The Canadian Marine Careers Foundation (CMCF) is pleased to welcome Chris Given to its Board of Directors. His appointment was confirmed at the CMCF Board of Directors meeting on September 23, 2026.

“Addressing marine labour and skills shortages remains a top priority for the Foundation, and doing it well means listening to the people who work in the industry,” said Julia Fields, Executive Director of the Canadian Marine Careers Foundation. “As President of SIU Canada, Chris Given brings a necessary seafarer perspective to our work. His experience advocating for marine workers, and his leadership on international maritime issues will help ensure our efforts remain relevant, responsive, and impactful for the people and communities we serve.”

Chris Given has been the President of the SIU Canada since March 2025. Previously, he served as the Union’s Secretary-Treasurer and Director of Government Relations where he worked to advance seafarers’ voices in Ottawa for many years. The SIU Canada represents the majority of unlicensed seafarers working on all types of vessels, operating from Coast to Coast to Coast. Chris also holds the elected positions of North American Chair for the Seafarers’ Section, Steering Group Member of the Maritime Safety Committee, and Chair of the Cabotage Task Force within the International Transport Workers’ Federation (ITF), which is a UK-based organization of affiliate transport unions from around the world, collectively representing over one million of the world’s seafarers. Chris holds a Bachelor of Education degree from McGill University (2012) and a Certificate in Labour Relations from Toronto Metropolitan University (2021).

The Canadian Marine Careers Foundation (CMCF) is a national non-profit working with over 60 industry, labour, education, and government partners to build a diverse and future ready workforce for Canada’s marine sector. Through its Imagine Marine campaign, the CMCF promotes career opportunities both onboard vessels and at shore by engaging youth, jobseekers, and equity-deserving groups. The CMCF develops unified and sector coordinated approaches to workforce development, providing labour market data, tools, resources and programs to strengthen recruitment, retention, and training efforts.