Ministers and Officials

Mr. Ian Shugart was appointed to the position of Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development and Chairperson of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, effective July 26, 2010. Prior to this, he served as Deputy Minister of the Environment, and Associate Deputy Minister of the Environment.

Before joining Environment Canada, Mr. Shugart held several senior positions in the Health Portfolio where he served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) as well as ADM, Health Policy Branch; Visiting ADM, Health Protection Branch; and Executive Director of the former Medical Research Council (now Canadian Institutes of Health Research).

Mr. Shugart has also been engaged extensively at the international level, serving as Chair of the Global Health Security Action Group, and of the Health Task Force of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation; and on the Board of the World Health Organization.

Prior to this, Mr. Shugart served as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Social Policy and Programs in the Federal Provincial Relations Office of the Privy Council Office. He spent several years on Parliament Hill in senior advisory roles to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources, National Health and Welfare and Leader of the Opposition. He is a graduate in Political Economy from Trinity College at the University of Toronto.

On March 3, 2008, Ms. Hélène Gosselin was appointed Deputy Minister of Labour. She was previously Deputy Head of Service Canada and Vice-Chair of the Canada Employment Insurance Commission from September 2006 to December 2008.

Before joining Service Canada in 2006, Ms. Gosselin had worked in a number of departments and agencies, including National Defence, the Privy Council Office, Canadian Heritage, Industry Canada, and the Treasury Board Secretariat.

She was Associate Deputy Minister of Health from 2004 to 2006. Prior to this, she was the Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence and served as Acting Deputy Minister from December 2003 to August 2004. From 2002 to 2003, she held the position of Deputy Secretary, Policy and Intergovernmental Affairs Secretariat at the Privy Council Office. From 2000 to 2002, Ms. Gosselin served as Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, at Canadian Heritage, where she was responsible for Sport Canada, and international cultural policies and programs.

Ms. Gosselin holds a Master of Arts, Public Administration, from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Bishop's University.

On August 4, 2011, Karen Jackson was appointed Senior Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development and Chief Operating Officer for Service Canada.

Prior to this, Ms Jackson served as Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada (HRSDC). She also held three Assistant Deputy Minister positions in the Department: Income Security and Social Development, Skills and Employment and Workplace Skills.

Since joining the federal public service in 1984, Karen has held a number of progressively senior positions with HRSDC, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, Employment and Immigration Canada, and the Royal Commission on the Economic Union and Development Prospects for Canada. She has extensive experience in policy development and program management in the areas of income security, social development, labour markets, learning, economic development and Aboriginal affairs.

Through an executive exchange program, she has worked in the not-for-profit sector as Director of the Public Involvement Program for the Canadian Policy Research Networks.

Born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Karen has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Political Studies from Queen’s University and a Master of Arts in Political Science from the University of British Columbia.

Ron Parker was appointed Associate Deputy Minister of Employment and Social Development Canada on August 11, 2011. Prior to this, he served as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister of the Industry Sector at Industry Canada.

Mr. Parker began his career at the Bank of Canada. He then spent seven years at the Bank of Montreal working in its economics and trading sectors. He returned to the Bank of Canada in 1990 and served as Chief of Financial Markets and Advisor to the Governor. In 2003, Mr. Parker joined the Privy Council Office and was appointed Assistant Secretary, Liaison Secretariat for Macroeconomic Policy. In 2005, he was appointed Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Industry Canada.

Mr. Parker holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Economics from the University of Saskatchewan and a Master of Arts in Economics from the University of Western Ontario.