Session 2: Women Negotiating Successfully - Speaker Bios

Louise Léger

Ms. Léger joined the then Department of Industry, Trade and Commerce as a Trade Commissioner in 1981. Her career in the Canadian foreign service has included postings at the Canadian Embassies in Colombia, Switzerland and Israel. She has also served as Ambassador to Panama (1995-1998) as well as Ambassador to Costa Rica (2001-2004).

In Canada, she has held the positions of Deputy Director of the Eastern Europe Commercial Relations Division at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (1993-1995) as well as Executive Director and Deputy Director-General at the Summit of the Americas Bureau (2001). She was appointed Director-General, Trade Commissioner Service Operations and Services Bureau in 2004.

Born in Memramcook, New Brunswick, Ms. Léger holds a degree in Economics from the University of Moncton and has also studied at the Collège d’Europe in Bruges, Belgium. Prior to joining the foreign service, she was an assistant professor of Economics at the University of Moncton. Her hobbies include sports and reading on current affairs.