John Hannaford is the Personal Representative of the Canadian Prime Minister to the European Union and served as the 25th Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet from 24 June 2023 to 6 July 2025. He retired from Canada’s Public Service after a career marked by decades leading thousands of Canadian Public Servants, advising three Canadian Prime Ministers and, ultimately, leading Canada’s largest institution, the 375,000-strong Public Service of Canada. John has longstanding experience in geopolitical, trade, and international security environments, including serving as Canada’s Ambassador to Norway and as Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to two Prime Ministers. He is also a former Deputy Minister of International Trade and Deputy Minister of Natural Resources.
After graduating from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours, First Class) in history, he earned a Master of Science in International Relations at the London School of Economics, before completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Toronto.
In recognition of his contributions to public service, John was appointed to the King’s Privy Council on 4 July 2025.