VANCOUVER, BC – June 2, 2021 – The Board of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Jeff Nankivell as the new President and CEO of APF Canada, effective September 7, 2021.
Mr. Nankivell joined Canada’s Foreign Service in 1988 and has more than 30 years’ experience working on Canadian engagement in Asia, most recently as Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao, a position he held from August 2016 to May 2021.
From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Nankivell served as Director General responsible for Canada’s official development assistance in Asia, first with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and then with Global Affairs Canada. He held various positions at CIDA between 1988 and 2008, working on programs related to China, Russia, strategic policy, and international financial institutions. He was posted three times to Canada’s embassy in Beijing – in the development assistance section 1991-95 and 2000-2004, and as Deputy Head of Mission 2008-2011. In all, Mr. Nankivell has spent more than 17 years living in Asia.
APF Canada Board Chair, The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, welcomed Mr. Nankivell to the Foundation. “I am delighted to have Jeff join our high-calibre team of Board Directors and lead our organization at this pivotal time in Canada-Asia relations,” said Mr. Pettigrew. “With his deep Asia experience and networks in business, government, and academia, Jeff understands the opportunities, complexities, and nuanced geopolitical realities of the Asia Pacific very well. I look forward to working with him as he charts a new and exciting course for the Foundation in the coming years.”
“I believe APF Canada’s mandate is more relevant today than ever,” said Mr. Nankivell, who will be based in Vancouver, British Columbia, in his role as APF Canada President and CEO. “Canada’s engagement with Asia is fundamental to our future prosperity and security and will depend on pursuing our interests while ensuring an international order consistent with our Canadian values. I look forward to working with the APF Canada team and the Foundation’s network of Asia thinkers to deepen that engagement across this dynamic region as we embrace the ‘Asian Century.’”
Added outgoing APF Canada President and CEO Stewart Beck, who will retire on August 10, 2021, after seven years in the role: “Jeff’s three decades of work in Asia has touched not only on trade and international development, but also on non-traditional security risks including climate change, food security, public health, and humanitarian issues – all areas that will be increasingly important as we move beyond the current pandemic toward the goal of a sustainable future that benefits all stakeholders, including those in the large and emerging economies of the Asia Pacific. I look forward to assisting Jeff as he builds on the work of our excellent team and world-class organization.”
About APF Canada:
The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada is a not-for-profit organization focused on Canada's relations with Asia. Learn more about the Foundation at www.asiapacific.ca
Media Contact:
Michael Roberts,
Communications Director,
Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada
