Paula Folkes assumed the responsibilities of NSPA General Manager on September 2026.
Prior to joining the Agency, Ms Folkes served as Assistant Deputy Minister of Defence and Marine Procurement. In this role, she supported Canada’s military and coast guard operations by leading major air, land, space, and marine procurements, and associated sustainment and support service contracts.
From 2019 to 2023, Ms Folkes was the Director General of Defence Procurement at the Embassy of Canada to the United States. In this role, she
led a team that manages Canada’s acquisitions under the US Foreign Military Sales program as well as an international cooperation program for defence procurement. From 2015 to 2019, Ms Folkes served as the Senior Director of the Future Fighter Capability Project, working to replace Canada’s CF-18 fighter aircraft.
Paula has over 17 years of executive experience in a variety of leadership roles within the Canadian Federal Public Service. In 2023, Paula received the Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force’s commendation for her professionalism and excellence.
Certified in Cyber Security Risk Management from HarvardX and a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt, Ms Folkes holds a bachelor of arts in
Political Science and a master’s degree in Public Administration.