The Honourable Bryon Wilfert

The Honourable Bryon Wilfert, P.C., M.A., ICD.D, is a former Canadian member of Parliament, educator, diplomat, corporate director and strategic advisor with more than four decades of experience in government, international relations, defence, trade and corporate governance. He served in the House of Commons from 1997 to 2011, representing Oak Ridges and Richmond Hill. His parliamentary roles included parliamentary secretary to the minister of finance and to the minister of the environment, vice-chair of the standing committees on national defence and on foreign affairs and international development, and special advisor to the leader of the official opposition on Asia-Pacific affairs. His work on Canada’s engagement in the Indo-Pacific included chairing the Canada–Japan Inter-Parliamentary Group for more than a decade, as well as the Canada–Vietnam, Canada–Indonesia, Canada–Hong Kong and Canada–Sweden friendship groups. He represented Canada at parliamentary and governmental forums throughout Asia, Europe, Africa and the Americas, promoting democratic governance, international security, trade and parliamentary diplomacy. Since leaving Parliament, Wilfert has advised governments, corporations and international organizations as senior strategic advisor with Tactix Government Relations & Public Affairs. He serves as honorary consul for Mongolia in Canada and previously served as honorary consul general for the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Canada. He is a lecturer at Centennial College and serves on corporate and public policy boards, including those of the Canada Pakistan Business Council, which he chairs; the NATO Association of Canada; the Canadian Association of Former Parliamentarians; and the Global Organization of Parliamentarians Against Corruption (GOPAC). He also serves on the Macdonald-Laurier Institute’s advisory board. His contributions to public service and international relations have been recognized with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Star, conferred by His Majesty Emperor Akihito of Japan; the King Charles III Coronation Medal; the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal; the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal; and the University of Toronto’s Arbor Award. He holds the Institute of Corporate Directors’ ICD.D designation from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto. He continues to advise organizations on public policy, government relations, international strategy, diplomacy, trade, corporate governance and Canada–Asia relations.