Patricia Fuller

IISD’s President and CEO, Patricia Fuller has more than 30 years of experience in public policy and diplomacy, with a focus on climate change, energy, and trade policy.

Having previously served as Canada’s Ambassador for Climate Change, Patricia has built international coalitions and partnerships to advance action on climate change and climate finance. She also led Canada’s participation in the Global Commission on Adaptation, including co-chairing the Action Track on Nature-Based Solutions for Resilience. Her diplomatic career has included representing Canada as Ambassador to Chile and to Uruguay.

Prior to joining IISD, Patricia headed the Office of Energy Efficiency at Natural Resources Canada and was Director General of Economic Development and Chief Economist at Global Affairs Canada, where she oversaw the modelling of trade agreement impacts. Earlier in her career, she managed trade policy disputes under the NAFTA and World Trade Organization agreements. Patricia is a Senior Fellow at the University of Ottawa and holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics.

Based in IISD’s office in Ottawa, Patricia is a leader with strong interpersonal skills, building a workplace culture grounded in trust and mutual respect. A strategic thinker and communicator—Patricia is at home getting into the weeds of policy reform without losing sight of big-picture goals.