Susannah Crabtree was appointed to the role of Senior Vice-President, People and Culture in July 2023. She is responsible for the development of EDC’s people strategy to attract, engage and develop the talented employees who deliver on our vision and business objectives in support of Canadian trade.

Susannah brings a wealth of leadership qualities to EDC. This is most evident in terms of her customer focus, ability to build effective teams, her strategic mindset, and the value she places on inclusion, diversity and equity. 

Since joining, she has concentrated on sustaining and expanding the best-in-class HR programs already in place at EDC. At the same time, she has driven initiatives in three key areas: enhancing customer focus and building teams for the future, improving the efficiency and effectiveness of HR service delivery and providing career development opportunities for the People & Culture team.

Prior to joining EDC, Susannah held several leadership positions in the Talent Strategy and Wealth businesses with Mercer Canada, a global Human Resources and strategy consulting firm. As the leader of the Career business in Canada, Susannah sat on Mercer’s Executive Leadership team. She was Managing Partner for the Ottawa office of Odgers Berndtson, a global executive search and leadership firm, from 2017-2019.

Susannah is an active volunteer and community contributor in her governance work, currently serving as a Director for the Mental Health Commission of Canada and chair of the Audit and Finance Committee. She holds an honours bachelor of science degree in psychology and mathematics from McGill University, is a fully qualified actuary and holds the Institute of Corporate Directors designation (ICD.D). 

The corporate value that resonates most: While all of EDC's values are important to Susannah, integrity stands out above the rest. To her, integrity encompasses trust, honesty, transparency, respect and a commitment to doing the right thing. This value deeply aligns with how Susannah strives to live her daily life. At work, it includes taking accountability for outcomes and collaborating with colleagues to find the best solution for EDC and our number one asset – our people.