Vice Admiral A. Bruce Donaldson, CD

Vice-Admiral Bruce Donaldson assumed command of Canada Command in May of 2009. As Commander, he is responsible for all domestic and continental Canadian Forces operations in North America and its approaches, with the exception of aerospace warning and control.

Before assuming command, he spent 18 months as Director of the Strategic Joint Staff, coordinating all Canadian Forces operations for the Chief of Defence Staff.

Prior to that, he spent two years in command of the Canadian Pacific Fleet. His previous command appointments include the frigate HMCS VANCOUVER, the Sea Training Staff on the West Coast, and the destroyer HMCS ATHABASKAN, while flagship for the Canadian Atlantic Fleet.

Vice-Admiral Donaldson joined the Canadian Forces as a Naval Reserve Officer in 1977, transferring to the Regular Force in 1982. He initially specialized in navigation, and had a number of operational and training appointments in that area. He completed a Head of Department tour as Weapons Officer then Combat Officer in the East Coast flagship. He was the Executive Officer of the frigate HMCS REGINA and of the fleet replenishment ship HMCS PROTECTEUR.

Staff appointments have included Training Coordination Officer in the Naval Officer Training Centre, Senior Staff Officer Policy Coordination in the Maritime Command Headquarters, and Director Asia-Pacific Policy and Special Assistant to the Director General International Security Policy in the Policy Group of the National Defence Headquarters in Ottawa.

Vice-Admiral Donaldson holds a Bachelors Degree in Political Science and Economics from Carleton University in Ottawa, and a Masters Degree in International Relations and Maritime Strategic Studies from Dalhousie University in Halifax. He is a graduate of both the Command and Staff Course and the National Security Studies Course at the Canadian Forces College in Toronto.