By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has named the former chief executive of BCE and president of Quebec's biggest pension fund the country's new bureaucrat to help him implement his aggressive economic agenda.

Michael Sabia, who until Wednesday was the chief executive of Hydro-Quebec, will assume the role of Clerk of the Privy Council in early July, Carney said in a statement. The clerk, in practice the chief bureaucrat, advises the prime minister and the cabinet on how best to implement the executive's wishes on policy.

Sabia is no stranger to the Canadian government, as he served in senior roles at the Department of Finance, including a recent stint as the ministry's chief official during the administration led by former prime minister Justin Trudeau. Sabia has served as chief financial officer at Canadian National Railway, and CEO at BCE--one of Canada's biggest telecommunications companies--and the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec, Canada's second-largest pension fund.

In a statement, Carney said Sabia's leadership experience will be important in the Liberal government's drive to build the strongest economy in the Group of Seven. "Canada's exemplary public service - with Sabia at the helm - will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth, and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve," Carney said.

Just prior to Carney's announcement, Hydro-Quebec issued a statement about Sabia's departure. In the Hydro-Quebec statement, Sabia said Carney offered the job "at a time when the country is facing some unprecedented challenges. In that context, I am joining the federal government to tackle these challenge head on."

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has named the former chief executive of BCE and president of Quebec's biggest pension fund as the country's new bureaucrat to help him implement his aggressive economic agenda.

Michael Sabia, who until Wednesday was the chief executive of Hydro-Quebec, will assume the role of Clerk of the Privy Council in early July, Carney said. The clerk, who is in practice the chief bureaucrat, advises the prime minister and the cabinet on how best to implement the executive's wishes on policy.

Sabia is no stranger to the Canadian government, as he served in senior roles at the Department of Finance, including a recent stint as the ministry's chief official during the administration led by former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Sabia has served as chief financial officer at Canadian National Railway; CEO at BCE--one of Canada's biggest telecommunications companies; and the Caisse de Depot et Placement du Quebec, Canada's second-largest pension fund.

His leadership experience would be important in the Liberal government's drive to build the strongest economy in the Group of Seven, Carney said.

"Canada's exemplary public service--with Sabia at the helm--will advance nation-building projects, catalyze enormous private investment to drive growth, and deliver the change Canadians want and deserve," the prime minister said.

Prior to Carney's announcement, Hydro-Quebec issued a statement about Sabia's departure. In the statement, Sabia said Carney offered the job "at a time when the country is facing some unprecedented challenges"

"In that context, I am joining the federal government to tackle these challenge head on," Sabia added.

Hydro-Quebec credited Sabia with helping the provincially-owned electricity producer and distributor to diversify its sources of clean energy, establish closer ties with indigenous communities, and strike a power deal with the neighboring province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

At a conference earlier this week, Sabia said Canada suffers from "an ambition deficit," and reigniting the economy requires scaling back existing regulations that discourage foreign investment.

"We've got a lot to fix on the regulatory side," Sabia said, according to the Globe and Mail, which organized and hosted the conference.

Carney intends to pursue an aggressive economic agenda aimed at increasing productivity and building resilience--at a time when the country can no longer count on its exports attaining duty-free access to the U.S.

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

June 11, 2025 17:03 ET (21:03 GMT)

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