Alison Van Rooy

Biography

Dr. Alison Van Rooy leads Van Rooy Strategies, a strategic planning consultancy to support purpose-driven organizations to do more good work in the world. That strategy work is built on nearly three decades focused on civil society organizations and Canada’s international policy. Starting with a six-year research career with the nongovernmental North-South Institute, where she launched the Institute’s work on civil society movements, she moved to the federal public service and completed her two-decade career as a Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Deputy Minister for Asia Pacific at Global Affairs Canada. Her work in government includes senior roles at the former Canadian International Development Agency (on research-to-policy knowledge mobilization and international development policy), the Canada School of Public Service (on the future of the public service), and at the Treasury Board Secretariat. In recent years, Alison led a two-year collaborative process to set the strategic plan at Vancouver Island University and support its equity, diversity, and inclusion plan. She has published and lectured widely on issues of civil society and public participation outside of government, and led efforts within government to promote public engagement. Alison has a DPhil in International Relations from Oxford University and is a Rhodes Scholar, a Norman Robertson Fellowship winner, and a United World College scholarship recipient, among other awards. She has a first degree in Politics and Comparative Development Studies from Trent University and is a Canada World Youth alumna. Most recently, she’s pleased to have completed the six-months Oxford Next Horizons program.