A University of Oxford graduate has been appointed as Canada’s next ambassador to the European Union, marking a significant diplomatic posting for the veteran politician and
former minister.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced that Jonathan Wilkinson, an alumnus of Exeter College, Oxford, will take up the role in Brussels following decades of experience across public service, business, and international policy.
Wilkinson, who completed a Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) degree at the University of Oxford in 1988, has built a career spanning more than 30 years in government and the private sector. He also studied as a Rhodes Scholar from Saskatchewan.
Since entering Canadian federal politics in 2015 as Liberal MP for North Vancouver, Wilkinson has held senior cabinet positions, including Minister of Environment and Climate Change, where he worked on climate policy and energy transition initiatives.
Before his political career, he served as a constitutional negotiator and federal-provincial relations adviser in Saskatchewan, and spent over two decades working in the private sector in roles connected to business and technology.
Announcing the appointment, Mark Carney said Canada’s relationship with Europe was becoming increasingly important amid global instability.
“In a dangerous and divided world, Canada and Europe are long-standing and reliable partners, becoming ever closer in trade, energy, technology, and security,” Carney said. “With his vast experience as a minister, entrepreneur, and businessperson, Jonathan Wilkinson will drive this mission to help create greater security, prosperity, and sustainability on both sides of the Atlantic.”
Wilkinson is expected to begin his posting at the start of the summer.
The appointment also highlights Exeter College’s growing footprint in international diplomacy. Wilkinson becomes the second alumnus of the college to hold a senior Canadian diplomatic role, alongside former justice minister David Lametti, who was named Canada’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations. Photo by UN Biodiversity, Wikimedia commons.