Sabia, veteran of public, private sectors, to head Carney’s Privy Council

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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney is tapping Michael Sabia, a veteran of the public and private sector, to head up the Privy Council Office in Ottawa.

Sabia’s tenure as clerk of the Privy Council and secretary to cabinet will begin July 7. He replaces John Hannaford, who is retiring.

The Privy Council offers non-partisan policy advice to the prime minister and cabinet and is responsible for managing the broader public service.

Sabia has served as president and CEO of Hydro-Quebec since 2023. He said in a statement released by the utility Wednesday that he was answering Carney’s call to serve as the prime minister pushes for a rapid transformation of Canada’s government and economy.

“Prime Minister Carney asked me to take on this role at a time when the country is facing some unprecedented challenges,” he said. “In that context, I am joining the federal government to tackle these challenges head-on.”

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Sabia started his career in the public sector and spent years at the Privy Council. He was Canada’s deputy finance minister throughout the pandemic years and the early recovery period.

He served as the head of Quebec’s public pension plan for over a decade before that. He is a former CEO of Bell Canada Enterprises and former CFO of Canadian National Railway.

Sabia was named an officer of the Order of Canada in 2017.

“As Canada’s new government moves with focus and determination to build the strongest economy in the G7, bring down costs for Canadians and keep communities safe, Mr. Sabia will help us deliver on this mandate and our government’s disciplined focus on core priorities,” Carney said in a media statement.