Hon. Rona Ambrose

The Honourable Rona Ambrose is a dynamic national leader, a champion for the rights of women and girls, the former leader of Canada’s Official Opposition in the House of Commons, and the former leader of the Conservative Party of Canada.

By the time she announced her retirement from politics in 2017, she had served as a cabinet minister across several government departments, including serving as Vice-Chair of the Treasury Board and as Chair of the Cabinet Committee for Public Safety, Justice and Aboriginal Issues.

Her service includes developing federal policies in military procurement, industrial strategies such as the federal shipbuilding program, health innovation and improvements to sexual assault laws. As the former environment minister, Rona was responsible for Canada's first  GHG regulatory regime in place across several industrial sectors today.

Rona is a passionate advocate for supporting and protecting disadvantaged women and girls. Her commitment to this fight led the global movement to create the “International Day of the Girl” at the United Nations. Rona serves on the board of directors for Plan International Canada and is the co-author of a best-selling children's book "International Day of the Girl: Celebrating Girls Around the World". Rona's proceeds from the book are donated to Plan International Canada.

Her efforts were recognized by the U.N. Women's "She Innovates" initiative as 1 of 100 women who are "Impossible to Ignore". She was also named by WXN as one of Canada's Most Powerful Women and presented the "Women of Courage Award". Rona secured the unanimous support of the Canadian House of Commons for legislation she initiated to ensure judges receive sexual assault law training, which became law in 2021. As an advocate for diversity, Rona is proud to be the first leader of her Party to march in a Pride parade.

Rona is on several corporate and non-profit boards. Additionally, Rona is a Global Fellow at the Woodrow Wilson Centre Canada Institute and served on the Government of Canada's Indo-Pacific Strategy Advisory Council. Additionally, she is on the Senior Advisory Board of the Canadian Global Affairs Institute, the advisory board of the Canadian American Business Council, the advisory board of the Wilson Centre Canada Institute, and the Trilateral Commission.  Rona is the recipient of the Famous Five Nation Builder Award, Public Policy Forum’s “Service to Canada” Award, Friends of Africa Humanity Award, the U.N. Women Canada National Committee Award, the Canadian AIDS Society leadership pin, the Golda Meir Award for courage, the Florence Ladue Legacy and Legend Award for “western spirit”, and the Rare Disease Rarity Heroes Award for Policy Leadership.

Rona was also part of the Prime Ministers council to renegotiate the NAFTA Accord. 

When she’s not working, Rona is usually found in the Rockies horseback riding, hiking or skiing with her husband, JP, and three kids.