ALUMNI PROFILE
NEVIN FRENCH Being able to adapt, lead, research and present clear and concise briefs, has given Nevin French an edge in government and information technology roles
NEVIN FRENCH, BA’00, is a career public servant who’s enjoyed transitioning from policy analyst to working on the Russia file with Global Affairs Canada, to today being Vice President Public Policy, Information Technology Association of Canada, an association bridging the tech world and government. “I can pick up new files and say ok, how do we drive this forward? It’s like doing the Foundation Year Program at King’s. We’re doing Marx today. Next week it’s something else.” French understands how government works and how quickly technology evolves. Calling it a “plug and play background,” French says his liberal arts education gave him a broad understanding that he applies to many facets of his work. “One of the most fascinating things about tech is no one knows where it’s going…[the industry] needs critical thinkers and people with strong analytical skills.” He also holds a Master of European and Russian Studies. He’s moved across the country a few times as a public servant, between Ottawa with the Federal Government and the Government of Alberta in Edmonton. He’s been a policy analyst with both Natural Resources Canada and Public Safety Canada, Manager of the Canadian Energy Strategy Secretariat, Deputy Director for European Commercial Affairs, Senior Desk Officer for Russia with Global Affairs Canada, and Senior Analyst with Fisheries and Oceans Canada. The list goes on, as does his excitement for the work. “I have always just wanted to do work that interests me,” he says. French is an unabashed supporter of the
liberal arts education he got at King’s and never passes up a chance to mention how it has shaped him. “Government doesn’t do well creating policy on the fly. Technology is changing so quickly you have to be careful setting policy to respond to the crisis of the day. That technology may not be relevant in five years. We ask governments to aim for a more principles-based approach.” It’s the kind of thoughtful work that those who study liberal arts are uniquely qualified for, French says. “When you think about issues of privacy, there is going to be such a need for people with a strong background in subjects like ethics. Someone with a Contemporary Studies Program (CSP) background, or a background in Classics—they are going to have a good approach to how we will need to think about evolving principles of privacy in the future. There are lots of people who can handle the bells and whistles of the new technologies but being able to understand what modern privacy means is going to be very important for tech companies to understand.”
“I can pick up new files and say ok, how do we drive this forward? It’s like doing the Foundation Year Program at King’s. We’re doing Marx today. Next week it’s something else.”
TIDINGS | WINTER 2020 23
