Donald J. Johnston

Donald J. Johnston was secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) from 1996 to 2006. With its membership comprising the 30 most highly developed industrialized countries, the OECD is the world’s most influential economic research body. Mr. Johnston became the first person from outside Europe to hold this position. During his tenure, he launched an in-depth study of health care systems aimed at finding the causes of discrepancies in their efficiency. As a federal cabinet minister from 1978 to 1988, Mr. Johnston served as president of the Treasury Board, Minister of State for Economic and Regional Development, Minister of State for Science and Technology, and Minister of Justice and Attorney-General. In 2006, he joined the law firm Heenan Blaikie as a counsel.