Biographical notes

Emily Burns (BA Hons [Political Science], Queen’s University, 2004; MSc, London School of Economics and Political Science, 2005) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2008. At Headquarters, she has worked as senior policy adviser in the Circumpolar Affairs Division, senior bilateral relations officer on the Afghanistan Task Force, deputy director in the Planning, Performance and Risk Management Bureau and director of financial resource planning. Overseas, she has served in Kabul and, most recently, as head of cooperation in Dakar.

Véronique Pepin-Hallé (BA [Communications and Political Science], University of Montréal, 1997) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2002, after having worked in the Department of Public Information at the United Nations in New York City. She began her career at Headquarters as desk officer for the Middle East in the Security and Defence Relations Division. She has also held various positions in the Office of the Assistant Deputy Minister of the Global Issues and Development Branch and in the Foreign Policy Planning Division. Abroad, she has represented Canada in Jordan, Iraq and Afghanistan, at the mission to the United Nations in New York City and at the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). Most recently, she was deputy director for the NATO and OSCE section.

Pasquale Salvaggio (BA Hons [Political Studies], Bishop’s University, 1998) held various positions in the private sector before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 2006. Overseas, he served in Washington, D.C., (2007 to 2009), as well as in Paris with the Permanent Delegation to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (2009 to 2013). He also served in Accra (2017 to 2020) and Abidjan (2020 to 2022). At Headquarters, he has worked in the South Asia Bureau and United Nations Division and as deputy director in the Executive Assignments Division and in the Pan-Africa Affairs Division. Most recently, he served as director of the West and Central Africa Bilateral Relations Division.

Stewart Wheeler (BA Hons [International Studies], Trent University and Universidad de Granada [university of Granada], Spain, 1992) joined External Affairs and International Trade Canada in 1994. He worked outside the department as press secretary to the governor general of Canada from 1999 to 2004 and as assistant deputy minister of international relations and chief of protocol in the Ontario Ministry of Intergovernmental Affairs from 2016 to 2018. His assignments at Global Affairs Canada’s Headquarters have covered parliamentary and Cabinet affairs, Mexico relations, summits management, media relations and internal communications; he has also served as 2SLGBTQI+ champion. From 2019 to 2023, he was chief of protocol of Canada. He has spent over 3 decades in the foreign service and has had postings in Washington, D.C., Bogotá, London and Kabul. From 2012 to 2016, he served as ambassador to Iceland. Most recently, he served as deputy high commissioner in India.