Mark Carney names Kirsten Hillman chief negotiator with U.S.

Ambassador to the United States Kirsten Hillman, left, and Intergovernmental Affairs Minister Dominic LeBlanc prepare to leave following a meeting between Prime Minister Mark Carney and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in Washington, D.C., May 6, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

OTTAWA — Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman will take on the role of top negotiator for Canada as the country seeks a new trade and security pact with the Donald Trump administration.

Prime Minister Mark Carney’s office confirms Hillman has been named to the position, making her U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer’s opposite number in the bilateral trade talks.

Emily Williams, Carney’s director of communications, also confirms Hillman will stay on as Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., as first reported by The Globe and Mail newspaper.

Hillman has worked at the Canadian embassy in Washington since 2017 and has served as ambassador since her acting appointment in 2019.

There is no fixed term limit for Canadian ambassadors in the U.S. but it’s rare for someone to last longer than seven years in the role.

Hillman was a key Canadian negotiator under the first Trump White House when Canada renegotiated NAFTA, and served as Canada’s chief negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 23, 2025.