Vancouver, BC – The Board of the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada has announced the appointment of Mr. Jeff Nankivell as the new President and CEO of APF Canada, effective September 7, 2021. Outgoing APF Canada President and CEO Stewart Beck will retire on August 10, 2021, after seven years in the role.

Mr. Nankivell joined Canada’s Foreign Service in 1988 and has more than 30 years’ experience working on Canadian engagement in Asia, most recently as Consul General of Canada in Hong Kong and Macao, a position he held from August 2016 to May 2021.

From 2011 to 2016, Mr. Nankivell served as Director General responsible for Canada’s official development assistance in Asia, first with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and then with Global Affairs Canada. He held various positions at CIDA between 1988 and 2008, working on programs related to China, Russia, strategic policy, and international financial institutions. He was posted three times to Canada’s embassy in Beijing – in the development assistance section 1991-95 and 2000-2004, and as Deputy Head of Mission 2008-2011. In all, Mr. Nankivell has spent more than 17 years living in Asia.

APF Canada Board Chair, The Honourable Pierre Pettigrew, welcomed Mr. Nankivell to the Foundation. “I am delighted to have Jeff join our high-calibre team of Board Directors and lead our organization at this pivotal time in Canada-Asia relations,” said Mr. Pettigrew. “With his deep Asia experience and networks in business, government, and academia, Jeff understands the opportunities, complexities, and nuanced geopolitical realities of the Asia Pacific very well. I look forward to working with him as he charts a new and exciting course for the Foundation in the coming years.” (photo APF Canada)