The Government of Canada has announced the appointment of André Loranger as interim Chief Statistician of Canada, replacing Anil Arora, who retires on March 31.
Loranger will remain in this role for six months, until the current process to appoint a new Chief Statistician of Canada is completed. Loranger has been Assistant Chief Statistician since 2013 and was Statistics Canada’s Chief Data Officer until January 2023.
Arora, who was appointed Chief Statistician of Canada in September 2016, has had a 35-year career in the public service. His term was renewed in June 2018 for another five years and then extended until March 31, 2024.
He led Statistics Canada in several high-profile initiatives that saw greater authority for its statistical operations, including updates to the Statistics Act, the establishment of the Canadian Statistics Advisory Council and the overall modernization of the agency.
He also oversaw the successful conduct of the 2016 and 2021 censuses of population and agriculture and the introduction of numerous initiatives, including the Disaggregated Data Action Plan, the Quality of Life Framework, and the Census of Environment. Over his 28 years at Statistics Canada, Mr. Arora has developed systems that provide Canadians with online access to interactive data and publications, and the current census methodology that allows Canadians to complete their questionnaire securely and online, as well as greater access to microdata for researchers and academics. Notably, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, the agency adjusted its operations to provide Canadians with more relevant and timely data.
“It has been an honour to lead a world-leading statistical agency as it modernized and increased its relevance to Canadians. I am truly grateful to my colleagues and stakeholders for their support and for their commitment to high-quality and timely statistics, critical for decisions that impact us all,” Anil Arora, outgoing Chief Statistician of Canada, Statistics Canada.
“Statistics Canada continues to be recognized as a world leader in collecting and disseminating national statistical data and providing credible, trustworthy and accurate information for businesses and Canadians. I am confident that André Loranger will fulfill the role of interim Chief Statistician as the Government of Canada seeks to fill this important position on a permanent basis. Anil Arora’s stewardship helped Statistics Canada usher in the digital era, still powered by the agency’s always reliable data. I wish him success in his future endeavours,” said François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
Arora attended the University of Alberta, where he earned a Bachelor of Science, followed by further education in computing science and management, including a graduate certificate in Advanced Public Sector Management at the University of Ottawa, and the Advanced Leadership Program at the Canada School of Public Service.
