Joanne Lostracco

Joanne Lostracco is a seasoned Canadian diplomat and defence expert with a distinguished career spanning over two decades. Appointed as the Minister at the Embassy of Canada to the United States and Director General of Defence Procurement for Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) in Washington, D.C. in 2023, she brings extensive expertise in Canada-US trade relations and defence materiel governance. 

In her current role, Ms. Lostracco oversees the management of all Foreign Military Sales (FMS) acquisitions for Canada, valued at over $20 billion CAD. She works closely with the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Commerce to execute this program, delivering vital goods and services to support the Canadian Armed Forces' objectives outlined in the new Defence Policy Our North, Strong and Free and the National Shipbuilding Strategy. 

Ms. Lostracco has represented Canada on various Five Eyes and NATO Boards of Oversight, negotiated international acquisition agreements, and provided strategic advice on Canada-US defence industrial cooperation and the Defence Production Sharing Agreement (DPSA). 

Ms. Lostracco holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business and Political Science from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Arts in International Relations from Dalhousie University, where she completed her thesis on Canadian Naval Policy. She is also a graduate of the Canadian Forces College's National Security Program (NSP13). With her deep understanding of defence and trade relations, Joanne Lostracco is well-positioned to strengthen Canada's strategic partnerships and advance its national security interests on the global stage.