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Keynote Speakers

 

Paul Cellucci
Former American Ambassador to Canada 

 

Mr. Cellucci offers more than 35 years of public service experience, including, as US Ambassador to Canada, Governor of Massachusetts, and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. Currently Special Counsel to the Public Strategy Group, Mr. Cellucci focuses on the areas of life sciences, energy and technology.

 

Mr. Cellucci works with businesses to expand their growth opportunities both nationally and internationally. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development at Magna Entertainment Corporation, where he played a leadership role in the Company’s efforts to bring about regulatory reform.

 

In his role as US Ambassador to Canada, Mr. Cellucci worked for four years to strengthen and grow the trading relationship between the United States and Canada, expedite border crossings for commercial and passenger vehicles, continue the integration of the North American energy market and help resolve trade disputes. This was particularly challenging after the September 11th attacks, when security became the Embassy’s top priority.

 

Mr. Cellucci was named Ambassador after serving as Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts from 1997 to 2001 and Lieutenant Governor from 1991 to 1997. He has been a leader in education reform, increased access to health care, the fight against domestic violence, and cutting taxes.

 

Mr. Cellucci's career in government began in 1970 when he was elected to the Hudson Charter Commission. One year later he won a seat on the Hudson Board of Selectmen and he served on that panel until 1977. In 1976 he was elected to the first of four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. In 1984, Ambassador Cellucci was elected to the Massachusetts Senate from the Middlesex and Worcester District, and during his third and final Senate term became the Assistant Republican Leader.

 

Ambassador Cellucci received his law degree from Boston College Law School in 1973. In 1970, he graduated from the Boston College School of Management, where he served in the Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC). He also served in the U.S. Army Reserves from 1970 until 1978, when he was honorably discharged with the rank of Captain.

Michael F. Kergin
Former Ambassador of Canada to the United States of America

 

Mr. Kergin's career in the Public Service began when he joined the Department of External Affairs (now the Department of Foreign Affairs) in 1967 as a Foreign Service Officer.  His postings abroad included 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 served as Ambassador to Cuba from 1986 to 1989 and has had three postings to Washington, the last as Ambassador of Canada to the United States (2000-2005).

 

During his years in Ottawa, Mr. Kergin held various positions at the Foreign Affairs Department, such as Senior Policy Advisor to the Minister, Assistant Deputy Minister variously for International Organisations, Intelligence and Security and the Americas. In 1998, the Prime Minister asked him to serve as his Foreign Policy Advisor as well as Assistant Secretary to the Cabinet for Foreign and Defence Policy (the Canadian equivalent to the National Security Adviser in the U.S. government).

 

On leaving the Federal Government in 2005, Mr. Kergin was asked by the Premier of Ontario, Dalton McGuinty to serve as Special Advisor for Border Management.  He was later appointed as Negotiator for Ontario in the Softwood Lumber dispute with the USA. 

 

He is an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Ottawa.  In the Fall of 2005 Mr. Kergin was the Malim Harding Visiting Professor at the Department of Political Science at the University of Toronto where he also serves as a member of the President’s International Advisory Council. He has participated in many public policy panels on international relations, and spoken about future scenarios for North America and Canada-US relations

 

Mr. Kergin is President and CEO of Intermestic Consulting Inc and is a Senior Fellow of the US Chamber of Commerce.

 

Mr. Kergin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1965 with an Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree in history and languages and, in 1967, received a second degree in Arts (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) from Magdalen College at Oxford University.

 

Mr. Kergin was born in a Canadian military hospital in Bramshott, England, on April 26th, 1942. He is married to Margarita Fuentes Kergin, and they have three sons: Patrick, Christopher and Andrew. He enjoys playing tennis.