Canada appoints former BlackRock executive Mark Wiseman as U.S. ambassador

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has announced the appointment of Mark Wiseman, a former global investment banker and head of Canada’s largest pension fund, as the country’s next ambassador to the United States.

Wiseman will assume the post on 15 February, replacing career diplomat Kirsten Hillman.Carney stated that Wiseman will play a central role in advancing Canada-U.S. priorities, particularly in addressing tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump and leading discussions on the review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreement.

Wiseman, 55, was born in Niagara Falls, Ontario, and raised in Burlington. He holds a joint law and business degree from the University of Toronto and clerked for former Supreme Court justice Beverley McLachlin. His career includes work as a mergers and acquisitions lawyer with Sullivan & Cromwell in New York and Paris, managing equity funds at the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan, and leading the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. In 2016, he became senior managing director and global head of active equities at BlackRock.

Although he has limited political and diplomatic experience, he has previously served on the Prime Minister’s Council on Canada-U.S. Relations.

Wiseman has also chaired the Alberta Investment Management Corporation and is known for advocating sustainable investments and the economic benefits of transitioning to a zero-carbon economy.

Copied