Professional Affiliation

Senior Business Advisory, Bennett Jones LLP; Former Canadian Ambassador to the United States

Expert Bio

Michael Kergin provides strategic advice to clients on international affairs, particularly Canada-U.S. relations, having been active in the Canadian foreign service starting in 1967.

Michael is a former Canadian Ambassador to the United States (2000-05) and Cuba (1986-89) with involvement in the Canadian foreign service that includes the Inter-American Development Bank in Washington, the Canadian Mission to the United Nations in New York, and Canadian embassies in Cameroon and Chile. He is a Special Advisor for Border Management to the Premier of Ontario and a former negotiator for Ontario in the Canada-U.S. softwood lumber dispute. He also advises Transport Canada on cross-border transportation issues.

Regularly, Michael participates in public policy panels on international relations and speaks on the future of North American relations.

In addition to his advisory positions, he is an adjunct professor in political science at the University of Ottawa and a member of the University of Toronto's President's Advisory Council.

Michael is a Senior Fellow of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.