The new senior advisor has worked with the federal government for three decades
Bennett Jones has beefed up its public policy group with the addition of senior advisor Simon Kennedy.
Formerly a senior public servant, Kennedy has worked with the federal government for over 30 years. He brings to Bennett Jones leadership experience in economic, industrial, health, and international policy.
He was named deputy minister of international trade in 2012 and held the role until 2015. During this time, he was G20 Sherpa advising the prime minister and supervised the conclusion of watershed trade agreements with the European Union and South Korea. Moreover, he was the prime minister’s lead negotiator with the US on the Canada-US Action Plan on Perimeter Security and Economic Competitiveness.
Kennedy became deputy minister of health in 2015, managing significant initiatives like cannabis legalization and the federal response to the opioid crisis. He headed up Health Canada’s regulatory and health promotion mandate and supervised reforms to pharmaceutical pricing, food labelling, and tobacco control.
In 2019, he transitioned to the role of deputy minister of innovation, science and economic development, in which he headed up led policy initiatives in critical minerals, electric vehicle battery supply chains, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. He also oversaw initiatives to rebuild domestic biomanufacturing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Moreover, Kennedy supervised major legislative and investment review reforms, including those involving the Investment Canada Act, the Competition Act, and the Telecommunications Act. He also led the nation’s foreign investment review process.
He serves as a senior advisor to health technology-centered venture capital firm Esplanade Ventures as well as to global advisory firm Teneo. He sits on the boards of Finchley Pharmaceuticals, Quantum Valley Ideas Lab, and Brain Canada.
Kennedy was on the boards of the Mental Health Commission of Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information and Ottawa Community Foundation. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in public relations at Mount Saint Vincent University and received his MSc in communications management from Syracuse University.
He participated in INSEAD’s advanced management programme in 2009 and holds an ICD.D from the Institute of Corporate Directors.
In the past decade, Bennett Jones’ public policy group has included the likes of John Manley, who was once deputy prime minister, minister of foreign affairs, finance minister, and industry minister. Allan Gotlieb, who was formerly Canadian ambassador to the United States, was with the firm for 13 years.
