Jennifer Ditchburn

Jennifer Ditchburn is the President and CEO of the Institute for Research on Public Policy. She is a notfor-profit sector executive and seasoned communicator working to make complex public policy issues and politics better understood by Canadians. From 2016 to 2021, she was the Editor-in-Chief of the IRPP’s influential digital magazine, Policy Options.

Prior to joining the IRPP, Jennifer spent two decades covering national and parliamentary affairs for The Canadian Press and for CBC Television. She is the winner of three National Newspaper Awards, the recipient of the prestigious Charles Lynch Award for outstanding coverage of national issues, and three Canadian Online Publishing silver awards for her columns. In 2015, she was named one of the 10 most influential Hispanic–Canadians. Jennifer sits on the board of the Banff Forum, an influential Canadian leadership network. She is also a fellow at Carleton University’s Political Management program, and an inductee in the Hall of Distinction at CEGEP John Abbott College.

Jennifer is the co-editor with Graham Fox of the 2016 book The Harper Factor: Assessing a Prime Minister’s Policy Legacy (McGill-Queen’s University Press). Her research on the history of the Canadian Parliamentary Press Gallery appeared in five chapters of the 2016 book Sharp Wits & Busy Pens (HillTimes Publishing). She has a Bachelor of Arts from Concordia University and Master of Journalism from Carleton.

To book Jennifer as a moderator or keynote speaker for upcoming events, contact IRPP communications director Cléa Desjardins.

• Public Policy (general)
• Knowledge mobilization/transfer
• Canadian journalism
• Media practice and ethics
• Federal Politics/Parliamentary affairs