Rory Campbell's retirement from the Government of Alberta in 2008 was marked not by a slowdown in his schedule, but by an increase in his philanthropic work. His focus shifted to the volunteer sector, where he has put his extensive experience in economic development to work as a CESO Volunteer Advisor. His understanding of the Canadian government, coupled with his extensive experience with business processes, policies and procedures, equips him well for a role on the CESO board of directors.
Over the past three years, Mr. Campbell has completed eight in-depth assignments in Russia, the Philippines, Guyana, South Africa and Canada. His one-on-one work with CESO clients has focused mainly on assisting with a range of governance issues, for municipal governments, business associations and foundations. For the Ontario government, Mr. Campbell facilitated a series of roundtable meetings in which representatives from government and the agriculture industry discussed emerging policy issues.
Mr. Campbell began his political career as a cabinet committee secretary in the Alberta Premier's office in 1979. Over the next three decades, he held progressive leadership roles in a wide range of Alberta ministries, before becoming Alberta's deputy minister of Economic Development in 2003, and deputy minister of Agriculture and Food in 2006. In that role, Mr. Campbell was responsible for national food safety systems and international trade and investment promotion -- skills that are now proving valuable in his CESO volunteer work.