Kirsten Hillman

Kirsten Hillman served as Canada’s Ambassador to the United States in Washington, D.C., from 2020 to 2026. The first woman appointed to this role, she led Canada’s most consequential bilateral relationship through a period of exceptional volatility and transformation, spanning three U.S. administrations and the COVID-19 pandemic, providing leadership on the full range of bilateral and global files that arise in the context of the Canada-U.S. relationship. Throughout her tenure, she was one of Canada’s foremost strategic voices in Washington and a tireless champion of Canadian interests. 

Over a distinguished 30-year career with the Government of Canada, Ms. Hillman held some of the country’s most senior diplomatic, policy, trade, and legal roles, earning a reputation as one of Canada’s most accomplished international negotiators and public servants. She advised three Prime Ministers and played a central role in advancing Canada’s global economic and strategic interests. From 2017 to 2019, Ms. Hillman served as Deputy Ambassador and then Acting Ambassador in Washington, where she played a central role in the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). Prior to that, she led the Government of Canada branch responsible for trade policy and negotiations and served as Canada’s Chief Negotiator for the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP). Earlier in her career, she served as Canada’s senior legal advisor to the World Trade Organization in Geneva and as Chief Legal Counsel in the negotiation of several international environmental agreements. She also practised law at the Department of Justice in Ottawa and at a private law firm in Montréal. 

Ms. Hillman’s leadership and influence have been widely recognized in both Canada and the United States. She was named to Maclean’s 2022 Power List of 50 Canadians forging paths, leading debate, and shaping how we think and live, and was recognized by Washingtonian as one of Washington’s Most Powerful Women three consecutive times. Ms. Hillman has twice been awarded the head of the Public Service Award and in 2025, she was awarded the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of her outstanding contributions to Canada.

Updated March, 2026