Canada Makes New Diplomatic Appointments.

By Timilehin Ajibade

The Canadian Honourable Minister of Foreign Affairs, Anita Anand has announced the following diplomatic appointments today, Thursday, August 14, 2025:

Jennifer Lalonde will become High Commissioner in the Republic of Fiji. Ms. Lalonde will replaces Keith Smith.  

Jennifer Lalonde (BSocSc, University of Ottawa, 1998; MA, Guelph University, 1999; PhD [Political Science], Johns Hopkins University, 2009) began her public service career in 2003 at the Canadian International Development Agency. Overseas, she has served as the political consul in Shanghai (2020 to 2023) and the international assistance counsellor and head of cooperation in Sri Lanka (2013 to 2016). At Headquarters, she has held various positions, including as a deputy director in the Strategic Policy Branch; deputy director of political, trade and security for Afghanistan; and as a development officer and analyst for the Bolivia, Commonwealth Caribbean and Brazil programs. Most recently, she was the director of the Brazil, Southern Cone and Venezuela Division. 

Joanne Lemay will become Consul General in São Paulo (Federative Republic of Brazil). Ms. Lemay will replace Caroline Charette. 

Joanne Lemay (LLB, University of Montréal; MA [International Relations], Budapest University of Economic Sciences) joined the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade in 1997. In Canada, she has been trade commissioner in the Central Europe Division, deputy director of the Trade Commissioner Service Renewal Division’s Organizational Development Unit, director of and senior trade commissioner at the Global Affairs Canada Quebec and Nunavut Regional Office and, most recently, director general of the Indo-Pacific Strategy Planning, Policy and Operations Bureau. Abroad, she worked as trade commissioner in Kuwait City and Warsaw and as consul and senior trade commissioner in Guadalajara and Chicago. In Bucharest, she represented Canada as ambassador to Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova. In Wellington, she served as high commissioner in New Zealand, Fiji, Kiribati, Samoa and Tonga and Tuvalu. During her tenure, she became the first high commissioner for Canada in both the Cook Islands and Niue.

Paul Thoppil will become High Commissioner in the Republic of Singapore. Mr. Thoppil will replace Jean-Dominique Ieraci.

Paul Thoppil (BCom [Accounting], University of Ottawa, 1989; CPA, 1990) joined Foreign Affairs Canada in 2004 after having worked at the Treasury Board of Canada, Department of Finance Canada, Canadian Commercial Corporation and in the private sector. At Headquarters, he served in a number of director general positions in corporate finance and planning, innovation and partnerships, and trade sectors from 2004 to 2009. Assignments have included senior assistant deputy minister and chief financial officer, from 2014 to 2019, at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and its successors, Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. In 2019, he was assistant deputy minister of Global Affairs Canada’s Asia-Pacific Branch, where he was responsible for Canada’s bilateral relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, including trade and development assistance. Overseas, he was commercial minister at the Embassy to Japan from 2009 to 2014. In 2023, he became Canada’s first-ever Indo-Pacific trade representative, based in Jakarta. He will continue serving in this position on a concurrent basis.