Sunny Uppal, BSc(Hons)’08
Recipient of the 2025 Young Alumni Award
Sunny Uppal is a senior executive in the Government of Canada whose career has been defined by service, leadership and impact. As director general (director of operations) within the Economic and Regional Development Policy team at the Privy Council Office (PCO), he provides strategic advice to the Prime Minister’s Office, Cabinet and federal departments on some of the most complex and consequential issues facing the country, including energy, agriculture, climate change, the environment, emergency management and advancing economic prosperity in Canada’s North.
A proud graduate of Western University, Sunny earned his honours bachelor of science in biology in 2008. During his time at Western, he was recognized with the TD Canada Trust Scholarship for Outstanding Community Leadership, the University of Western Ontario Undergraduate Scholarship and the Government of Canada Millennium Excellence Award. He later completed a master of public health in environmental health policy at Columbia University, where he was awarded the International House New York Graduate Grant and served as a senator on the Columbia University Senate.
Sunny began his career at the United Nations in Geneva, where he supported international negotiations on air pollution and climate change. He returned to Canada through the Recruitment of Policy Leaders (RPL) Program, which recruits leaders with advanced academic and international experience to the federal public service. Through this program, he joined Environment and Climate Change Canada, where he held a series of increasingly senior roles.
At Environment and Climate Change Canada, Sunny served as a senior advisor to the deputy minister, led Canada’s bilateral environmental cooperation with the European Union, China and India, and represented Canada in global climate negotiations. He also chaired international working groups under the UN Environment Programme, advancing Canada’s efforts on a range of environmental issues and led efforts to advance innovation and youth engagement with respect to the department’s work and priorities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Sunny played a leadership role in Canada’s emergency response. As executive director of partnerships and engagement for the COVID-19 Task Force, he led federal engagement with provinces, territories, Indigenous partners and industry to support one of the largest public health efforts in Canadian history. For his contributions, he received the Public Service Award of Excellence in 2022 —one of the highest honours for federal public servants.
Sunny’s commitment to service extends far beyond his professional roles. He served six years on Western University’s Alumni Association Board of Directors and continues to mentor students and young professionals through Western’s Ottawa Chapter. Over the past decade, he has spoken to thousands of students about careers in public service and is also an active community volunteer and corporate champion within the public service.
Sunny serves on the Board of Directors of the Columbia University Alumni Association and is a long-time supporter of The Ottawa Hospital, where he has led efforts to support the President’s Breakfast, which raises awareness and support for critical health initiatives in the National Capital Region. He is PCO’s co-champion for values and ethics, helping to lead a government-wide dialogue on the guiding principles for public servants to best serve Canadians in an ever-changing domestic and international landscape.
Sunny is widely respected for his leadership, strategic insight and unwavering commitment to the public good. His career reflects not only a deep dedication to Canada and the global community, but also a belief in the power of public service to create lasting, meaningful change.
