Chrystia Freeland is a Canadian politician and journalist who has served as the country’s Minister of Foreign Affairs since 2017. Born in Peace River, Alberta in 1968, Freeland spent her childhood living in multiple countries due to her father’s job as a lawyer for the International Monetary Fund. This exposure to different cultures and global issues sparked her interest in international affairs and set the foundation for her successful career.
Freeland studied at Harvard University, where she received a Bachelor of Arts in Russian history and literature, and then went on to complete a Master of Studies in Slavonic studies at St. Antony’s College, Oxford. She began her journalism career in the early 1990s, working for various publications such as the Financial Times, The Washington Post, and The Globe and Mail. She also wrote several books, including the critically acclaimed “Plutocrats: The Rise of the New Global Super-Rich and the Fall of Everyone Else.” Her vast knowledge and expertise in economic and political issues caught the attention of then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, who appointed her as Minister of International Trade in 2015. Two years later, she became the first woman to hold the position of Minister of Foreign Affairs in Canada.
As Foreign Minister, Freeland has played a crucial role in leading Canada’s foreign policy and