Erika-Kirsten Easton

Erika-Kirsten Easton joined Transport Canada in August 2023 as the Chief Data Officer and Director General (DG) of Enterprise Service, Data and Architecture. Erika and her team are responsible for data asset management and governance, improvement of digital service delivery, and IT enterprise architecture and security assessments for the Department. In addition, in close collaboration with the National Supply Chain Office, she is leading efforts to improve the use of data and digitalization to strengthen the transportation and logistics aspects of Canada’s supply chain.

Erika has extensive experience in policy, communications, service and data with the private sector and the federal public service, including 12 years as an executive in government. Throughout her public service career, Erika has been focused on implementing data-driven and user-centric decision-making, and managing change.

She started at the Public Policy Forum, a national, non-partisan policy think tank. She then embarked on a career in the federal public service where she has led public opinion research, consultations, as well as strategic risk and crisis communications at the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) and Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Over the years, she has also been in the role of Director General of Communications at PHAC, Canada Border Services Agency, Shared Services Canada (SSC), and Health Canada, as well as the Director General of Strategic Policy at SSC.

Erika has a Bachelor of Social Sciences degree in Political Science with a minor in Public Policy and Administration from the University of Ottawa. She is a proud Franco-Ontarian from Northern Ontario. She lives in Ottawa with her husband and their three kids.