Kinew hires dual citizen who spent decade as reporter in Washington as province’s U.S. trade representative

Premier Wab Kinew has hired a former Washington, D.C., news correspondent as Manitoba’s trade representative to the United States.

Richard Madan is taking on a new role in the U.S. capital after reporting on Washington politics for nearly a decade, first for CTV and then CBC.

The American-born, Alberta-raised journalist arrived in Winnipeg Monday and officially begins his job Tuesday with the title of Manitoba senior representative to the U.S.

“This is the most exciting opportunity I’ve ever had,” Madan said in an interview late Monday. “This is an opportunity of a lifetime just to represent a province that I love and where my career started and really try to advocate for it in the United States.”

Madan said he’s here this week to meet with the provincial government and business, labour and Indigenous leaders.

Although he was happy with his reporting job, the trade rep position felt like a chance to use his skills, background and experience to do “the right thing.”

“I’m an American. I’m also Canadian, and this sounds corny, but you just kind of want to help,” he said.

Kinew — who was a TV journalist before he was a politician — announced in December that the province would hire a U.S. trade envoy early in the new year to represent Manitoba’s interests.

Madan was covering the premiers’ visit to Washington during the winter and heard that Manitoba was looking to hire a trade representative to work in the U.S. capital alongside other provinces, including Alberta, Ontario and Quebec.

“I’m an American. I’m also Canadian, and this sounds corny, but you just kind of want to help.”–Richard Madan

“I said, ‘I’m glad you guys are doing it because this should have been done decades ago. Let me know how I can help’,” he said. “I just left it at that. Then, a few months later, I received a call asking if I would be interested.”

He said he thought long and hard about it.

“I feel I’m made for this,” said Madan, who is married, in his early 50s and holds dual citizenship.

“I was born in Athens, Georgia, lived a lot of my life in Canada, and I thought, you know, we’re at this very critical, important time…. I understand this country. I know how to talk to these guys. I know how to connect with them. I think that that’s really needed right now.”

Madan said he contacted Canada’s Ambassador to the U.S. Kirsten Hillman earlier in the day to let her know he was taking the position. He didn’t know Monday if he was going to have an office in the Canadian Embassy.

Some business leaders said they were surprised that a former journalist got the job.

“I think it’s an interesting choice,” said Manitoba Chambers of Commerce president and CEO Chuck Davidson.

“It’s typically been someone that may have been a former MP or an elected official or someone from the business community.”

“I understand this country. I know how to talk to these guys. I know how to connect with them. I think that that’s really needed right now.”–Richard Madan

Davidson said Madan’s connection to Winnipeg and Manitoba, combined with his journalism background, should serve him well in the position.

Madan worked as a CBC TV reporter in Winnipeg from 2000 to 2004, reported on politics for CityTV in Toronto from 2004 to 2010, worked for CTV as a parliamentary correspondent in Ottawa from 2010 until 2016, when he moved to its bureau in Washington D.C. In 2023, Madan was let go by CTV as part of major layoffs at the network. Later that year, CBC hired him as one of its Washington correspondents.

Madan was in Washington when U.S. President Donald Trump was elected to his first term in 2016.

Kinew announced the plan to hire a Manitoba trade rep under the looming threat of U.S. tariffs last December, several weeks before Trump’s second inauguration.

“It’s obviously going to be a new role for him, someone coming from the media going into a role like this — sort of an advocacy position. It’ll be interesting. I’m sure that Richard will get the support of the business community and government to move forward and be successful in this role, hopefully,” Davidson said.

Bram Strain, president and CEO of the Business Council of Manitoba, said he was surprised initially by Madan’s selection, but it made sense when he thought about it.

“Obviously, being a reporter, he knows lots of people. He knows how (Washington) works, he knows how that government works,” Strain said.

“What you’re accessing is the network — as opposed to someone who knows business first, but doesn’t know the way the town works. That’s very important.”

Strain heads the business council made up of more than 100 leading business presidents and CEOs who’ve committed to Manitoba’s economic growth and community development.

He said the trade envoy needs to listen to businesses to learn what the province needs and then represent it.

carol.sanders@freepress.mb.ca