In 1981, after four years as an Army Cadet, Lieutenant-General Paul Wynnyk joined the Militia before joining the Regular Force. Studying at both Royal Roads Military College and the Royal Military College of Canada, he obtained a baccalaureate in civil engineering and was commissioned in 1986.
LGen Wynnyk’s command appointments included 1 Combat Engineer Regiment from 1997 to 1999, 1 Area Support Group from 2004 to 2006, Land Force Western Area/Joint Task Force West (now 3rd Canadian Division) from 2010 to 2012, Canadian Forces Intelligence Command from 2014 to 2016 and the Canadian Army from 2016 to 2018.
Serving in a variety of staff assignments over the course of his career, LGen Wynnyk held several positions at National Defence Headquarters including Director General Military Engineering and a posting to the Privy Council Office where he was the Senior Defence Advisor and Director of Operations for the Foreign and Defence Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister.
LGen Wynnyk's overseas assignments include, in addition to four years of service in Germany, tours with the UN Advance Mission in Cambodia, the UN Transitional Authority in Cambodia, and an assignment as the Canadian Task Force Commander and mission Chief of Operations of the Mission de l'Organisation des Nations Unies en République démocratique du Congo. In 2009, he was posted to the Combined Security Transition Command - Afghanistan as the Assistant Commanding General responsible for overseeing the development of the Afghan Ministry of Defense and the Afghan National Army.
LGen Wynnyk holds Master's degrees in both war studies and business administration (international business) and is a registered professional engineer in the province of Alberta as well as a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He is also a graduate of the French Commando Course, and has been decorated by the Governments of Afghanistan, Brazil, Columbia and the United States for his leadership in promoting international security and cooperation.
LGen Wynnyk was appointed Vice Chief of the Defence Staff in 2018 and retired from the Canadian Armed Forces in 2019. He joined the Alberta Public Service in October of that year, and served as the Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs, Health and Intergovernmental Relations. He retired, for a second time, in 2025 as the Acting Secretary to Cabinet and Head of the Public Service. LGen Wynnyk is currently employed as the Registrar and CEO of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA).
Date modified: 29 May 2025