SPEAKER

Peter Hoekstra, United States Ambassador to Canada

Pete Hoekstra became the 26th United States’ Ambassador to Canada on April 29, 2025. Prior to this, he served as Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party (MIGOP) during the 2024 elections, where his leadership was considered instrumental in delivering a Republican victory. He is also the President of Hoekstra Global Strategies in Holland, Michigan, and a board member of the Council for a Secure America. He served as Ambassador to the Netherlands during the first Trump Administration.

From 1993 to 2011 Hoekstra served as a Member of Congress representing Michigan’s 2nd District. He was the Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence from 2004 to 2007. He was a distinguished fellow at the Heritage Foundation and also a Shillman Senior Fellow at the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT).

Earlier in his career, Hoekstra was a Senior Advisor at the law firms Dickstein Shapiro, Washington, D.C. and Greenberg Taurig, Washington, D.C. He was a director of the Gentex Corporation, Zeeland, Michigan and served as a Director of the West Michigan Community Bank in Holland, Michigan. He began his career with furniture maker Herman Miller, rising to vice president of marketing.

Hoekstra received a B.A. from Hope College, Holland, Michigan (1975) and an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor (1977). He was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Grand Valley State University, Allendale, Michigan, the Hope College Distinguished Alumni Award, the Order of the House of Orange from the Netherlands, the Agency Seal Medal from the CIA and the DNI National Intelligence Distinguished Public Service Medal. He and his wife Diane have three adult children and will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary this year.

MODERATOR

Louise Blais

Former Ambassador Louise Blais was Canada’s Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York from 2017-2021. During this time since, she also served as Vice President on UNICEF’s Executive Board.

She is now Associate at the Pendleton Group and Special Senior Advisor, to the Business Council of Canada and the QG100 in Quebec. She is a public speaker and frequent commentator on international affairs and economic development.

Louise Blais began her professional career as an Art Theft Analyst at Interpol before joining the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1996. As a senior diplomat, she served abroad in Washington,Tokyo and as Minister-Counsellor for Political Affairs at the Embassy in Paris as well as Director of the Canadian Cultural Centre.

She was Consul General in Atlanta, before being named Ambassador to the UN.

She is a member of the BMW Foundation’s Global Responsible Leaders Network. And currently sits on numerous boards, including Sherritt International, Invest in Canada, on the Advisory Board of ADC Technologies and Applied General Intelligence and Chairs the Board of l’OBVIA. She is a Distinguished John Robson Lecturer at Emory University and Non-resident expert at Laval University and the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs of Georgia Institute of Technology. She is the recipient of many honours including a Distinguished Leadership Award from the Business Council of Alabama.

Louise Blais holds a B.A. from McGill University.