Former deputy minister, businessman Michael Sabia named next Privy Council clerk

Former deputy finance minister and businessman Michael Sabia has been named the next head of Canada's public service.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that he would be tapping Sabia as the next clerk of the Privy Council in a news release on Wednesday.

"Mr. Sabia brings over three decades of expertise across the public and private sectors," the statement from the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) read.

"Canada's exemplary public service — with Mr. Sabia at the helm — will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve."

The prime minister also announced that the current clerk, John Hannaford will be retiring.

"Mr. Hannaford's leadership has helped guide Canada's response to a wide array of new trade and security challenges, and supported Canada's new government in passing a middle-class tax cut, introducing stronger border security measures and tabling legislation to build one Canadian economy," the PMO statement said.

Sabia was Canada's deputy minister of finance from 2020 until 2023. He has since been the head of Hydro-Québec.

He was also for over a decade the chief executive of the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, the province's public pension fund manager, and is a former chief executive of BCE Inc.

"It's fantastic for the federal public service at this moment. It's a critical moment for our country," Carney told Radio-Canada host Patrice Roy in French on Wednesday afternoon.

"You need people with lots of experience in the public service, like Mr. Sabia, but also in investing: investing in green energy, in telecommunications and in the transport sector."

Sabia will officially take over as clerk on July 7, the PMO statement said.