Director and CEO

Michelle Chawla has led the Canada Council for the Arts as Director and CEO since June 2023.

Under Michelle’s leadership, the organization ensures that almost 90% of its annual government funding goes directly to the arts sector. This includes support for over 3,500 artists and over 1,900 arts organizations in more than 2,000 communities across the country, whose work strengthens the economy, fosters unity and a sense of belonging and inspires new perspectives.

With nearly 30 years in the field of public arts and culture funding, Michelle has extensive leadership expertise in public policy, intergovernmental relations, governance, corporate communications, international engagement and major transformation initiatives.

Prior to her appointment, she was the Director General of Strategy, Public Affairs and Arts Engagement, and she had previously served as the Secretary-General for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO.

In May 2025, Michelle was appointed to the Board of the International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA), providing an avenue to further Canada’s leadership in the arts on a global level.

Michelle is fluently bilingual and comes from a Québécois and Punjabi background.

She is deeply committed to making sure the arts are a vibrant part of Canadians’ lives in communities big and small, rural and remote, urban and suburban, from coast to coast to coast. Michelle champions the role of the arts as a unifying force that reflects and strengthens Canadian identity, a powerful driver of jobs and economic growth and a catalyst for creativity and new ideas. She believes the arts helps communities adapt to change, grow local economies, promote Canada on the world stage,and bring people together while strengthening Canadian culture and identity.