Amanda Sussman

Amanda Sussman (born 1972) is a Canadian author, speaker and strategist. She is the author of: The Art of The Possible (2007). Sussman resides in Toronto with her husband Brian Current and three children.
==Early life and education==
Amanda Sussman was raised in the Ashkenazi Jewish community in Toronto, Canada and is the second of four children. In 1995, she received a Bachelor of Arts, Joint Honors in Anthropology and Political Science, with a concentration in International Development from McGill University in Montreal, Quebec.
In 1998, Sussman received a Master of Arts in International Relations and International Economics from Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) in Washington D.C., with a double major in Canadian and Latin American studies.
==Political background==
From 1996 to 1999, Sussman worked extensively in human rights advocacy with organizations which included Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commission for Refugees.
From 1999 to 2004, Sussman was senior advisor on human rights issues to federal Cabinet Ministers in the Canadian government, including Canada’s Minister of Citizenship and Immigration, the Honorable Elinor Caplan and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Honorable Bill Graham (Canadian Politician).
==Business and strategy background==
After leaving government in 2006, Sussman wrote and published the book The Art of the Possible. She implements the methods outlined in her book as a political strategist. This method was further outlined in her TEDx Talk in Toronto."Making Government Work for You," Amanda Sussman for TEDx Toronto, 2010
In 2010, Sussman was part of a team that led the Muskoka Initiative, which was successful in globally leveraging $7.5 billion to address the top five causes of maternal and child mortality in the developing world led by Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper.“What’s changed for moms and babies since the $2.8B Muskoka Initiative?” by Erika Tucker, as published in Global News, May 29, 2014
In 2011, Sussman drove the successful effort to create an International Day of the Girl and played a role in Canada’s first national strategy to prevent and respond to gender-based violence. She was a key strategist behind Plan International’s global initiative for girls’ rights known as Because I am a Girl.“Because I am a Girl” by Plan International Canada, last visited November 23, 2019
At the 44th G7 Summit in 2018, Sussman was the strategist behind the largest investment in history of $3.8B, to girl’s education in humanitarian settings led by the Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau. The initiative is expected to provide an education for 8.7 million children caught in the world’s most forgotten conflicts.“G7 sherpas wrap up meeting in Waterloo, focus on gender equality for June summit” by Danielle Kapelle, as published on CBC News (January 31, 2018).“How we helped secure $3 billion for the world’s most vulnerable women and girls” by Amanda Sussman, as published on the Plan Canada blog (January 18, 2018).
== References ==
== External links ==
* website of The Art of the Possible Consulting
* Amanda Sussman on twitter
* Amanda Sussman on linkedin
Category:Canadian writers
Category:Authors
Category:Canadian people