Kerry Buck (BA Hons, Political Science, University of Western Ontario; Common Law and Civil Law, LLB, BCL, McGill University) joined Canada’s then Department of External Affairs and International Trade in 1991. She most recently was Assistant Secretary to the Treasury Board responsible for economic sector. Prior to that she served as Canada’s Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the North Atlantic Council (NATO). Previous senior diplomatic positions include Political Director and Assistant Deputy Minister for International Security and Political Affairs, Assistant Deputy Minister for Africa, for Latin America and the Caribbean, head of the Afghanistan Task Force, Director General for the Middle East and Maghreb and Director for Human Rights. She was also posted to the Canadian Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York. Outside of the Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada, Ms. Buck served in the Privy Council Office as Director of Operations for Machinery of Government Secretariat, as Director of Policy and International Programs at the Canadian Human Rights Commission, with the International Development Research Centre and the Constitutional Law Bureau of the Office of the Attorney General of Ontario. Ms. Buck speaks English and French. She is married to Michael Pearson and has a son and three step-daughters.