Annette Hester is an economist, independent scholar and writer who specializes in Canadian foreign and international trade policy, Latin American economics and politics, hemispheric integration, and oil and gas regulatory frameworks. She is currently working in association with a number of front line research institutions including the Centre d'études interaméricaines at Université Laval, the Centre for International Governance Innovation in Waterloo, and the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington D.C.