Christopher McPherson

Deputy Minister, Jobs, Economy and Trade, Government of Alberta

Deputy Minister Christopher McPherson has spent his career in Ontario’s and Alberta’s public and broader public sectors.

In Ontario, Christopher served as an advisor to provincial cabinet ministers, and then as Director of Public Affairs and Member Communications at the Ontario Hospital Association. After moving to Alberta in 2014, Christopher served in multiple assistant deputy minister roles spanning strategic communications, economic policy, and machinery of government.

In 2019, Christopher was appointed Deputy Clerk of Executive Council and Deputy Secretary to Cabinet, where he led cabinet operations through multiple challenges, including COVID-19, an economic downturn, natural disasters, and two political transition processes. Since 2023, Christopher has served as Deputy Minister of Jobs, Economy and Trade and is responsible for labour market and relations policy and operations, economic development and investment attraction, internal and international trade, and the Canada-Alberta child-care agreement.

Christopher is a member of the University of Alberta’s School of Business Advisory Council, and the recipient of Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal (Alberta) and the King Charles III Coronation Medal. He holds a Master of Business Administration from Athabasca University.