Carney appoints BlackRock economist Glen Purves as deputy minister of international trade

Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Glen Purves, a senior economist at BlackRock, as Canada’s new deputy minister of international trade, according to a federal government announcement.

The appointment is aimed at expanding Canadian exports beyond the United States and strengthening access to global markets. The government said Purves will help guide international trade policy as Canada works to diversify trade partnerships.

Purves has served since January 2025 as global head of macro research at the BlackRock Investment Institute in New York. He previously spent 12 years in the federal public service, including as assistant deputy minister at the Department of Finance. He has also worked at the International Monetary Fund.

The Prime Minister has recently appointed several individuals with private sector financial experience to senior government roles. That includes naming former Royal Bank of Canada executive Doug Guzman to lead a newly created defence investment agency.

In a related move, Carney appointed Rob Stewart, who had been serving as deputy minister of international trade, to head a new federal financial crime agency tasked with tracking extortion money flows.

Why this matters: Trade diversification has been a stated federal priority as Canada seeks to reduce economic reliance on the U.S. market.