Bennett Jones
Serge provides advice to clients in the public and private sectors on matters related to public policy and governance. Before joining Bennett Jones in 2018, he was a senior executive in the Government of Canada with close to 35 years of experience in economic and financial policy.
Serge served in 2016-17 as Deputy Clerk of the Privy Council and Deputy Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this role, he supported the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Clerk of the Privy Council in the development and implementation of public policy, the conduct of federal-provincial-territorial relations and the stewardship of the Public Service of Canada.
Serge has continued to work under specific mandates as Senior Executive Advisor in the Privy Council Office. He was appointed in December 2020 to advise on federal support for electrification in Atlantic Canada. In 2019, he provided strategic advice on the TMX project, coordinating the efforts of federal departments and agencies in delivering an integrated response to a 2018 decision of the Federal Court of Appeal. The Government took a new decision and approved the TMX project in June 2019.
From 2014 to 2016, Serge served as Executive Director for Canada, Ireland and the Caribbean in the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on the 24-member Executive Board of the institution.
From October 2010 to June 2014, Serge was Deputy Minister, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), overseeing federal responsibilities for energy, mining, forestry and earth sciences and leading a 4000-employee, science-based organization. In this capacity, he chaired the deputy minister committee coordinating the development and application of federal regulation applying to major natural resources projects in Canada.
Serge joined NRCan in June 2008 as Associate Deputy Minister to lead the restructuring of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) and to advise on Canada’s nuclear sector. From 2001 to 2008, Serge held senior positions in Finance Canada, including Assistant Deputy Minister, Financial Sector Policy and General Director (Analysis), Tax Policy. In previous positions in the Government of Canada, Serge contributed to policy reforms and transactions across a range of economic and financial domains. He served as Finance counsellor in Canada’s mission in Paris (1993-96), Departmental Assistant to the Minister of Finance (1996-97), and Corporate Secretary of Industry Canada (now Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, 1997-99).
Serge is a Director of Club Coffee, a Canadian mid-sized company that is coffee roaster and partner for top-selling North American brands and many of Canada’s leading retailers.
Serge holds a B.Sc. (University of Ottawa, 1981) and an M.A.Sc. (University of Waterloo, 1984) in Management Sciences. He participated in the international program of the Ecole nationale d'administration (Paris, 1988-89).