Alex Irving has been appointed as Executive Director of Government Relations for Western, effective April 22, 2024.
Irving brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in public affairs to the role, having worked both within the Ontario government, and most recently, at the University of Toronto.
“We are delighted to welcome Alex to the Western community,” said President Alan Shepard. “In his new role, he will continue to engage our partners at all levels of government and in the London region to work together on research, innovation, and educating the next generation of leaders.”
Irving is currently U of T’s Divisional Lead for Advocacy and Tri-Campus Priorities. Working with all levels of government, community representatives and external partners to support the university’s growth and impact, he most recently led advocacy efforts for the new Scarborough Academy of Medicine and Integrated Health.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity to come to Western,” Irving said. “It is a top, globally ranked institution, with a breadth and depth of research excellence that is being applied in really interesting ways to impact society, whether to improve brain health in our aging population or the economy through advanced manufacturing. But I was also drawn by the strong emphasis Western places on student experience. It’s rare to find an institution that combines those two important elements so well.”
Reporting to the President, Irving will provide strategic and operational leadership to support and advance Western’s institutional objectives and enhance relationships between the university and all levels of government. Working across campus to identify and influence key funding and policy issues, he will help develop a comprehensive approach to address these issues and their research impact.
“There are no shortages in the challenges we face here at home and globally,” Irving said. “Universities play a key role in solving those challenges, whether it’s addressing climate change and redesigning our whole energy system to accommodate new ways of producing and distributing power, or the myriad of health challenges on the global scale, brought to light by the pandemic.”
“Working with government partners to help world-class researchers who are solving the most complex challenges our society is facing is what drives me every day.”
Prior to his work at U of T, Irving served as senior policy advisor to the Minister of Economic Development and Growth with the Government of Ontario.
“A lot of work in government relations is process-driven, but a lot of it is relationship-driven too. Finding those intersection points has been a fascinating discovery throughout my career, first through academic study and then as a practitioner in this space,” said Irving, who holds a master of arts in political studies and an honours bachelor of arts in political studies and sociology, both from Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont.
Throughout his career, Irving has established a solid track record of working collegially with government representatives at the federal, provincial and municipal levels. His experience working at U of T to advance university priorities within three different municipalities ─ Toronto, Mississauga, and Newmarket/King Township ─ has armed him with a “tool kit to address municipally based challenges and to collaborate on opportunities that will allow us to benefit and grow together,” he said.
“One of the most exciting parts of coming to Western will be learning more about the London, (Ont.) landscape and I look forward to learning more about the city’s priorities.”
Irving is replacing Interim Executive Director of Government Relations, Sophie Helpard, who has held the position since January 2024, following Peter White’s retirement at the end of December 2023. President Shepard expressed gratitude to Helpard for providing outstanding leadership in this role.
