The Major Projects Office (MPO) officially launched in late August, with former Trans Mountain board chair Dawn Farrell at the helm. 

Initially, there was a staffing list up on the Canadian government’s directory of public servants, but that was taken down a few weeks in. 

Four months later, little is publicly known about staffing levels and job titles in this special government agency created to speed up projects through faster permitting and coordinated funding.

The Privy Council Office says the MPO is “a new and evolving organization” with a staffing structure that is “flexible and agile.”

Spokesperson Pierre-Alain Bujold says staffing numbers are set to fluctuate at any given time, with people coming in from public and private sectors. 

He adds that work to fully resource and structure the MPO is ongoing, and “more information will be available in due course.” 

Through various sources, however, iPolitics has a few names, starting with the more senior staff members.

Kelsen Vallee

Vallee was brought on as Chief Investment Officer and EVP of Energy in October. He is based in Calgary, where he previously worked at CIBC Capital Markets as Management Director for energy, infrastructure and transition investment banking. 

Justin Ferbey 

Ferbey recently joined as Vice-President, after more than a decade working for the Government of Yukon, where he was, up until recently, Deputy Minister and Cabinet Secretary at the Executive Council Office. Throughout his career, he’s worked on free trade agreements, renewable energy projects, mining sector capital and economic development policies. 

Rob Van Walleghem 

Wallenghem is Vice-President at the Major Projects Office. Like CEO Dawn Farrell, he was plucked from Trans Mountain, where he worked for more than a decade, first as Chief Legal Officer before also getting involved in Indigenous Affairs. We reported on the remarks he delivered to the Assembly of First Nations this month. 

Peter Feldberg

Feldberg is the MPO’s Vice-President of Regulatory Affairs. He previously managed one of the country’s largest law firms, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin LLP, where he advised on significant project approvals like transmission lines and dams. Feldberg recently appeared before a senate committee.

Louise Baird

Baird recently joined the MPO on a secondment from her role as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Her expertise includes regulatory affairs and engagement with provinces, territories and stakeholders. Her federal public service experience includes Assistant Deputy Minister roles at the Privy Council Office and the Treasury Board Secretariat. 

Michelle Chislett 

Chrislett was hired earlier this fall to lead the electricity portfolio, after almost a decade working for Northland Power, including a stint as executive vice president of onshore renewables. 

Mark Boyland 

Boyland has worked in several leadership roles at Natural Resources Canada since 2006, including the past six years as director. According to an October communication report in the registry of lobbyists, he’s now a director at the Major Projects Office.

Sarah Jackson

Jackson was hired early on as Director of Regulatory Coordination. She has a background in law and, up until recently, occupied senior roles at the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. 

Candace Anderson 

Candace Anderson is director of Indigenous Consultation and Engagement with the Privcy Council Office, and she oversees the MPO’s Indigenous Advisory Council. Her federal government experience includes stints at Natural Resources Canada and the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada. 

Trefor Smith

According to his LinkedIn profile, Smith is a senior advisor for the MPO. He previously worked as a negotiator for Crown-Indigenous Relations and a regulatory consultant for the First Nations Major Projects Coalition.

iPolitics sources with knowledge of the matter say policy advisors from across different federal departments, including Brent Mills, Kayanna Brown, and Alexandra Epp are also involved with the MPO. 

iPolitics is not naming them because they were not allowed to speak publicly. 

Calls involving proponents and MPO staff also often involve staff members from different departments, as part of a vision to better co-ordinate between government agencies.

That work involves federal staff like Natural Resources Canada’s Jeff Labonté, and Wale Oyebanjo, Martin Kolacz, Olivia Wright with Minister Hogdson’s office, among others.

Globe and Mail recently reported that the MPO was working to hire more junior staff members from larger corporations in the private sector. 

Six sources told the outlet the MPO has asked private-sector sponsors to consider topping up pay for the employees that they loan to the government.

In the latest federal budget, Ottawa allocated some $200 million to support the MPO, with $47 million for 2025-2026 (of that, $20 million is being reallocated from Privy Council Office funds).

The CEO of the MPO, Dawn Farrell, earns a salary between $577,000 and $679,000 a year, according to an order in council issued in late August.

The MPO is headquartered in Calgary but is set to have offices in other major Canadian cities.