Since becoming a foreign service officer, he has served abroad in Prague, Bonn and Vienna. At headquarters, he has served as desk officer for, first, the Strategic Policy Analysis Division, then for the USSR, Central and Eastern Europe Relations Division; as Deputy Director, European Union Division; Executive Assistant to the Minister of Foreign Affairs; Director, European Union Division; and Director, Eastern Europe and Balkans Division.

Additionally, Mr. Guimond served as Advisor to the Foreign Policy and Defence Secretariat with the Privy Council Office. Mr. Guimond is currently the Ambassador of Canada to Hungary and Slovenia. He is married to Louise Parent.

1. When did you arrive in Hungary and what brought you here?
I arrived on September 3rd 2007 and have been enjoying every minute of it since. Although it was a long time dream for me to be appointed Canada's Ambassador in one country of this region, the offer to come to Budapest was earlier than I expected and my wife and I were very happy about that.

2. Have you ever been an expatriate elsewhere?
Canada is so big that sometime you feel expatriate in other regions of our country; that's what happened when I moved from my hometown of Québec City to Toronto in 1982. Yet the "culture shock" was obviously bigger in Czechoslovakia of the late 1980s, Germany and Austria.

3. What surprised you most about Hungary?
The level of development of infrastructure (mostly the highways and modern architecture buildings) since my first trip here in 1990.

4. Friends are in Budapest for a weekend - what must they absolutely see and do?
Széchenyi baths is obviously on the list after a nice walk in Normafa or Margit-sziget (if the weather is nice), or just look at the architecture in the Jewish neighbourhood. Concert in the evening at the Müvészetek Palotája with its Bartók Hall's interior made of Canadian maple.

5. What is your favourite Hungarian food?
Hortobágyi palacsinta.

6. What is never missing from your refrigerator?
A bottle of Chateau Vincent rosé from Garamvári (I am a member of the "Confrérie Bonus Bonorum of Balatonboglár" ).

7. What is your favourite Hungarian word?
Bocsánat

8. What do you miss the most from home?
Winter's clear blue skies and lots of white snow.

9. What career other than yours would you love to pursue?
Cabbie in New York, tour bus driver in Italy or Maitre d'hôtel in Paris.

10. What's a job you would definitely never want?
Special forces soldier

11. Where did you spend your last vacation?
Croatia and Slovenia.

12. Where do you hope to spend your next one?
Slovenia and Croatia, but eastern Canada before that.

13. What was your favourite band, film, or hobby as a teen?
Led Zeppelin
The Godfather
Sleeping late

14. What can't you resist?
Chocolate cake and glass of milk

15. Red wine or white?
Sparkling, rosé, white but mostly red

16. Book or movie?
Movie

17. Morning person or night person?
Both, now

18. Dog person or cat person?
Dog

19. Buda side or Pest side?
Lánchíd

20. What would you say is your personal motto?
You never know