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MANILA, Philippines?Canada?s new ambassador to the Philippines, Christopher Thornley, on Thursday presented his diplomatic credentials to President Benigno Simeon Aquino III in Malacanang.
According to a news release of the Canadian embassy, Ambassador Thornley succeeds Ambassador Robert Desjardins who completed his three-year term in the Philippines.
Prior to his appointment as ambassador, Thornley was the Director of Foreign Service Assignments at the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade?s headquarters in Ottawa.
He also served in numerous assignments including as Deputy Director responsible for bilateral relations with India and as Director of the Southeast Asia and Pacific Division. He has also served as Director and Acting Director-General in the Markets and Industry Services Branch of Canada?s Department of Agriculture.
Ambassador Thornley has been with the Canadian Foreign Service for 20 years and has since been posted to the Canadian embassy in Stockholm, Sweden, and the Consulate General of Canada in Boston, USA. He then headed the Consulate of Canada in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates.
A native of British Columbia, Ambassador Thornley, graduated from the University of Victoria and finished his Master of Public Administration degree from Dalhousie University.
He is married to Catherine Thornley, who is also a Canadian public servant. They have two sons.
People-to-people links between Canada and the Philippines continue to be very strong. There are more than 450,000 Canadians of Filipino origin contributing to Canada?s economy, enriching its culture, and strengthening its society.
