Elissa Golberg, Ambassador of Canada to Italy, Ambassador of Canada to Albania and San Marino, High Commissioner to Malta, and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN Agencies in Rome (IFAD, FAO, WFP)

Biography

Elissa Golberg is Ambassador of Canada to Italy, Ambassador of Canada to Albania and San Marino, High Commissioner to Malta, and Permanent Representative of Canada to the UN Agencies in Rome (IFAD, FAO, WFP). Prior to this, she was Assistant Deputy Minister for Strategic Policy at Global Affairs Canada from 2017 to 2021, the department’s Champion for Innovation and Experimentation, and Head of Performance Management and Results. Ms. Golberg has held several senior Canadian government roles, including:

• Assistant Deputy Minister – Partnerships for Development Innovation (2015-2017)
• Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva and to the Conference on Disarmament (2011-2015)
• Director-General of the Stabilization and Reconstruction Task Force (2009-2011)
• Representative of Canada in Kandahar, Afghanistan (2008-2009)

Ms. Golberg is a member of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters, and the UN Central Emergency Revolving Fund Advisory Group.  She sits on the Boards of the Centre for Global Governance and Innovation (CIGI), the Lewis Perinbaum Award, and the Advisory Board for the 2021 Canada Forum for Impact Investment and Development.

Ms. Golberg holds a Master’s degree in International Relations. She is a recipient of the NATO ISAF General Service medal, the Queen’s Jubilee Medal, the Public Service Award of Excellence, and 3 Ministers’ Awards for Foreign Policy Excellence. She has been a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader, and published articles on humanitarian, fragile state and public policy related matters.