Josephine Palumbo, B.Sc.Soc. 1988, J.D. 1991, BSocSc ’88, JD ’91 is currently Deputy Commissioner of Competition for the Cartels and Deceptive Marketing Practices Branch of the Competition Bureau (Canada). In 2022, she completed an assignment as Director General leading the Ukraine Taskforce – Call to Action – Canadian Industry in support of humanitarian efforts for Ukraine at the Department of Innovation Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED).
In 2020, she was appointed President of the International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN), an organization of more than 65 global consumer protection agencies working together to combat fraudulent, deceptive and unfair trading practices, and representing Canada for a one year term.
She previously held the position of Deputy Executive Director and Senior Litigation Counsel with the Department of Justice (Competition Bureau Legal Services) and had been with the Justice Department for over twenty-five years where she had carriage of high profile and complex litigation matters including criminal prosecution matters in the areas of deceptive telemarketing in her capacity as Federal Crown Prosecutor.
As Deputy Commissioner, Josephine has led several complex and key negotiations on enforcement matters for the Competition Bureau, including negotiating significant and high impact settlements that concluded with registrations of Consent Agreements with the Competition Tribunal and included significant multimillion dollar Administrative Monetary Penalties and Restitution orders on behalf of the Government of Canada.
Ms. Palumbo has received several Department of Justice Excellence Awards and has been recognized for her contributions to case work and the development of competition policy through a number of Commissioner Merit and Deputy Minister Awards for Canada.
She is currently President of the University of Ottawa Alumni Association and has served in a senior capacity on several Boards for not-for-profit organizations in Ottawa including President of the Rideau Club, the National Congress of Italian Canadians (Ottawa District) and the National Congress of Italian Canadians Foundation (EOOD) and is the founder of the Italian Canadian Historical Centre – a research and archival center focusing on Italian Canada history.
Ms. Palumbo graduated with honours from the Faculty of Common Law and Social Sciences (concentration Political Science) University of Ottawa and was admitted to the Bar of Ontario and articled with the Judiciary of the Tax Court of Canada and the Federal Court of Appeal. She is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal and is a Knight with the title of Cavaliere of the Italian Republic.