(September 30, 2025)
Nigel Wright, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Harper and director at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute (MLI), has passed away at 62.
Wright was Harper’s chief of staff from 2010 to 2013. Those who worked closely with him in those days knew him to be extremely hardworking and extremely kind, a consummate professional and gentlemen. Wright was a brilliant businessman and a dedicated public servant who devoted himself to the common good.
“Nigel Wright was not only a director at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, he was a stalwart supporter, an earlier adopter of our work, and a great friend to the Institute and to me personally over many years,” said MLI founder and managing director Brian Lee Crowley, “Of no one could it more truly be said that he will be deeply missed.”
Jamie Tronnes, executive director at the Center for North American Prosperity and Security (CNAPS), has worked with Wright in various roles throughout her career. She notes:
“Nigel was one of the most supportive people I’ve encountered in my career and he was the first person that I emailed when I made the decision to join the MLI team. His time as a board member at MLI consistently demonstrated the high regard he had for beneficial policy and his commitment to better lives for Canadians. He cared deeply about his country and its governance. He was a mentor to many professionals in the public service and policy sector. He will be greatly missed.”
