Rachel Curran is a lawyer by training, and has nearly 15 years of experience in public affairs, including extensive experience providing strategic and policy advice to the Prime Minister of Canada and federal and provincial Cabinet ministers.  

As Director of Policy to the Prime Minister, Rachel was closely engaged in all matters involving the federal government, including foreign and defence policy, trade negotiations, economic affairs, immigration, transportation, energy and the environment, indigenous affairs, social development and intergovernmental relations.  She was directly responsible for setting and implementing the government’s policy agenda over the course of four years, and oversaw all major governmental initiatives including the preparation of the annual federal budget.  

At the provincial level, as Chief of Staff and advisor to two senior Cabinet ministers, Rachel provided advice on a range of political, policy and legislative issues related to public safety, including law enforcement, residential tenancy, consumer protection, automobile insurance, road safety, gaming, liquor licensing and distribution, and provincial emergency management. 

In the last five years, Rachel has worked as a senior associate with Harper & Associates Ltd., an international consulting firm led by former Prime Minister Harper, and as an instructor at Carleton University’s Riddell Program in Political Management. She also appeared as a regular panelist and commentator on CBC’s Power & Politics, and was a recurring contributor to the Institute for Research on Public Policy’s Policy Options magazine. Rachel currently works for Facebook Canada as part of the public policy team.