Ottawa, 23 December (H.S.): Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Monday the appointment of financier Mark Wiseman, a former BlackRock senior managing director and longtime ally, as Canada's next ambassador to the United States, tasking the 55-year-old with steering bilateral relations through the ongoing USMCA review and escalating tariffs amid a deepening trade rift.
Wiseman, set to assume the role in mid-February following Kirsten Hillman's departure, brings three decades of expertise in law, finance, and cross-border investment, including stints as CEO of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and chair of Alberta Investment Management Corporation.
A Yale alumnus and ex-lawyer at Sullivan & Cromwell in New York and Paris, Wiseman currently serves as senior advisor and Canada chairman at Lazard, alongside roles at Boston Consulting Group and NOVA Chemicals' board.
Carney lauded his immense experience, extensive contacts, and deep commitment during this crucial time of transformation, positioning him on the Prime Minister's Canada-US Relations Council since March to champion workers, businesses, and joint opportunities.
As co-founder of the Century Initiative advocating Canada's population growth to 100 million by 2100 via immigration, Wiseman draws Conservative ire from leader Pierre Poilievre, who assailed the group for inflating living costs, seizing jobs, and straining healthcare.
Outgoing Ambassador Kirsten Hillman, pivotal in the 2017-2020 USMCA renegotiation and in post since March 2020, announced her resignation earlier this month, citing the opportune moment to refresh leadership for the pact's 2026 mandatory review involving public hearings and stakeholder consultations.
She pledged ongoing support to negotiators as Trump signals potential expiration, having halted talks in late October over Ontario's anti-tariff US ad. Hillman's tenure navigated Trump's first-term pressures, earning praise from both nations for forging economic-security ties.
Wiseman inherits a fraught dynamic marked by Trump's sector-specific tariffs on Canadian metals, lumber, and autos, plus a blanket 35% levy on non-USMCA goods—despite exemptions under the pact—spurring Canadian vows of retaliation and diversification. The USMCA evaluation, underway since public input phases, could renew or dissolve the trilateral deal, with Trump eyeing lapses amid dairy, lumber disputes and threats up to 250% on select items.
Carney's choice underscores urgency in resetting ties strained by protectionism, as Canada eyes AI-driven energy demands and fusion ventures like Trump Media's TAE Technologies merger.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
