Gerald Butts | |
|---|---|
_(cropped).jpg) Butts in 2023 | |
| Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister of Canada | |
| In office November 4, 2015 – February 18, 2019 | |
| Prime Minister | Justin Trudeau |
| Preceded by | Ray Novak |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| President and Chief Executive Officer of the World Wildlife Fund Canada | |
| In office September 1, 2008 – October 31, 2012 | |
| Preceded by | Michael Russill |
| Succeeded by | David Miller |
| Principal Secretary to the Premier of Ontario | |
| In office 2003 – August 30, 2008 | |
| Premier | Dalton McGuinty |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Gerald Michael Butts[1] July 8, 1971 Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada |
| Spouse | Jodi (Heimpel) Butts[1] |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence(s) | Westboro, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Activist, consultant |
Gerald Michael Butts (born July 8, 1971) is a Canadian executive and former policy advisor to governments and political leaders. He served as the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau from November 4, 2015 until his resignation on February 18, 2019.[2][3][4] From 2008 to 2012, he was president and CEO of the World Wildlife Fund Canada,[5] part of a global conservation organization. In 2014, Maclean's magazine declared Butts to be the fourteenth most powerful Canadian.[6] As the former Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Butts was praised as the architect behind the Liberal Party of Canada platform that led to its victory in October 2015 and was one of the most senior staffers in the Office of the Prime Minister.
Born in Glace Bay, Nova Scotia, with three older brothers and one older sister.[7] He is the son of Charles William "Charlie" Butts, a coal miner[8] who was 56 years old when Butts was born and retired when Butts was 6 years old, and Rita Monica (Yorke) Butts, a nurse[8] and a first-generation Canadian daughter of a Ukrainian father and a Polish mother.[9][10] He attended Bridgeport School (now closed) and then St. Michael's High School (now closed).
He received a B.A. and M.A. in English literature from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec. It was at McGill that he was introduced to Justin Trudeau by a mutual friend.[7][11] There, he was also elected president of the Canadian University Society for Intercollegiate Debate and won the national debating championships two years in a row.[7] He briefly attended York University to pursue a Ph.D.[10]
- ^ a b "Alumnotes". McGill University. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017.
- ^ "Leadership of the Prime Minister's Office". Official website of the Parliament of Canada. Archived from the original on December 6, 2020. Retrieved Jan 12, 2016.
- ^ "Inside Trudeau's inner circle". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Jan 8, 2016. Retrieved Jan 12, 2016.
- ^ Tasker, John Paul (February 18, 2019). "Gerald Butts resigns as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's principal secretary". CBC News. Retrieved February 18, 2019.
- ^ Dehaas, Josh (October 20, 2015). "5 things to know about Trudeau confidant Gerald Butts". CTV News. Retrieved June 7, 2017.
- ^ "The Maclean's Power List: The 50 most important people in Canada". 2014-11-22. Retrieved 2016-09-27.
- ^ a b c Lee Berthiaume, Ottawa Citizen More Lee Berthiaume, Ottawa Citizen. "Trudeau's most trusted adviser? A Cape Bretoner named Gerry Butts - Ottawa Citizen". Ottawa Citizen.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Berthiaume, Lee (May 13, 2014). "A tale of two friends: Gerry Butts and Justin Trudeau". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on June 7, 2017.
- ^ "Glace Bay native key adviser in Trudeau's inner circle". Cape Breton Post. April 21, 2013. Archived from the original on October 1, 2018. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- ^ a b Patriquin, Martin (September 25, 2015). "Meet the man who made his friend the next prime minister". Maclean's. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
- ^ "Cape Breton man key player in Trudeau victory". CTV News. 21 October 2015.