Dr. Niall O’Dea

Biography

Dr. Niall O’Dea is Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Strategic Policy, at Fisheries and Oceans Canada.

Before assuming this role in April 2021, Dr. O’Dea had been Assistant Deputy Minister and, previously, Associate Assistant Deputy Minister for the Canadian Wildlife Service at Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) since March 2018. Prior to his tenure at ECCC, he had served in various roles at Natural Resources Canada since 2011, including Director of Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation, Senior Advisor to the Deputy Minister and Director General of Electricity Resources.

Niall joined the Government of Canada in 2006, working first at Environment Canada on policy, legislative and regulatory proposals for reducing industrial greenhouse gas emissions and subsequently at the Privy Council Office providing advice to the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Clerk of the Privy Council on proposals and policy issues under the responsibility of the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, the Minister of Natural Resources and the Minister of the Environment.

Dr. O’Dea completed undergraduate degrees in biology and philosophy at Memorial University of Newfoundland, and a masters and doctorate at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar.