Executive Secretariat Profile and Responsibilities

Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor

• Miguel Bernal-Castillero has held the position of Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the Privacy Commissioner since August 2019, having previously been part of the Policy, Research and Parliamentary Affairs Directorate. He joined the OPC in 2015 after three years as an Analyst at the Library of Parliament. Miguel holds law degrees from McGill University and a Master’s degree in History; he is a member of the Law Society of Ontario.

Personnel

• Total FTEs: 5
  • 1 EC-07
  • 1 EC-06
  • 1 AS-04
  • 1 AS-03
  • 1 AS-01
• Vacant FTEs: 1
  • 1 AS-04

Organizational Chart (2 levels)

Text version of Organizational Chart (2 levels)

Chief of Staff, Senior Advisor [EC-07], Miguel Bernal-Castillero

• Senior Strategic Advisor [EC-06], Nicole Frantz (note: assignment until August 2022)
• Executive Assistant [AS-04], Vacant (note: Melissa Kenny acting)
• Correspondence Officer [AS-03], Josée Cousineau (note: secondment until April 2023)
• Administrative Assistant, Budget Officer [AS-01], Sandra Maisonneuve

Role

• The Executive Secretariat is a multi-disciplinary team that supports the OPC’s mandate to protect and promote the privacy rights of individuals by ensuring effective liaison, quality control and information flow between the OPC’s executive cadre and both internal and external stakeholders.

Key Activities

• The Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor (EC-07) advises the Privacy Commissioner on strategic and operational matters, assisting them in facilitating effective decision-making. They coordinate the execution of OPC-wide strategic initiatives and make decisions regarding inquiries directed to the Commissioner. They communicate with external stakeholders on behalf of the OPC and ensure that materials and briefings are delivered to the Commissioner in a timely manner.
• The Senior Strategic Advisor (EC-06) assists the Chief of Staff in carrying out their regular duties.
• The Executive Assistant (AS-04) manages the Commissioner’s agenda and daily operations, and is the primary contact for internal meetings with the Commissioner.
• The Correspondence Officer (AS-03) assists the Executive Assistant by managing the Correspondence Tracking System, ensuring proper information practices for document routing between the Executive Secretariat and the OPC’s sectors.
• The Administrative Assistant and Budget Officer (AS-01) manages the OPC’s reception and administers the budget for the Executive Secretariat.
• The Executive Secretariat also assists the ATIP team with certain requests and proactive disclosure requirements, and provides secretariat duties for committees chaired by the Commissioner, with the exception of the Audit Committee.

Priorities

• Transition of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
• Filling vacant Executive Assistant (AS-04) position.
• Though reporting directly to the Commissioner, the Director of Law Reform Transition (EX-01) aligns with the Executive Secretariat, and leads special projects related to changes anticipated within the OPC following law reform. On October 17, 2022, this position will become the Director of Change Management and Law Reform Transition, occupied for a two-year term by Miguel Bernal-Castillero. A temporary replacement for the Chief of Staff role will be determined in the coming months.