Canada appoints first female defence chief

Canada has, for the first time in its history, appointed a woman to head its military.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Wednesday named Lieutenant-General Jennie Carignan as chief of the defense staff, to take office effectively on July 18, 2024.

The appointment is seen as part of a continuing push by the Prime Minister for appointment of women to the most senior jobs, in a country where the governor general, Mary Simon, is a woman.

The prime minister said upon naming the new chief of defence staff: “Over the course of her career, her exceptional leadership qualities, commitment to excellence, and dedication to service have been a tremendous asset to our Armed Forces.”

The newly appointed chief of defence staff has commanded troops in Afghanistan, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iraq and Syria during her 35 years in the army.

Currently leading the military’s reform efforts as the head of conduct and culture change, she will on July 18 replace General Wayne Eyre as the head of Canada’s military, and will become the first woman to serve in that role.

A married mother of four children, two serving in the Canadian Armed Forces, Jennie Carignan led NATO Mission Iraq from November 2019 to November 2020 and participated in three previous expeditionary operations in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Golan Heights, and Afghanistan.

She has two Master’s degrees: one in Business Administration from Université Laval and the other from the United States Army Command and General Staff College.

Canada is a North American country of about 39 million people.

The Canadian Armed Forces is made up of the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Air Force, and the Royal Canadian Navy.