Assistant Deputy Minister Africa and Pan-Geographic Affairs
Global Affairs Canada

Cheryl Urban has been with Global Affairs Canada since 2010. Before assuming the position of Assistant Deputy Minister for Africa and Pan-Geographic Affairs, she was Director General for Economic Development, leading the department’s engagement with international financial institutions and policy in the areas of economic growth and governance. Prior to this, Ms. Urban served as the Director General of South America and Inter-American Affairs, where she oversaw Canada’s bilateral trade, political, and development cooperation relationship with countries in South America, and provided direction to Canada’s permanent mission to the Organization of American States. In this capacity, she led Canada’ strategic engagement on the Venezuela crisis.

Within Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Urban has also held the positions of Director General of Corporate Planning, Performance and Risk Management; Program Director, Southeast Asia; and Policy Director with the Afghanistan Task Force. Her time on the Afghanistan Task Force included field assignments in Kabul and Kandahar.

Before joining Global Affairs Canada, Ms. Urban worked for seven years at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada where she led federal-provincial/territorial-Indigenous negotiations related to education. Before joining the Government of Canada, she worked as a researcher at Sussex Circle Management Consulting firm in Toronto. She holds an Honours B.A. in Philosophy from McGill University and an M.A. in East Asian Studies from the University of Toronto.