The Bridgewater Associates Co-CIO will lead Canada’s first national sovereign wealth fund, which starts with an initial capital commitment of C$25 billion.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has appointed Karen Karniol-Tambour as Chief Executive Officer of the Canada Strong Fund, the country’s first national sovereign wealth fund.
Karniol-Tambour returns to Canada from Bridgewater Associates, where she serves as Co-Chief Investment Officer. Since joining the firm in 2006, she has advanced its investment research and expanded its investment offerings, including strategic portfolios that integrated environmental and sustainability considerations.
A graduate of Princeton University, she is a Life Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader. Barron’s has named her to its list of the 100 Most Influential Women in U.S. Finance for the last seven years.
Leading a new model of national investment
First announced in April 2026, the Canada Strong Fund will invest in major Canadian projects and companies on a commercial basis, with an initial capital commitment of C$25 billion. It will be professionally managed and operate at arm’s length from the government, with its own Board of Directors.
The Fund will invest through two streams: co-investments in projects and companies receiving federal support, including nation-building projects, and independent strategic investments in other high-potential Canadian projects and companies.
It will also offer Canadians a way to invest directly through Canada Strong Notes, a retail product available through participating financial institutions. The notes will protect investors’ principal while letting them benefit from the Fund’s performance.
The government intends to introduce legislation establishing the Fund as a standalone Crown corporation. In the interim, it will be incorporated as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Canada Development Investment Corporation.
“Ms. Karniol-Tambour brings the experience and ambition to lead this mission, making investments that strengthen our economy and build lasting wealth for Canadians,” said Carney.
Source: Office of the Prime Minister of Canada
