The Honourable Sergio Marchi Joins Canada Institute Advisory Board

WASHINGTON – The Wilson Center’s Canada Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of the Honourable Sergio Marchi as a member of the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute Advisory Board Policy Circle.

Says Canada Institute Director Laura Dawson: “Sergio Marchi has been a global bridge builder for Canada in the world. He was a minister of trade and WTO ambassador during the formative stages of Canada’s entry into the global economy. Not only did he promote Canada’s competitiveness on the world stage but he also ensured that new policies were always mindful of workers, consumers and ordinary Canadians. As Director of the Canada Institute, I am delighted to welcome a man of Sergio’s vision and insight to our advisory board."

The Honourable Sergio Marchi is a corporate board director who has led a distinguished private and public sector career. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), from 2015-2019. Prior to his work with Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), Marchi served as Cabinet Minister in three critical portfolios: International Trade; Environment; and Citizenship and Immigration. He was later appointed as the Canadian Ambassador to the WTO and served as Chair of the WTO General Council. Marchi went on to be nominated by the UN Secretary General to serve as a Commissioner on the UN Global Commission on International Migration. Marchi will join other members of the Canada Institute Policy Circle, recognizing those who have made significant contributions through politics or diplomacy.

Recognized as the #1 think-tank in regional studies, the Wilson Center is a nonpartisan public policy forum based in Washington, D.C. that is dedicated to advancing dialogue and the free flow of ideas on emerging policy issues. The Canada Institute at the Wilson Center is currently the only think-tank dedicated to exploring and strengthening the Canada – U.S. relationship.  

For more information, please contact Mariana Sanchez Ramirez at Mariana.Sanchez@wilsoncenter.org or 202.691.4032.

Biographical Notes:

The Honourable Sergio Marchi has led a distinguished private and public sector career. Most recently, he served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA), from 2015-2019. CEA is the national body and voice for Canada’s major electricity utilities, which includes companies that generate, transmit, and distribute power, as well as the key sector suppliers. Immediately prior to joining CEA, Mr. Marchi held a number of other positions in the private sector, both domestically and internationally. He currently serves as a Board Director for several Canadian companies. The Honourable Sergio Marchi has had a distinguished career in public service. He was elected as a Toronto City Councillor in 1982 and was subsequently elected as the Member of Parliament representing the Toronto riding of York West in 1984. During his time in the federal government, he served as Cabinet Minister in three critical portfolios: International Trade; Environment; and Citizenship and Immigration. After voluntarily leaving the political arena in 1999, Mr. Marchi was appointed Canadian   Ambassador to the World Trade Organization and United Nations agencies in Geneva, where he served for five years. Mr. Marchi was elected by his international peers as Chairman of the WTO Council. In 2003, he was nominated by the Canadian government and the UN Secretary General to serve as Commissioner on the UN Global Commission on International Migration, a position he held until 2005. Mr. Marchi graduated from York University with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in Urban Planning. He is married, with two children.

Laura Dawson is the director of the Wilson Center’s Canada Institute. Named one of Canada’s Top 100 foreign policy influencers by the Hill Times, Dawson is a speaker, writer, and thought leader on Canada-U.S., NAFTA, TPP, and international trade issues.  Dawson currently serves as a member of Canada’s Deputy Minister’s Advisory Committee on Trade. Previously, she served as senior advisor on economic affairs at the United States Embassy in Ottawa and taught international trade and Canada-U.S. relations at Carleton University. Dawson continues to serve as an advisor at Dawson Strategic, which provides advice to business on cross-border trade, market access and regulatory issues.  Dawson holds a PhD in political science.
Twitter: @DawsonCanada

Canada Institute Advisory Board

The Canada Institute’s programming, publications, and strategic direction benefit greatly from the leadership and guidance of its advisory board, which features 19 prominent businesses and thought leaders from Canada and the United States.

About the Canada Institute

The Canada Institute was founded in 2001 to increase awareness and knowledge about Canada and Canada-U.S. relations among U.S. policymakers and opinion leaders. The Institute currently stands as the only nonpartisan public policy forum in the world dedicated to exploring emerging policy issues in one of the most successful and unique bilateral relationships in the world.

Twitter: @CanadaInstitute