John Law - Deputy Minister

In July, 2004, John became Deputy Minister for the Ministry of Highways
& Infrastructure, a portfolio that encompasses economic, social and environmental issues, policies and operations. As one of the major industry portfolios, highways and infrastructure provides a vital link to moving people, goods and services throughout the province and to neighboring jurisdictions.

Previous to MHI, John was currently responsible for the government's technology portfolio as the Chief Information and Services Officer for the Province of Saskatchewan. Under John's leadership, the Information Technology Office (ITO) went through a major IT services transformation process using industry best practices and providing Saskatchewan citizens with high quality, cost-effective IT services by making the best use of existing human and financial resources. Prior to joining the ITO, John was President of the Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation.

John is no stranger to change management initiatives of this kind. He served for 10 years as President of the Saskatchewan Property Management Corporation, the organization charged with conducting the government's business affairs such as buildings management and procurement services. During his tenure, John was responsible for leading change during a Deloitte and Touche efficiency measures process that saw 350 staff positions reduced. By developing creative measures such as voluntary severance packages and early retirement incentives, John was able to steer his organization through this difficult transition while minimizing impact on employees.

In his role as president, John also oversaw many innovative and leading edge reconstruction efforts actively promoting public-private partnerships. Of particular note is the internationally-recognized rehabilitation project to stabilize the crumbling foundation of the Saskatchewan Legislature, as well as the SIAST re-development project which saw the transformation of a surplus former hospital into a state-of-the-art technical institute.

John is a visionary who came to his current position as a direct result of his longtime involvement in modernizing the way government conducts its business. Since joining the public service in 1981, John has served in staff advisory positions to both Cabinet and Treasury Board Ministers in three jurisdictions, from the Federal Government to the Provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

John has a unique flair for seizing opportunities to actively promote government initiatives. He honed these skills early on in his career while serving as the Director of Public Relations for the Winnipeg Blue Bombers football team, as well as Marketing Coordinator for the Labatt's Brewing Company.

John's twenty-five year employment history has crossed over both the public and private sectors. During this time, he has had lead roles in a variety of organizational change and financial management initiatives.

John holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Urban Studies from the University of Winnipeg and Master of Public Affairs degree from the University of Manitoba.