Joanne Minns (BA Hons [Psychology], University of Ottawa, 1994; MA [Psychology], Carleton University, 2001) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2008, after having worked at the Privy Council Office. At Headquarters, she has served as deputy director of North America Policy and Relations, coordinating trilateral engagement, including the North American Leaders’ Summit; as departmental lead on special immigration measures for Afghans; and as director of strategy and coordination in the Peace and Stabilization Operations Bureau. Abroad, she has been political counsellor in Kenya, with accreditations to Burundi, Rwanda, Somalia and Uganda, as well as in Pakistan. Most recently, she served as ambassador to South Sudan, from 2024 to 2026.