Jacques P. Olivier

Jacques P. Olivier is a Rear-Admiral in the Canadian Armed Forces with nearly four decades of leadership experience in operations, institutional policy, and organizational change. He has served as a Director General at the Department of National Defence since 2021, where he leads cultural transformation, professional conduct, and governance reforms across Canada’s largest federal workforce.

He has overseen strategic initiatives ensuring compliance with statutory requirements, international commitments, and national policy measures, including Canada’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace and Security, and Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy. As the Defence Team Champion for Racialized Persons, he has advanced national dialogues on equity, inclusion, and systemic change. A Professional Engineer (PEng) and Project Management Professional (PMP), he holds master’s degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Ottawa, the University of Portsmouth, and the Royal Military College of Canada.

His distinctions include Commander of the Order of Military Merit, the Meritorious Service Medal, and the 2024 Afroglobal Excellence Award for Professional Achievement.