Carney to appoint former BlackRock exec Mark Wiseman as ambassador to Washington

The Globe and Mail has reported that Prime Minister Mark Carney is expected to name Mark Wiseman as the new Canadian ambassador to the United States following the announcement that the current ambassador, Kirsten Hillman, would be stepping down in the new year. .Wiseman is most known in Canada for being the former chair of the Alberta Investment Management Corporation, the former CEO and president of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board, a manager at investment company BlackRock, and the co-founder of the Century Initiative..His role with the Century Initiative is what he is most likely familiar with among Canadians. Wiseman founded the lobby group alongside Dominic Barton with the aim of increasing the Canadian population to 100 million people by the year 2100, mainly through immigration. .Wiseman also made headlines in 2019 during his time as a managing director at BlackRock when he was terminated due to having an affair with a fellow employee, despite his wife being the head of BlackRock's Canadian division. .This appointment has already been criticised, most notably by Leader of the Opposition Pierre Pollievre, who tweeted that Wiseman was a "corporate crony" and that his involvement with the Century Initiative "profits multinationals by driving wages down and housing costs up with mass immigration to triple Canada's population to 100 million.".This appointment also comes with the renegotiation of the Canada-USA-Mexico Free Trade Agreement (CUSMA) in 2026. The renegotiation of this agreement is expected to be tough for the Canadian government, which has struggled to make headway in recent trade talks with the Americans. .With the US-Canada relationship seemingly at the lowest it's been in recent memory, Wiseman will have his work cut out for him trying to mend the fractious relationship that now exists between the Canadian government and the White House. Carney is expected to make this appointment official, with an announcement expected in the coming days.

Carney to appoint former BlackRock exec Mark Wiseman as ambassador to Washington

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