Alumni spotlight: blazing trails in Ottawa

Intellectual curiosity is a trait that Ray Protti, ‘68 BA, ‘70 MA, credits for sparking his interest in economics and political science as a student at the University of Alberta – a trait that would later help pave the way for interesting and rewarding careers in both the public and private sectors.  

“I found the subjects [economics and political science] fascinating. They helped make sense of the world around me,” he says. “The foundation in economics that I received from the University of Alberta was enormously useful throughout my career”.

In 1968, the year he graduated from the University of Alberta with a BA (Honours Economics), Protti started working with the Bank of Canada in Ottawa.

“It was an exciting place to be. Some of the most path-breaking work was going on there then,” he said, recalling his time with economists Ian Stewart and John Helliwell, who were pioneering work on an econometric model that elevated the Bank of Canada as a leading authority in economic policy research.

“I had the privilege of working as an assistant to them,” says Protti. “It was exceedingly exciting to be a part of the team that was the first to develop a Canadian model of that sort.”

Protti recalled his time spent in various deputy minister assignments which included forging constructive working relationships with cabinet ministers of various political stripes. 

“The Ministers generally were not driven by hugely ideological partisanship,” he says. “I had the opportunity to work with both excellent Liberal and Conservative cabinet ministers. They tended to be very pragmatic and focused on doing the best job they could. I had deep respect for their commitment to public life.”

Protti recalls some positions throughout his lengthy career as being uniquely challenging, including his tenure as Director of CSIS, which began in 1991 in the aftermath of the crumbling of the Berlin Wall. Besides overseeing the organization’s work on counter-espionage, he also oversaw its increased focus on counter-terrorism. He worked to elevate the agency’s profile in Canada without, needless to say,  divulging secrets.

“At the time, CSIS was an organization that Canadians were not very familiar with,” says Protti. “I had been asked to ensure the agency would reach out to Canadians and speak more openly about its mandate and its operations.”

Protti’s experience in government, and in particular his strength as a communicator and knowledge of governance, became assets when, in 1996, he became president and CEO of the Canadian Bankers Association at a time when Canada was in the midst of a recession. 

“Banks were in rather poor public odor at the time and there was a need to communicate much more effectively with ministers, parliamentarians and with the Canadian public as a whole,” he says.

Using polling data that showed Canadians’ low regard for banks in general, yet love for the banks they personally dealt with, Protti found a way to educate the public about the work of these institutions. 

Since leaving  public service and the CBA, Protti has spent considerable time serving the Victoria, BC, community by sitting on several boards, including the University of Victoria, Pacific Opera Victoria, the Royal BC Museum and the Edmonton-headquartered Canadian Western Bank. More recently, he has scaled down those commitments to solely sit on the Board of the Canadian Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

When asked about his academic experiences, Protti says he believes his tenure at the U of A helped launch his career in both the private and public sectors. The question also brought back some cherished memories.

“I very much valued and enjoyed every minute I spent at the University of Alberta,” he says. “I made some wonderful lifelong friends, got a stellar education and had some fun times. In particular, I remember fondly editing the University of Alberta yearbook. All in all, it was just an absolutely wonderful personal growth and educational experience.”