As one of the United States’ strongest allies, Canada has historically worked to promote our common interests of democracy, free trade, environmental protection, and issues of national security. With the current US administration signaling that it may pull out of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the future of US-Canada relations remains uncertain.

The Honourable Andrew Leslie, a long-time public servant in the Canadian government and a top ranking diplomat, will share his insight on the current state of the partnership of our two countries. His professional background in the military, private sector, academia, Parliament, and diplomatic corps will also provide context and expertise on current state of affairs, as well as a global perspective.

Don’t miss this timely conversation and the opportunity to discuss ongoing cooperation, the future of NAFTA, and global leadership

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Date: Thursday, January 25th
Location: 
Charlotte City Club
121 W. Trade Street
Charlotte, NC 28202 –Directions
Time:
VIP & General Reception, Networking, and Check-In: 11:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Lunch & Presentation: 12:00 – 1:30 p.m.
Cost:
$40 WACC Member Rate
$65 Non-Member Rate
$30 Student/Educator/TMS Member Rate**
**You must be an individual WACC educator, student, or TMS member to qualify for this rate

 

 

 

Register Online Now
Credit card payments (non-PayPal transactions): Please call 704-687-7762 for payment processing over the phone
Check payments: Please make your check payable to “World Affairs Council of Charlotte” and mail it to the following address:

World Affairs Council of Charlotte
UNC Charlotte – CHHS 227
9201 University City Blvd.
Charlotte, NC 28223

All reservation cancellations must be completed at least 3 business days prior to an event for a full refund. Pease let us know in advance if you have dietary restrictions so that we can make the appropriate accommodations.

Biography

Born into a multi-generational military family, Andrew enjoyed a decorated 35-year career with the Canadian Armed Forces. His career has included a variety of command and staff positions in numerous overseas postings with the UN and NATO. In addition to his extensive military experience in Canada, involving disaster relief in floods and the 1998 Quebec ice storm, Andrew has served on international missions, including leading troops in Germany, Cyprus, the former Yugoslavia, and, most recently, Afghanistan.

 

In 2006, he became Chief of the Land Staff/Army Commander, a position he held until 2010, during which time he was responsible for 57,000 military and public service personnel, their equipment, military training and infrastructure. In 2011, he was appointed the Chief of Transformation until his retirement. Mr. Leslie’s service has been recognized on numerous occasions. Among his Canadian distinctions, he was appointed Commander of the Order of Military Merit in 2005 and was awarded the Meritorious Service Cross.

Internationally, he was appointed a Commander of the U.S. Legion of Merit in 2007 and was awarded the Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland in 2010. After a successful career in the Canadian military, Andrew retired in 2011 and worked as a senior vice president of CGI Group Inc., a Canadian information technology corporation. In 2013, he founded his own consulting firm specializing in leadership and strategy. His professional experience is complemented by several academic degrees and courses focusing on economics, history, leadership, strategy, tactics, equipment acquisition and management. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Economics at the University of Ottawa and a Masters at the Royal Military College, in addition to undertaking professional development in management at the Harvard Business School.

After leaving the military, Mr. Leslie continued to be an active member of his local and Canadian military communities. He was a member of the advisory committee of the Prince of Wales Charities in Canada, the Chair of the Board of Directors of the Royal Canadian Artillery Association, and a board member of Opera Lyra Ottawa.

Mr. Leslie was elected as Member of Parliament for Orléans in October 2015. Mr. Leslie served as Chief Government Whip from November 2015 to January 2017.