Bugailiskis was born on January 9, 1956, in Hamilton, Ontario. She graduated from Carleton University with a Bachelor of Arts and from the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs with a Master of Arts. In 1990 Ms. Bugailiskis became the first recipient of the Canadian Foreign Service Officer of the Year Award for her contribution to the establishment of independence in Namibia. She was also the recipient of the 2002 Minister of Foreign Affairs Merit Award for organizing the 2001 Summit of the Americas, and the 2010 Clerk of Privy Council Commendation for Leadership on Haiti Post-earthquake reconstruction. In 2002 she served as the Executive Director of the International Policy Framework Task Force at the Privy Council Office. From April 2007 until August 2010 she served as Executive Coordinator for the Americas Strategy and as Assistant Deputy Minister for Latin America and the Caribbean. From September 2003 until September 2007 she was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cuba. She was formerly the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Syria and concurrently High Commissioner to Cyprus. At the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade she had previously served as Director General for Latin America and the Caribbean and Director for Central America and the Caribbean. In 2010, she became executive coordinator for the Inter-American Development Bank Business Opportunities Task Force. That same year she joined the Norman Patterson School of International Affairs of Carleton University as a Distinguished Senior Fellow and Diplomat in Residence where she co-edited the 2011–12 edition of Canada Among Nations, "Canada and Mexico's Unfinished Agenda". In September 2014, she successfully concluded the negotiations which culminated in the signing of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Canada and the European Union in October 2016 and came into provisional application on April 1, 2017. As ADM for Europe, the Middle East and the Maghreb she was closely engaged in the resettlement of 40,000 Syrian refugees in Canada and authored a $1.6 billion three year strategy for Iraq and Syria. In honour of Carleton University's 75th anniversary in 2017, Ms Bugailiskis was selected as one of the Faculty of Public Affairs most distinguished and inspiring alumni.
Memberships
Ms Bugailiskis is a member of the Distinguished Advisory Council of NPSIA. She was previously a member of the Advisory Board of the Canadian Executive MBA at the SGH-Warsaw School of Economics, and of the Board of Directors of FOCAL, The Canadian Foundation for the Americas.
