Huguette Labelle was Chancellor of the University of Ottawa from 1994 to 2012.
Born in Rockland, Ontario, Canada, Huguette Labelle holds a doctor of philosophy (education) degree from the University of Ottawa, and has honorary degrees from Brock University, the University of Saskatchewan, Carleton University, the University of Ottawa, York University, Mount Saint Vincent University, the University of Windsor, the University of Manitoba, Saint Paul University, St Francis Xavier University, Moncton University and l’Université de Montréal. She is a Companion of the Order of Canada. She has received the Vanier Medal of the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Outstanding Achievement Award of the Public Service of Canada, the McGill University Management Achievement Award and the Francophonie’s Ordre de la Pléiade.
She is currently chair of the Board of Transparency International, vice-president of the Board of CRC SOGEMA, member of the Board of Directors of the UN Global Compact, member of the External Advisors to the Implementation of the World Bank Governance and Anti-Corruption Strategy, member of the Asian Development Bank Advisory Group on Climate Change, member of the External Advisory Council of the Waterloo Global Science Initiative and member of the Advisory Committee to the COADY International Institute. She chairs the E8 Scholarship Selection Committee and sits on the World Health Organization Migration Technical Working Group. She is also providing advisory services to national and international institutions.
Huguette Labelle was president of the Canadian International Development Agency from 1993 to 1999, deputy head of the Millennium Bureau of Canada in 1998, deputy minister of Transport Canada from 1990 to 1993, chair of the Public Service Commission of Canada 1985 to 1990, associate secretary to the Cabinet and deputy clerk of the Privy Council in 1985, and under secretary of state in the Department of the Secretary of State from 1980 to 1985. From 1973 to 1980, she held senior executive positions in Indian and Northern Affairs Canada and in Health and Welfare Canada. Before joining the Canadian government, she held management positions in health science education and in nursing education. Between 1974 and 1976, she acted as a consultant to the governments of Haiti and Cuba on health care planning and on health sciences education.
Huguette Labelle has served as president or chair of the Canadian Red Cross Society, the Board of Trustees of the Ottawa General Hospital, the Board of the Ottawa Health Sciences Centre Inc., the Transportation Association of Canada, the Board of Algonquin College, the Board of the Ottawa-Carleton United Way, the Management Consulting Institute, the Board of the Centre for the Financial Services OmbudsNetwork and the Canadian Nurses Association.
Other functions have included vice-chair of the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development, vice-chair of the World Health Organization’s Working Group on Health and Development Policies, vice-president of the Canadian Safety Council, co-chair of the World Health Organization’s Expert Committee on Health Manpower Management Systems, as well as member of the Board of Governors of the International Development Research Centre, the Export Development Corporation, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, the International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development, Carleton University, McGill University, the Canada School of Public Service, the State of the World Forum, the African Virtual University, the International Aviation Management Training Institute, the Canadian Comprehensive Auditing Foundation, the Public Policy Forum, the Collegium of Work and Learning, the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, Collaboration Santé Internationale, the Institute of Public Administration of Canada, the Advisory Council on Corporate Social Responsibility of the Export Development Corporation of Canada, the World Bank Institute, New York University/Wagner and the Canadian Bureau for International Education.
She was also on the Organizing Committee of the World Youth Employment Summit, a member of the Advisory Panel to the Premier of Ontario on the Review of the Design and Funding of Postsecondary Education in Ontario, a co-chair of the National Advisory Committee of World Urban Forum III, chair of the Asian Development Bank ADF IX negotiations, chair of the Advisory Panel of the Core Program of the Greater Mekong Sub-Region and co-chair of the Task Force on China’s Environment and Development. She has served as a Trudeau Mentor and as vice-chair of the International Union for Conservation of Nature.