Alex Johnston is a Canadian lawyer, author, policy advisor, women's advocate, and businesswoman. She is the daughter of David Johnston, the 28th Governor General of Canada.[1] Johnston practiced corporate and commercial law at Goodmans LLP before joining the office of former Ontario premier Dalton McGuinty, where she served as executive director of policy between 2003 and 2011.[1][2][3] In that role, Johnston worked alongside Gerald Butts, McGuinty's principal secretary.[1] Between 2012 and 2015, Johnston ran the Canadian office of Catalyst Inc., a global non-profit advocating for the advancement of women in business.[4][5][6] In her role at Catalyst, Johnston highlighted the persistence of gender inequalities in the workplace, including gender pay gap in Canada that was double the global average.[3][7] In 2016, Johnston was appointed as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's VP of strategy and public affairs.[1][4][8][9]
In 2021, Johnston published a book documenting her experiences overcoming infertility.[10][11][12] In the book, Johston advocates for a more effective and inclusive approach to addressing infertility in Canada, as an increase in the average Canadian child-bearing age has led to an increase in age-related infertility.[12][2]