Canada’s future foreign policymakers: Meet the millennials making a mark in international affairs

By: /
18 May, 2016

The millennial generation — generally considered to encompass those aged between 18 to 34 years old — is often castigated in the media as entitled, unengaged in the world around them and at risk of having to settle for a life less comfortable than the ones lived by their parents. But the young people working behind the scenes of Canadian foreign policy in Justin Trudeau’s government tell a different story.

Here, we feature some of the best and brightest working in global affairs — highlighting their greatest achievements, the past experiences that got them to where they are today, and their advice for fellow young professionals seeking a similar career path.

From working through the night in Paris during COP21 to drafting high-level remarks for Canada’s foreign minister to aiding with policy initiatives on ground in Mozambique, Afghanistan and Morocco, these Canadians are putting their generation on the map.

For how the Canadian government can better engage its millennials, see Wisam Salih's accompanying piece, 'Welcome to a hipper, younger, capable Canadian public service.'



Peter Wright

Anne-Maryssa Poitras-Fortier

Rory Morrison

Ben Rankin

Katharine Cornish

Laurence Beaulieu-Morency

Neil Krell

Emma Bell-Scollan

Madeleine Sourisseau

Nicholas Harper

Chelsea Sayers

Andrei Marinescu

Hilary Jensen

Paige Gouin

Sean Jellow

Ashley Heideman

James Clark

Lynsey Longfield


Illustrator: Garth Laidlaw