The Liberal party’s new national director is a highly regarded legal mind, but lacks the experience in organizing and fieldwork that forms the core of the role, according to Liberal insiders.

The party announced on Thursday that it had named career lawyer Jessica Cardill to the posting, which oversees daily operations and ensures the party is prepared for elections.

Cardill worked as counsel for the party for more than five years and has experience in political operations and election campaigns, the party said in a news release.

She spent roughly the past year working in the private sector at the government relations and lobby firm Barrack Hill Public Affairs.

Stevie O’Brien, principal and founding partner of Barrack Hill, said the firm is “incredibly proud” of her appointment, calling Cardill a “dedicated, hardworking professional.”

She added that she was personally happy to see “a strong woman in a position of power within the Liberal party.”

Liberal insiders said Cardill was mostly known for her work on the party’s green light committee, which vets prospective candidates. But cautioned that she lacks the on-the-ground organizing that’s typically a key focus for the national director role.

One Liberal who’s served in senior roles with the party said the selection seemed to align with Prime Minister Mark Carney’s preference for “non-political choices” and signalled the party wasn’t seeking someone to focus on political strategy, noting her appointment came after three by-elections were called for Aug. 31.

“There is a probably a lot of old school Liberals and caucus [members] that are a little bit surprised,” said the source, who asked not to be identified to speak candidly on party matters.

“Carney knows what he’s doing. He’s running the show and they’re looking for somebody who’s going to… continue to implement his vision and not rock the boat.”

Another senior Liberal called Cardill a “safe choice” that would have a strong command of election compliance rules, but again noted the lack of organizing experience and her limited profile even within the party.

“Everyone I ask says ‘who is this person?’” said the source, who asked not to be identified to discuss internal party matters.

While the party doesn’t manage government policy, the Liberal source said the national director would play a key role in determining strategies for voter outreach, including managing digital advertising, candidate recruitment and where resources should be invested to bear fruit in the next election.

Many of these duties were previously handled by Braeden Caley when he was with the party, the source noted. Caley immediately joined Carney’s office as deputy chief of staff back in 2025. He resigned earlier this summer to run for the Liberals in the byelection on Aug. 31 in North Vancouver-Capilano.

The source said Cardill’s appointment signals the party’s transition to Carney’s leadership is now “fully complete,” but questioned if the PM’s staffing choices have left him lacking advisors with strong political acumen.

They said while chief of staff Marc-André Blanchard does boast that political savviness, his role means he has to handle multiple different duties, while other senior figures in the Prime Minister’s Office lack that same background.

“Who is that senior political person?” the source asked.

Cardill replaces Azam Ishmael, who stepped down in May and joined the Canadian Medical Association in a senior role.

Ishmael served as national director for the Liberals for roughly a decade under former party leader Justin Trudeau.

with files from the Canadian Press