Prime Minister Mark Carney launched Digital Transformation Canada on Sept. 3, 2026, appointing Patrick Pichette as its chief executive officer to modernize federal service delivery.

The new federal organisation aims to use digital solutions to make government support faster, more secure, and reliable for Canadians. It operates under the responsibility of Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement Joël Lightbound.

Organizational Structure

Digital Transformation Canada consolidates Shared Services Canada with selected functions from three key bodies:

• Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
• Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Employment and Social Development Canada, specifically the Canadian Digital Service

This structure combines digital expertise and delivery capacity from across the government to improve how technology is developed, bought, and used.

Strategic Priorities

The organisation focuses on three core mandates:

• Scale shared solutions across government to reduce duplication and operating costs while leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence.
• Equip public servants with modern, secure tools to reduce administrative burden and improve efficiency.
• Use government purchasing power strategically to help Canadian digital and AI companies test, scale, and commercialise new technologies.

Leadership and Expertise

Patrick Pichette brings more than 30 years of experience in finance, technology, and corporate leadership. He previously served as chief financial officer of Google from 2008 to 2015, guiding the company through significant global growth. His background also includes senior executive roles at Bell Canada, McKinsey, and Sprint Canada.

To support its mandate, the agency will establish a fellowship model. This initiative brings specialised private-sector expertise into government for short-term assignments in advanced AI and other fast-moving digital fields. The focus is on knowledge transfer to build the public service’s own technical capacity and commercial expertise.

Policy Context

The launch builds on the government’s earlier introduction of AI for All, Canada’s national artificial intelligence strategy. That strategy commits the federal government to lead by example in responsible AI adoption and to use procurement as a strategic anchor for Canadian AI companies.