‘It was my decision’: Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., will step down

Kirsten Hillman, Canada’s ambassador to the U.S., is stepping down in the new year as the country’s top diplomat in Washington, according to a statement on Tuesday.

“After over eight years in Washington, including six years as Canada’s ambassador to the United States, I have advised Prime Minister Mark Carney that I will be ending my tenure in the United States in the New Year,” Hillman wrote in a lengthy statement.

Multiple sources confirmed the resignation to CTV News prior to Hillman’s statement.

Her resignation comes as trade talks remain stalled between Canada and the U.S., and as a review of the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) is set to begin in 2026.

While the statement does not provide a specific reason for her departure, Hillman said she will remain “available to Canada’s negotiating team as they navigate the months ahead.”

“While there will never be a perfect time to leave, this is the right time to put a team in place that will see the CUSMA review through to its conclusion,” Hillman went on to say.

She also said she looks “forward to coming home and sharing more about my next steps.”

Hillman was officially appointed to the role in March 2020 and was the first woman to serve in that position.

Prior to this role, she served as deputy ambassador to the U.S., starting in 2017, and was named acting ambassador when David MacNaughton stepped down in 2019.

Hillman, who is a career diplomat, also worked as part of the Canadian negotiating team during the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) into what is now known as CUSMA.

Hillman calls resignation ‘my decision’

In an interview with CTV News Chief News Anchor and Senior Editor Omar Sachedina on Tuesday, Hillman said it was her decision to step down and she first discussed the move with Carney when he came into office.

“I spoke to the prime minister about this, and I said it’s time for me to start a new chapter. He had asked me back in the spring to stay on for the transition of his government … and the transition to the new Trump administration," Hillman told Sachedina. “I agreed to do that, and I’m honoured to have done that.”

When asked about the current state of trade talks and whether both countries are still far apart, Hillman would not answer directly, but said there have been “discussions on some of the sectoral tariffs.”

“We are moving towards the CUSMA review in the new year. I think that those two discussions will probably run in parallel, or maybe more or less be happening at the same time,” Hillman said, later adding “you never quite know when the opportunity is going to come up to solve a problem.”

Hillman also said U.S. President Donald Trump has become “more strong in his own convictions” between his first and second terms in office.

“I think in his first term, he had many people who were providing advice that was seeking to kind of put guardrails around some of his choices,” Hillman said when asked about how her perception of Trump has changed during her time in Washington.

“I think that he very much has a team this time that is deeply aligned with the direction in which he wants to go, and I think he is very confident that decisions he’s making are the right ones.”

Carney, Trudeau reflect on Hillman’s tenure

In a statement to X on Tuesday, Carney said Hillman “has resolutely defended Canadian values and interests” during a “period of transformation” in the Canada-U.S. relationship.

“As she prepares to step down from her role in the new year, I am grateful to Ambassador Hillman for her invaluable counsel and thank her for her long record of dedicated service to all Canadians,” Carney said.

Also reacting to the news was former prime minister Justin Trudeau, who called Hillman “a real patriot who has served Canadians proudly and effectively in the face of unprecedented challenges against our economy and our sovereignty.”

Trudeau, who appointed Hillman, said she “earned her place” as ambassador. Beyond her work on the trade file, the former prime minister says Hillman navigated the cross-border challenges of COVID-19, as well as “quietly and effectively” contributing to the release of Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor from Chinese detention.

Who will replace Hillman?

Multiple sources have told CTV News that Mark Wiseman will likely be named as the next ambassador to the U.S.

Wiseman is a Canadian financier who has served in a variety of senior roles at asset management firms, including at the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, BlackRock and Lazard.

In March, Carney added Wiseman to his council on Canada-U.S. Relations.

With files from CTV News’ Vassy Kapelos, Rachel Aiello and Brennan Macdonald.