font size="+1"><strong>August 23, 2001 <em>(2:00 p.m. EDT)</em> No. 121</strong></font></p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>DIPLOMATIC APPOINTMENTS</strong></font></p>
<p>John Manley, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today announced the following diplomatic appointments:</p>
<p><strong>Ferry de Kerckhove</strong> becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Indonesia.</p>
<p><strong>The Honourable Ronald A. Irwin</strong> becomes Consul General at Boston (United States of America).</p>
<p><strong>Louise Léger</strong> becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Costa Rica.</p>
<p><strong>Philip MacKinnon</strong> becomes Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran.</p>
<p><strong>Roger Marsham</strong> becomes Consul General at Buffalo (United States of America).</p>
<p><strong>Andrew McAlister</strong> becomes Ambassador to the Kingdom of Thailand with concurrent accreditation to the Lao People's
Democratic Republic and the Union of Myanmar.</p>
<p><strong>Konrad Sigurdson</strong> becomes High Commissioner to the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.</p>
<p><strong>David Stockwell</strong> becomes High Commissioner to the Republic of Zambia.</p>
<p><strong>Howard Strauss</strong> becomes High Commissioner to the Federal Republic of Nigeria.</p>
<p><strong>Denis Thibault </strong>becomes Ambassador to the Republic of Senegal.</p>
<p align="CENTER">- 30 -</p>
<p>Biographical notes on the appointees are attached.</p>
<p>For further information, media representatives may contact:</p>
<p>Sanjeev Chowdhury</p>
<p>Press Secretary </p>
<p>Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs</p>
<p>(613) 995-1851</p>
<p>Media Relations Office</p>
<p>Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade</p>
<p>(613) 995-1874</p>
<p><font size="+1"><strong>BIOGRAPHICAL NOTES</strong></font></p>
<p><strong>Ferry de Kerckhove</strong> (BSc Soc [Economics], 1968; MA [International Relations], 1970, University of Ottawa; PhD
studies, Laval University) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1973 after serving in the army and working for the
United Nations Development Program and le Centre québécois des relations internationales. He has been posted to Tehran,
Brussels (NATO) and Moscow. In 1998, he was appointed High Commissioner to Pakistan. At headquarters, he served in
both the Eastern and Western European divisions and worked as Director of Economic and Trade Policy Analysis and
Director General of the Policy Group and Federal-Provincial Relations. He is married to Louise Côté and they have four
children. Mr. de Kerckhove succeeds Kenneth Sunquist.</p>
<p><strong>The Honourable Ronald A. Irwin</strong>, P.C., C.M., LL.B., Q.C. (Osgoode Hall Law School, 1962) was Mayor of Sault Ste.
Marie from 1972 to 1974 during which period he was also a director of the Ontario Municipal Association and the
Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He was a member of the Canadian Radio-Television and Telecommunications
Commission between 1977 and 1980. From 1988 to 1991, he lectured on Government and Business Relations at Lake
Superior State University in Michigan. Mr. Irwin was first elected to the House of Commons in the general election of
1980. He was appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice and Attorney General and to the Minister of
State (Social Development) in 1980. In 1981 he became Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretary of State for External
Affairs. Mr. Irwin served as Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development from 1993 until 1997 and subsequently
as personal advisor to the Prime Minister. In 1998, he was appointed Ambassador to Ireland. Mr. Irwin is a Member of the
Order of Canada. He is married to Mary Margaret Ann Frech and they have three children. Mr. Irwin succeeds
Mary Clancy.</p>
<p><strong>Louise Léger</strong> (BSc [Economics], University of Moncton, 1980) joined the Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce
in 1981 and has had postings to Bogota, Geneva and Tel Aviv. In 1995, she became Ambassador to Panama. At
headquarters, she has held the position of Deputy Director for Trade Promotion with the former USSR and since 1998 has
worked as Deputy Director General of the Hemisphere Summit Office. Ms. Léger succeeds Denis Thibault.</p>
<p><strong>Philip MacKinnon</strong> (BA, Honours [History & Philosophy], Queen's University; MA [History & Philosophy], University of
Toronto, 1968) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1974 and has been posted to Tunis, Seoul, Geneva and Vienna.
At headquarters, he has served in a variety of assignments which have included Canada-U.S. relations, industry and
investment policy and nuclear issues. In 1990, he became Director of the International Security Policy and CSCE Affairs
Division and then Director of the UN and Commonwealth Division. Since 1998, he has been Director of the Western
European Division. He is married to Mary Small and they have two children. Mr. McKinnon succeeds Terry Colfer.</p>
<p><strong>Roger Marsham</strong> (University of Southampton, School of Navigation, 1960; College of Technology [Nautical and Maritime
Studies], Plymouth, U.K.), following an early career in the private sector, joined the Department of Transport in 1968 and
subsequently held the positions of Director, Merchant Shipping at the Canadian Transport Commission (1972-76), Director
General, Water Transportation Assistance (1976-79) and Deputy Surface Administrator (1979-81). In 1981, he was
appointed Assistant Comptroller General (Treasury Board). He served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Finance and
Administration, in the Department of External Affairs from 1985 to 1990. He is married to Barbara Slater and has two
children. Mr. Marsham succeeds Mark Romoff. </p>
<p><strong>Andrew McAlister</strong> (BA, Glendon College, York University, 1972; MA, University of Toronto, 1973; PhD, London
School of Economics and Political Science, 1977) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1976 and has served abroad
in Dar es Salaam, Bangkok, Manila and Geneva, where he was Deputy Permanent Representative to the Office of the
United Nations. At headquarters, he worked in divisions responsible for the Commonwealth, personnel and security. He has
also worked for both the Under-Secretary and Secretary of State for External Affairs. In 1991, he became Director of the
U.S. Tariffs and Market Access Division. In 1998, he was seconded to the Canadian International Development Agency as
Director General for Eastern Africa and the Horn Program. He is married to Bente McAlister and they have two children.
Mr. McAlister succeeds Bernard Giroux.</p>
<p><strong>Konrad Sigurdson</strong> (BA [Political Science], University of Manitoba, 1967) joined the Department of Employment and
Immigration in 1967 and moved to the Department of External Affairs in 1982, serving abroad in Hong Kong, Stuttgart,
Manila, Tehran, Kingston and London. In 1995, he became High Commissioner to Sri Lanka. In Ottawa, he has worked in
numerous positions including Director of the Cabinet Liaison and Co-ordination Division and Director General of
International Operations at Citizenship and Immigration. In 1998, he was seconded to the Privy Council Office. He is
currently Senior Co-ordinator for the Universal Classification Standard Co-ordination Project at the Department of Foreign
Affairs and International Trade. Mr. Sigurdson succeeds Ferry de Kerckhove.</p>
<p><strong>David Stockwell </strong>(BA [History], Bishop's University, 1963) joined the Department of External Affairs in 1966 and has
served abroad in Rio de Janeiro, Beijing, Islamabad and London. In 1992, he was named Ambassador to Ethiopia. In
Ottawa, he has specialized in administrative and personnel activities, becoming Director General of Physical Resources,
Departmental Ombudsman and, since 1997, Deputy Inspector General. He is married to Susan Stockwell and they have two
children. Mr. Stockwell succeeds Dilys Buckley-Jones.</p>
<p><strong>Howard Strauss </strong>(BA, 1968; BCL, 1972; LLB, 1973, McGill University) joined the Department of External Affairs in
1975 and has been posted to Accra, Havana and the United Nations (New York). In Ottawa, he has specialized in
international legal affairs, in particular maritime issues. In 1989, he was named Deputy Agent for the Canada-France
Maritime Boundary Arbitration. In 1996, he was appointed Co-ordinator for Access to Information and, in 1997, he took on
his present role as Director of the Oceans, Environmental and Economic Law Division. He is married to Donna Strauss and
they have four children. Mr. Strauss succeeds Ian Ferguson.</p>
<p><strong>Denis Thibault </strong>(LL(L), 1972, University of Sherbrooke) joined the Government of Canada in 1973 and entered the Trade
Commissioner Service the following year. He has been posted to Madrid, San Juan, Atlanta, Tunis, Buenos Aires, Caracas
and Mexico. At headquarters, he has worked in the African Trade Promotion Division and became Director of the Latin
American and Caribbean Trade Promotion Division in 1993. In 1998, he was appointed Ambassador to Costa Rica. He is
married to Isabel Rodriguez Alonso. Mr. Thibault succeeds Michèle Lévesque. </p>
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