Carney appoints former envoy to China Dominic Barton to lead investment promotion agency

Dominic Barton will be taking over as chair of the board of directors of Invest in Canada. Photo by Adam Huras /Telegraph-Journal

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OTTAWA — Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed high-profile executive and former diplomat Dominic Barton to lead the federal agency charged with promoting foreign investment in Canada.

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Carney said in a press release on Monday that Barton will be taking over as chair of the board of directors of Invest in Canada.

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“Mr. Barton brings extensive experience in global business, investment, and public service,” read the release.

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Barton, 63, has long been a powerful behind-the-scenes figure in Liberal circles. He was appointed Canada’s ambassador to China by then prime minister Justin Trudeau in 2019 and served until 2021. Earlier, in 2016, he had been named chair of the Trudeau government’s advisory council on economic growth.

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His time as Canada’s envoy to China was dominated by the “Two Michaels” diplomatic crisis. In December 2018, China detained Canadian nationals Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor on espionage charges widely viewed as retaliation for Canada’s arrest of Huawei CFO Meng Wanzhou on a U.S. extradition request. The two were held for over 1,000 days before their release in September 2021, shortly after Meng was freed.

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Barton personally accompanied the two Michaels on their flight back to Canada.

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Shortly after stepping down from his post as Canada’s envoy to China, Barton accepted a position as chair of global mining giant Rio Tinto. While the job change raised eyebrows over Rio Tinto’s extensive activities in China, Barton was able to avoid an ethics probe into the matter.

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Barton, a former senior executive with consulting firm McKinsey & Company, was called to testify before the House of Commons in 2023 in relation to more than $100 million in consulting fees incurred by the Trudeau government.

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Carney also announced the appointment of financier Gurinder Grewal as Chief Executive Officer of Invest in Canada.

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“Dominic Barton and Gurinder Grewal have the experience and ambition Canada needs. Under their leadership, Invest in Canada will catalyse billions in new investments into Canada to build a stronger, more independent, more resilient Canadian economy for all,” said Carney.

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Founded in 2018, Invest in Canada is an arms-length federal agency that promotes and attracts foreign direct investment into Canada.

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