FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 2009-11-09

Standards Council of Canada appoints Michel Girard Director, Strategic Stakeholder Relations and Engagement

OTTAWA, ON, November 10, 2009 – The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michel Girard as Director, Strategic Stakeholder Relations and Engagement.  His appointment is effective December 7th, 2009.

Since 2004, Mr. Girard has been Director of Climate Change Services at the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) where he managed CSA’s Ottawa office and played a leading role in developing CSA’s climate change policy.

Prior to joining CSA, Mr. Girard worked for 15 years in the federal government where he held a number of policy and management positions. He was Director of International Affairs, Climate Change Bureau at Environment Canada, where he helped negotiate the rules governing the Kyoto Protocol. He worked at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada in positions including Corporate Secretary for the department and Chief of Federal-Provincial Strategies. He also held policy research and advice positions at the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency and at Canada Post. Mr. Girard holds a Ph.D. in History at the University of Ottawa.

In his new role at SCC, Mr. Girard will focus on new opportunities whereby the national standards system can provide social and economic benefits to Canada. Through policy research and stakeholder engagement, he will promote the value of standardization with government departments and with decision makers in growing sectors of the economy.  By doing so, he will help raise SCC’s profile as a solutions provider in established areas such as trade, safety and the environment.

The Standards Council of Canada (SCC) is a Crown Corporation with the mandate to promote the efficient and effective use of standardization.  Located in Ottawa, the SCC is a portfolio of Industry Canada with a 15 member governing Council and approximately 90 staff.  The SCC coordinates the work of the National Standards System, and offers a range of standardization-related programs and services that are intended to enhance the social and economic well-being of Canadians.  For additional information on the work of the SCC visit www.scc.ca or email [email protected].

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