Paul Rochon, associate deputy minister at the Department of Finance and Canada’s lead negotiator at Group of 20 finance ministers’ meetings
Prime Minister Stephen Harper has appointed Paul Rochon to lead the department of finance, promoting an economist who has deep roots at Finance Canada but who is a relative newcomer to the deputy minister ranks.
Mr. Rochon has only been a full deputy minister since July, when he was put in charge of International Development.
However the economist has spent most of his public service career at finance and made a positive impression during his time as Canada's lead negotiator at Group of 20 finance ministers' meetings. He started in the finance department in 1990 and rose to associate deputy minister in 2010.
In 2012, he was named Associate Deputy Minister of Health and also Special Advisor to the Minister of Finance on negotiations for a Canadian securities regulator.
Earlier this month, veteran deputy minister Michael Horgan announced he would be retiring from the public service effective April 19. Mr. Rochon will start his new job on April 21.
That news came just two weeks after Jim Flaherty resigned as finance minister on March 18. Mr. Flaherty died Thursday in Ottawa.
Prime Minister Stephen Harper also made three other changes Friday to the senior ranks of the public service.
Andrea Lyon, the Associate Deputy Minister of the Environment, becomes Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Meena Ballantyne, the Assistant Secretary to Cabinet for social development policy at the Privy Council Office becomes Head of Status of Women Canada. Finally Gavin Liddy, currently Assistant Secretary at Treasury Board becomes Associate Deputy Minister of Public Works.
Separately, Finance Minister Joe Oliver announced Friday that Carolyn Wilkins will be the Senior Deputy Governor of the Bank of Canada effective May 2. She will replace Tiff Macklem, who is leaving to join the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto.
Ms. Wilkins has been with the Bank since 2001 and is currently Advisor to the Governor and represents Canada on the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision.
Bill Curry