Michael Sabia

Michael John Sabia is a Canadian businessman and public servant with a distinctive career spanning both the public and private sectors. He holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto and a Master of Philosophy in Political Economy from Yale University. In 2017, he was named an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions to the Canadian business sector.

Sabia was appointed Chair of the Canada Infrastructure Bank in April 2020 and departed in December 2020 to become deputy minister of Finance. He championed the infrastructure bank's concept of public-private partnerships while chief executive at the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec. During his tenure at CDPQ from 2009 to 2020, he led the rebuilding of CDPQ into a global financial institution.

Career history

• Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet (July 2025–present)
• President and Chief Executive Officer of Hydro-Québec (2023–2025)
• Deputy Minister of Finance Canada (December 2020–2023)
• Chair of the Board of Canada Infrastructure Bank (April–December 2020)
• Director of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto (2020)
• President and Chief Executive Officer of la Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (2009–2020)
• Chief Executive Officer of Bell Canada Enterprises (2002–2008)
• Chief Financial Officer of Canadian National Railway (1993–1999)
• Senior positions in the Department of Finance Canada and Privy Council Office (1980s–early 1990s)

What Michael Sabia could bring to the Chair role at the Canada Infrastructure Bank: Sabia's appointment to lead the CIB reflected his deep expertise in large-scale infrastructure financing and public-private partnerships developed at CDPQ, where he had overseen major projects including Montreal's light-rail transit system. His dual experience bridging public policy (through federal service) and institutional investment positioned him to accelerate the bank's project approvals and connect investment capital with Canada's infrastructure priorities during the post-pandemic economic recovery period.