Claire Kennedy, Consul General of Canada in Chicago

Biography

Claire M. C. Kennedy, ICD.D joined the Consulate General of Canada in Chicago in September 2026. As Canada's Consul General to the states of Illinois, Missouri and Wisconsin, Ms. Kennedy is responsible for strengthening trade and economic ties; enhancing political, academic and cultural links; and assisting Canadians visiting or living in the U.S. Midwest.

Prior to her arrival in Chicago, Ms. Kennedy practised tax law for over 25 years and was a seasoned corporate director. Ms. Kennedy served on the boards of Alamos Gold Inc., Constellation Software Inc., Neo Performance Materials Inc. and Creative Destruction Lab. She was appointed to the Board of the Bank of Canada, Canada's central bank, in 2012 and served as its lead director from 2018 to 2025. She was a Governor of the University of Toronto from 2012 to 2021, including 4 years as chair of the Governing Council. She is a former trustee of the National Gallery of Canada and is Chair Emerita of the University of Toronto’s Defy Gravity campaign.

Born in Toronto, Ontario, Ms. Kennedy received her BASc in Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry from the University of Toronto and her LL.B from Queen’s University. She was awarded an honorary Doctor of Laws from the University of Toronto in 2023. Called to the bar in Ontario in 1996, Ms. Kennedy was law clerk to the late Honourable Mr. Justice Charles D. Gonthier of the Supreme Court of Canada. Additionally, Ms. Kennedy has an ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and completed the Advanced Management Program at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Ms. Kennedy was appointed an Honorary Captain in the Royal Canadian Navy in 2026 and is passionate about polar travel. She participated in a joint civilian-veteran expedition with True Patriot Love, a Canadian charity supporting military members, veterans and their families, to climb Vinson Massif, Antarctica's highest peak and has ventured north of the Arctic Circle in Canada, Svalbard, Greenland, Norway and Sweden.