Calgary Branch
Contact
Email: calgary@thecic.org
Established in 1932, the Calgary branch of the Canadian International Council (CIC Calgary) has been an integral part of the community in this energy and innovation hub of Canada.
The Calgary branch welcomes and encourages engagement from across sectors and from members of the general public with an interest in Canadian foreign policy and international relations. As the city and region continue to diversify into 2024, the branch is also expanding programming to highlight the myriad sectors, industries, and interests here with global significance and connections. Our events are offered as forums providing opportunities for Calgarians, Albertans and visitors to engage in discussion here in Alberta on matters of national and international significance. Our branch membership is an engaging mix of academic scholars, students, business leaders, and community members who share an interest in foreign affairs.
During our programming year between September and June, our Speakers Program aims to host a minimum of 4 – 6 events on a wide variety of topics that range in format from casual and interactive ‘Politics in the Pub’ discussions to single speaker keynote addresses and expert panel forums. These events are always unique networking opportunities for those who live locally but are interested in issues abroad.
If you are thinking about becoming a member, have a speaker suggestion, or just want to know more about us, please connect via calgary@thecic.org.
Branch Executive Leadership
President
Neil Larsen
Neil’s interest in world affairs led to his involvement with the CIC’s predecessor organization, the Canadian Institute of International Affairs beginning in late 1970’s and continuing into the late 1990’s. He joined the CIC in 2023.
He had a long career in the aviation industry, primarily serving northern Canada. Neil came to Calgary in 2007 to work for Shell managing contracted aviation service providers. This was followed by several years with WSP where he primarily provided advice to the Manitoba Government on long term contracting of aviation service
providers.
Neil attended the University of Saskatchewan where he earned a Master of Business Administration degree and the University of Regina where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree and an Honours certificate. Neil is retired.
Acting Secretary
TBA
Treasurer
Dekyi Dorjee
Student Engagement
Madeline Antony
Madeline holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in Biology and Psychology from the University of Victoria and is currently in law school at the University of Calgary. She splits her professional time as both a research assistant in business and organizational psychology and working as a legal assistant. Outside of academics and professions, she actively volunteers with various organizations and loves to spend time with family and friends.
Programming Advisor
Daniel Caine
Daniel is a recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh Award (Bronze) and holds a Diploma in Business Administration from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology, a degree from Mount Royal University in Policy Studies with a minor in Business, and is currently in Ottawa pursuing a Master’s in International Relations (International Economic Policy) at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs.
Daniel has extensive volunteer experience with the SAIT Student Association (serving on its Board of Directors,) the SAIT Board of Academics, the Hidden Valley Community Association, the Calgary Zoo, and the Calgary Public Library. He enjoys reading, writing fiction, learning history, playing Dungeons and Dragons 5e, watching Star Wars, playing darts, and singing karaoke.
Member at Large
Barry Li
Barry is a Senior Data Engineer with a passion for civic engagement, international affairs, and ethical technology. He currently works at a multinational fintech company, where he works on large scale distributed systems processing data at scale.
Previously, Barry worked for the United Nations Peacekeeping Mission in Central African Republic (MINUSCA), building natural language processing tools for conflict monitoring, and has held roles with the Government of Canada, such as IRCC, and Statistics Canada.
He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa. Outside of work, Barry enjoys travelling the world and spending time on the mountain climbing and skiing.