Carney hires BlackRock’s Purves to help run trade department — Glenn Purves named deputy minister
glenn purves has been appointed deputy minister of international trade in a senior public service shuffle announced in Ottawa, with Prime Minister Mark Carney moving private‑sector talent into key government roles to help boost exports to non‑U. S. markets. The announcement, made Wednesday, places a BlackRock economist back into the federal apparatus as part of a broader reorganization of deputy ministers. The changes take effect in the coming weeks and are presented as part of an effort to bring private‑sector expertise into public service leadership.
Top facts first: role, remit and immediate placement
Glenn Purves will take on the deputy minister portfolio for international trade, a position set out to strengthen the country’s ability to expand exports beyond its largest trading partner. Purves arrives from the BlackRock Investment Institute in New York, where he has served as global head of macro research since January 2025. His return to the public service follows roughly 12 years of prior federal experience, most recently as an assistant deputy minister with the Department of Finance, and a previous stint at the International Monetary Fund.
Details of the cabinet office shuffle and related moves
The personnel changes name 16 individuals in new senior roles across government. Among other placements are Doug Guzman to lead a newly formed defence investment agency and Rob Stewart assigned as deputy minister responsible for creating a new agency to fight financial crime; Stewart previously served as deputy minister of international trade. Kevin Brosseau was given an additional portfolio as senior associate deputy minister of national defence while maintaining his role as the federal official tasked with combating the fentanyl trade. The announcement also lists several retirements from deputy minister ranks and two senior leaders moving to international institutions.
Glenn Purves returns to public service
Purves’s move reflects a pattern in this administration of recruiting executives from finance and industry into senior public service positions. His BlackRock role, held in New York at the Investment Institute, placed him at the center of macroeconomic research and strategy; his earlier federal roles include Assistant Deputy Minister at Finance Canada between 2021 and 2023. The appointment is one of several recent examples of external hires into senior government posts outside the formal interchange program announced in last year’s budget.
Immediate reactions and names in the reshuffle
Named officials and senior leaders listed in the announcement include Prime Minister Mark Carney; Doug Guzman, appointed to head the new defence investment agency; Rob Stewart, tasked with creating an agency to fight financial crime and previously deputy minister of international trade; Kevin Brosseau, Commissioner of Canada’s Fight Against Fentanyl and now Senior Associate Deputy Minister of National Defence; and David Angell, moving to Associate Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The announcement also identifies three deputy ministers scheduled to retire and two senior leaders progressing to international financial institutions.
Quick context
The federal budget pledged to broaden private‑sector integration into the public service under a rebranded Build Canada Exchange, an initiative with an immediate goal of integrating external leaders into government. Past appointments cited by the government include senior executives placed in major projects and defence investment roles.
What’s next
The appointments, including that of glenn purves, take effect in the coming weeks, and implementation of the wider plan to bring private‑sector leaders into government roles is expected to be monitored closely by departmental officials and central agencies. Further announcements may follow as the administration adjusts deputy minister placements and implements the budget commitment to integrate external leaders into federal departments.
