David Morrison, Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister & Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, National Security and Intelligence

Roundtable Luncheon with David Morrison.

C.D. Howe Institute events and webinars are open to members and their guests.

Please follow this link or contact events@cdhowe.org to register.

David Morrison, Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister & Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet, National Security and Intelligence

On March 4, 2026, David Morrison was appointed Senior Diplomatic and International Affairs Advisor to the Prime Minister, and Personal Representative (Sherpa) of the Prime Minister for the G7 and G20 Summits. He previously served as Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs; Deputy Minister of International Trade; Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister; and Senior Vice-President of the Canadian International Development Agency. He was also G7 Sherpa 2018–2023.

Before rejoining the Government of Canada in 2012, David worked in the UN system, including as Executive Secretary of United Nations Capital Development Fund; Spokesperson and Director of Communications at the United Nations Development Programme; and founding President of NetAid, a UN–private sector partnership.

Earlier in his career David served with the UN in North Korea, and as a political officer at the Canadian Embassy in Havana. From 1995 to 1999, he was a Director and Member of the Executive Board at the World Economic Forum in Geneva, in charge of the programme for the annual Summit in Davos.

David holds a Master of Philosophy in international relations from the University of Oxford, and a Bachelor of Arts in history from Yale University.