Carolyn McAskie serves as an inspiring and influential model of Canadian values in the international community. A former senior executive with the Canadian International Development Agency and high commissioner to Sri Lanka during a time of civil war, she has also served as one of the top-ranked women at the United Nations. Fearless in her determination to bring peace and human rights to the fore throughout the world, she has done so as head of the UN's peacekeeping mission in Burundi and as assistant secretary general for Humanitarian Affairs and then Peacebuilding Support. She is also an unceasing advocate of gender equality and, in countries where rights were limited, has helped bring about major changes for women.