Désirée Sauve is chief of staff to the deputy minister of Transport, a post she has held since May 30, 2022. She started in the public service as a summer student.
The early jobs
The first posting was a summer job at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. She later worked at Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and at Team Canada Inc. before settling at Transport Canada. The early moves were generalist jobs, the kind that show how departments hand work to one another.
Twelve years at Transport
Sauve has been at Transport Canada for more than 12 years. She has been director of real property and director of policy and regulatory affairs, and director general of the Oceans Protection Plan. Those jobs covered buildings, the rule book, and a large safety and environment program that needed several departments at the table. The certification backlog industry is now pressing is a different file, covered in the aerospace push on Transport Canada certification.
Mentorship
Inside the department she has pushed to widen mentorship for junior staff. The argument she makes is practical: a department keeps its files only if newer employees can learn them from someone who has held them.
Education
She has a B.A. in political science and French literature from Carleton University. As chief of staff she sits between the deputy minister’s office and the rest of the department, which is the job the earlier policy and property posts were pointing toward.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does Désirée Sauve do at Transport Canada?
She is chief of staff to the deputy minister of Transport, since May 30, 2022.
How long has she been at the department?
More than 12 years, in jobs that included real property, policy and regulatory affairs, and the Oceans Protection Plan.
What is her education?
A B.A. in political science and French literature from Carleton University.
