Paul Thoppil, High Commissioner for Canada in Singapore and Canadian Indo-Pacific trade representative

Biography

On September 5, 2023, the Prime Minister of Canada announced Paul Thoppil as Canada’s first Indo-Pacific trade representative, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. This position, an outcome of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy, is focused on enhancement of trade, investment and supply chain resiliency between Canada and countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

Previously, Paul Thoppil was the Assistant Deputy Minister, Asia-Pacific, at Global Affairs Canada, who led the development of Canada’s Indo-Pacific Strategy launched in November 2022. He received a 2021 Public Sector Award of Excellence for his contribution towards the release of Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig, two Canadian citizens arbitrarily detained in China.

Paul has served abroad as Minister Commercial at the Embassy of Canada to Japan in Tokyo, advancing Canada’s trade, investment, and innovation links with Japan. Paul has an extensive public sector and private sector career including as Senior Assistant Deputy Minister and Chief Finances, Results and Delivery Officer at Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada, and positions at the Treasury Board Secretariat, the Department of Finance, the Canadian Commercial Corporation, and Price Waterhouse Coopers.

Paul is a Chartered Professional Accountant and graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours), with a specialization in accounting, from the University of Ottawa. He is married to Naina Thoppil, a Canadian diplomat, and has two boys at universities in Canada. Paul is an avid cross-country skier and runner. Paul’s family origins come from Kerala, India, where he spent his summers throughout his childhood years, and continues to return periodically to India to maintain his family and cultural ties.