Prime Minister Mark Carney speaks during a media availability in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, last week. Mr. Carney has shuffled the ranks in his inner circle.Adrian Wyld/The Canadian Press
Two members of Prime Minister Mark Carney’s inner circle are getting a boost as part of a staff shuffle prompted by the appointment of his principal secretary to the Senate and a deputy chief of staff departing to run for office.
Scott Gilmore, currently Mr. Carney’s senior adviser on foreign, defence and security policy, is being promoted to principal secretary as of later this month, three sources told The Globe and Mail.
The sources also said that Maia Johnson, currently a senior adviser for Canada-U.S. relations, is taking on an additional role as chief operating officer.
The Globe is not naming the sources because they were not authorized to disclose internal staffing matters.
The rollout of staffing changes follows Mr. Carney’s appointment last week of his previous principal secretary, Tom Pitfield, to the Senate. And one of his deputy chiefs of staff, Braeden Caley, on Sunday formalized his resignation from the job to seek the Liberal nomination in a B.C. riding.
The staff shuffle arrives as the Carney Liberals move into the second year of their mandate under pressure to deliver results on crucial promises, such as a new trade deal with the United States, while they also grapple with a shaky economy and fissures in national unity.
The title of “chief operating officer” is unusual for the Prime Minister’s Office. Ms. Johnson’s role, the sources said, will mirror the corporate sector’s approach of having a person – the COO – in charge of ensuring the day-to-day work of an organization happens as desired.
The role is distinct from that of a chief of staff, who is primarily focused on implementing the prime minister’s political and policy agenda. Mr. Carney’s chief of staff is Marc-André Blanchard.
Little is known publicly about Ms. Johnson’s background.
The sources said she is connected to Mr. Carney through his prior work with the Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ), which he launched while he was the United Nations Special Envoy for Climate Action and Finance. But they did not know the specifics.
Ms. Johnson is American and is cited in news stories as playing a role in political strategy and logistics for Democrats, including Hillary Clinton. She is also referenced as being connected to former New York City mayor and media baron Michael Bloomberg’s now-defunct political strategy firm, Hawkfish LLC.
Mr. Bloomberg was the co-chair of GFANZ with Mr. Carney.
While at GFANZ, Mr. Carney delivered two lectures in 2022 on global governance of the environment, and he cited Ms. Johnson as having helped with the research.
Records from Mr. Carney’s Liberal leadership bid obtained by The Globe last year show Ms. Johnson coming in from New York City to volunteer with his campaign. She joined the PMO earlier this year.
In June, the Conflict of Interest and Ethics Commissioner posted a notice that she had been fined $200 for failing to file routine disclosures required of all public office holders on time. She has paid the fine, and her disclosure statement is listed as being in progress.
The Globe asked Ms. Johnson for comment on her connections to Mr. Carney and how she came to work in Canadian politics but did not immediately receive a reply.
Mr. Gilmore is a former diplomat who has been part of Mr. Carney’s inner circle since last year’s Liberal leadership campaign.
The principal secretary role traditionally focuses on high-level strategic guidance and political affairs.
The Prime Minister’s Office declined to comment on the new staff appointments, which are part of a broader change in the upper ranks.
The Globe reported on Sunday, citing sources, that those changes include Tim Krupa, the former director of policy, becoming a deputy chief of staff and chief economist.
Jennifer MacIntyre will also become a deputy chief of staff, with a focus on international affairs. She was most recently an assistant deputy minister for international affairs and crisis response at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Jennifer MacIntyre's surname.