Mandate
The Executive Office reports directly to the Deputy Minister and is the central point of contact for the coordination of all departmental support of:
- the Minister's collective and individual responsibilities and accountabilities to Parliament; and,
- advancing the Minister’s key governmental and ministerial priorities.
The Executive Office is composed of several teams dedicated to providing a wide range of services.
Services
-
Issues Management
The Issues Management Directorate (IMD) supports the Minister by:
- Providing Departmental Liaison services, which includes being the single-window for questions, information, and approval items to and from the department for the Minister’s Office;
- Coordinating ad hoc Minister’s Office briefings and Ministerial travel/trip planning;
- Facilitating support materials for Cabinet meetings and Ministerial meetings/trips;
- Supporting the Minister's Question Period preparations or committee appearances and providing advice and support regarding Parliamentary activities; and
- Reviewing and sharing Access to Information and Privacy Act and proactive disclosure releases.
-
Strategic Services
The Strategic Services Directorate (SSD) supports the Minister by:
- Providing administrative and operational services, such as human resources, financial and information technology support;
- Coordinating and delivering weekly briefings to the Minister, known as Min/DM meetings, and providing supporting documents; and,
- Providing writing and editing services for the preparation of correspondence to the general public, Parliamentarians, other levels of government, and stakeholders on behalf of the Minister.
Profile:
Deputy Minister: Michael Keenan
Associate Deputy Minister: Arun Thangaraj
Chief of Staff: Jimmy Brackenridge
Director, Strategic Services: Annie Arcand
Director, Issues Management: Mélanie Drouin
Size: 48 employees (all located in HQ)
Mélanie Drouin
Director, Issues Management
Mélanie Drouin - Director, Issues Management Directorate
Melanie Drouin is the Director of the Issues Management Directorate within the Executive Office. She has extensive experience managing issues and has been part of the communications response for many transportation-related incidents/accidents such as 9/11 and most recently for COVID-19.
Her team is responsible for the official liaison function between the Minister’s Office and the Department, for Parliamentary affairs, as well as providing a strategic horizontal lenses on files and issues.
Melanie has been a public servant for almost 25 years in different roles from senior communications advisor, senior regulatory affairs analyst to manager. She is familiar with transportation issues having worked at Transport Canada and NAV CANADA for almost 15 years. Melanie also held positions at Public Service and Procurement Canada; Infrastructure Canada; Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada; and at the National Research Council of Canada.
In her spare time, Melanie volunteers as a career mentor with the Ottawa Community Immigrant Services Organization to help newcomers integrate the Canadian labour market.
She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Arts (Communications and Classical Studies) from the University of Ottawa.
Annie Arcand
Director, Strategic Services
Annie Arcand - Director, Strategic Services
Annie Arcand has been Director of Strategic Services within the Executive Office since September 2020. In this role, she provides strategic advice and support to the Deputy Minister and the Associate Deputy Minister, as well as to other executive members of Transport Canada’s management team. She also leads the team responsible for the Minister’s correspondence and, as the Departmental Concierge, is responsible for organizing and managing transition efforts.
Annie has been at Transport Canada since 2000 and has served in many positions within the Safety and Security directorate, including Senior Regulatory Affairs Analyst, Chief of Issues Management and Communications, and Ministerial Liaison Officer in the Assistant Deputy Minister's Office. In 2018, Annie joined the Executive Office as Departmental Liaison before taking on the role of Director of Issues Management.
Annie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences (Political Science and History) from the University of Ottawa.
Jimmy Brackenridge
Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister
Jimmy Brackenridge - Chief of Staff to the Deputy Minister
Jimmy Brackenridge is the Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Minister of Transport.
Jimmy joined Transport Canada in 2002 as Parliamentary Affairs Advisor. In 2008, he moved to Infrastructure Canada as Chief of Parliamentary and Cabinet Affairs. There, he helped navigate relations with the offices of various ministers and oversaw all parliamentary business for the Deputy Minister.
In 2012, Jimmy returned to Transport Canada as Chief of Parliamentary Affairs. Since that time, he has served in many positions in the Executive Office, including Director of Issues Management, Director of Strategic Services, and Transition Concierge.