Gregor Sneddon

Gregor Sneddon

Secretary General, International Federation on Ageing.

Appointed as Secretary General as of November 4th, 2024, Gregor is dedicated to justice and equity for all people. Most recently serving as Executive Director of HelpAge Canada, Gregor’s leadership was exemplified both nationally and internationally.

Under Gregor’s leadership HelpAge Canada was the first national responder to under-resourced older people during the Covid-19 pandemic in Canada.  He and his team designed and developed innovative national programs serving older Canadians in digital literacy, ageing in place, age-friendly transportation, men’s mental health, and funding programs addressing isolation and loneliness through local seniors-serving organizations.  Gregor was a founding member of the Canadian Coalition Against Ageism (CCAA) and led the formation of a National Community Leadership Council driving the development of a pan-Canadian Community-based Seniors Services Sector.

Globally, he led the development of Global Affairs Canada-funded programs with HelpAge International in Ethiopia and Ukraine, Moldova and Poland, and built the HelpAge Canada Global Response program initiating humanitarian projects in Ukraine, Morocco, Pakistan, Lebanon, the Occupied Palestinian Territories, Moldova, Poland, and Syria.  He served as a UN-accredited Member of the Open-Ended Working Group on Ageing in 2023 and 2024 and led the creation of a participatory video project with elders from seven First Nations from Canada’s Manitoulin Island as part of the opening of the WHO Decade of Healthy Ageing.

His academic background includes a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of British Columbia, a Bachelor of Theology and a Masters of Pastoral Theology from St. Paul University and a Master of Arts in Theology, Eastern Christan Studies, from the the Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky Institute of Eastern Christian Studies.  He is also a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).

Gregor lived and worked as a musician in New Orleans, Louisiana, before pursuing his business administration degree and worked as an entrepreneur and with The Franchise Company in business development.  Gregor also served as a clergyperson with the Anglican Diocese of Ottawa, as Rector of several parishes and the Diocese Community Ministries.  His work included prison ministry and working with people experiencing homelessness or at risk of homelessness.

In his role as Secretary-General, Gregor is driven by a belief in every person’s inherent right to self-determination and dignified later life, aligning seamlessly with the IFA’s mission to champion the well-being and rights of older persons worldwide.