Born and raised in Ottawa, Fran莽ois Provencher understood the importance of public policy from a young age鈥攁n understanding that has shaped his perspective of the world as well as his career path.听听聽
鈥淕rowing up in our capital, I definitely had the importance of public service ingrained in me early on, and it gave me perspective on the impact that policy can have,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think public policy will be key to addressing a lot of Canada鈥檚 and humanity鈥檚 biggest issues in the future, like issues stemming from climate change.鈥澛犅�
While growing up, Fran莽ois represented Canada in the sport of fencing and travelled the world for international competitions. The experience instilled in him a deep passion for travel. 鈥淚t gave me that wanderlust and desire to get out there and meet the world,鈥� he remembers.
When it came time to pursue an undergrad degree, Fran莽ois chose a program that would allow him to combine his interest in public policy with his passion for exploring the world. He earned a degree in International Management from the University of Ottawa, and did an exchange year at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands, where he earned a minor in Cross-Cultural Business Skills.聽
Forging a career in public service聽
During his undergrad, Fran莽ois interned at National Defence and Industry Canada鈥攏ow (ISED)鈥攚here he analyzed defence offset policy. After graduating, he spent time in Buenos Aires, Argentina, working as an international business consultant for an IT firm while mastering his Spanish.聽
From there, he moved back to Canada to work as a business tech analyst at in Montreal鈥攁 city he says he was 鈥渄etermined to move to because I had friends living here, and so I made the life choice to move here after spending most of my life in Ottawa.鈥澛�
After a year at Deloitte, he worked part-time for a friend鈥檚 startup IT company and also lived in Brazil for a short time to work and study Portuguese. It was during this time that he started applying for Master of Public Policy programs, ultimately landing on the Max Bell School of Public Policy.听听
Choosing the Max Bell School MPP 鈥渁 great decision鈥澛�
鈥淚 was applying for other MPPs and was accepted into a two-year program where I would have spent one year in China and one in London,鈥� he explains. 鈥淏ut I decided to stick with Montreal and it turned out to be a great decision. My long term goal is to stay here for at least a few more years, and being able to network here while studying has a lot of advantages career-wise.鈥澛�
Part of the School鈥檚 inaugural cohort, Fran莽ois wasn鈥檛 sure what to expect from the program going in. But he was 鈥渓ooking forward to getting some real work experience in policy-making and working with practitioners to develop some applicable skills,鈥� which he says the program definitely delivered on.聽
Another favourite aspect of the program was the diversity of the student cohort.聽
鈥淭hey put a lot of emphasis on the diversity of the group, so I learned as much from my peers as I did my profs,鈥� he says. 鈥淎 big takeaway was the importance of diverse perspectives and how that informs your decisions as a policymaker.鈥澛�
A springboard for success聽
Soon after graduating from the Max Bell School, Fran莽ois accepted a role working as a senior advisor at . His role involves working with the national shipbuilding policy to rebuild Canada鈥檚 navy. More specifically, it involves applying a national ISED policy that requires defence contractors who win government contracts to reinvest the value of the contract back into the Canadian economy.聽
Fran莽ois says the MPP program played a key role in helping him secure the position. 鈥淓verything I learned in the program helped me make a good impression in the interview and ultimately secure the job,鈥� he says. His Policy Lab was also with ISED, which he says definitely helped him get a foot in the door.聽
鈥淧olicy writing, and how to effectively communicate policy ideas, has been very important,鈥� he adds. 鈥淎nd the concepts we explored in the courses, the influence that business can have in policymaking, are definitely important concepts that I use in my job every day.鈥澛�
Building core skills and connections for the future聽
Right now, Fran莽ois is enjoying working with the federal government and plans to continue working in development policy while building his skills and network.听听
鈥淚 would eventually like to work in something related to international affairs,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd I鈥檇 definitely like to live abroad again and have at least one more international experience before settling down and starting a family.鈥澛�
Whatever the future holds, he feels grateful to have made so many valuable connections during his time at the Max Bell School and plans on leveraging them, along with the prestige of the 平特五不中 name, looking forward.
鈥淲e had some very high-profile people come to give talks, from former prime ministers to top experts in their fields,鈥� he remembers. 鈥淎nd since I鈥檇 like to have a more international career, the 平特五不中 name is very useful. Having that global recognition was really attractive for me, and attending 平特五不中 is something I鈥檒l be proud of for the rest of my life.鈥�
