The veteran coach is the first woman to be named head coach in Canadian history, as well as the first woman to be appointed head coach on the Alpine World Cup circuit.

"I look forward to working with each athlete as well as our coaching and technical staff to create a culture of excellence that will empower everyone to reach their fullest potential," Harjo, who joins from the United States set-up, said.

Norwegian-born and US-raised, Harjo will join the team immediately.

Preparations for the 2022-2023 season are due to begin at a training camp in late April in Alberta.

Harjo's previous experience includes coaching American skiing legend Lindsey Vonn to a bronze medal in the downhill event at the Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics.

Harjo has also been credited with supporting US skier Mikaela Shiffrin to win combined gold, giant slalom silver and slalom and super-G bronze medals at the 2021 Alpine World Ski Championships in Cortina d'Ampezzo. 

"We’re excited Karin is joining our programme as we conclude a solid season and look to propel our athletes in the next four-year cycle heading to the Olympics in Cortina in 2026," Phil McNichol, high-performance director of the Canadian Alpine ski team, said. 

Harjo's hiring comes off the back of Canada’s poor form in Alpine skiing events at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, where the country only mustered one bronze medal in the men’s combined. 

Therese Brisson, President and chief executive of Alpine Canada, added: "Karin is a truly exceptional leader who believes in the power of excellence and the importance of developing leaders in life and excellence both on and off the hill."

Harjo’s varied career shows that she has a history of firsts.

In 2016, she became the first woman to set a women's World Cup technical course for the first slalom run in Flachau in Austria, while a US ski team coach.