When the Government of Canada signed an MOU with Canadian multinational AI company Cohere Inc. in mid-August, news of the agreement sparked a wave of conversations and speculation throughout the nation’s capital related to how it would work and who would be at the table to bring the agreement to life.
As the government’s press release on the signing states, “artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to significantly improve government operations and services for Canadians.” By partnering with the home-grown large-language model developer in Cohere Inc., the Government of Canada is “seeking to harness the power of this transformative technology while building a vibrant made-in-Canada technology sector.”
This endeavour represents a significant change and new challenge; one that will break new ground in digital government, service innovation and public-private partnership.
It was therefore no surprise to the MPM community to see one of our own, Hunter Doubt (MPM ‘16), taking on a new role for the company as Senior Manager for Government Affairs and Public Policy. In this position, Hunter will help support the steering of these efforts in Ottawa and across the country as governments and private enterprises work to safely and securely harness AI adoption.
Hunter most recently served as Head of Government and Corporate Affairs (Canada and Caribbean) for the multinational online travel agency Expedia Group, and prior to that as a Director at the consulting firm Global Public Affairs. Since 2024, Hunter has also been President of the Board of Directors for the Government Relations Institute of Canada (GRIC), the national non-for-profit association representing government relations and public affairs practitioners in Canada.
Hunter credits much of his career development to his time in the MPM.
The MPM program provided me with such a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge necessary to build a successful career in government relations. I credit the program, its network, and the opportunities it provided me for helping me get to where I am today. I couldn’t be more proud to be part of such an exceptional alumnus from such an exceptional program.
Since graduating, Hunter has remained an active member of the MPM network. For the last two years, GRIC and the Public Affairs Association of Canada (PAAC) have generously sponsored a scholarship for eligible MPM students interested in graduating and working in government relations and public affairs.
I look forward to championing this program for years to come in any way possible.