{"id":224,"date":"2020-07-29T09:55:23","date_gmt":"2020-07-29T13:55:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/socialwork\/?post_type=cu_people&p=224"},"modified":"2026-03-05T10:37:00","modified_gmt":"2026-03-05T15:37:00","slug":"cassie-doyle","status":"publish","type":"cu_people","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/socialwork\/people\/cassie-doyle\/","title":{"rendered":"Cassie Doyle"},"content":{"rendered":"
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CEO, Canadian International Resources and Development Institute<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Master of Social Work (\u201883)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the CEO of the Canadian International Resources and Development Institute, Cassie Doyle takes people by surprise when she says she has a Master\u2019s in Social Work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for her, the connection is clear. Her organization aims to support basic human needs\u2014the alleviation of poverty in mining communities in countries like Ethiopia, Mongolia, Burkina Faso and Peru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur overall objective is to reduce poverty in these countries by helping them manage their natural resources in environmentally and socially responsible ways,\u201d says Ms. Doyle, who oversees this coalition of universities. \u201cThe impact of development on commun\u00adities was a formative piece of my education at Carleton.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That strong commitment to sustainable development also influenced her work as Consul General of Canada in San Francisco. Having served as Deputy Minister at Natural Resources Canada, Ms. Doyle was particularly interested in California\u2019s leadership on renewable energy. A big part of the job involved introducing Canadian entre\u00adpreneurs to U.S. companies. But she quickly discovered a problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI would go to events with Canadian entrepreneurs and think, \u2018Holy mackerel, there are only young men here,\u2019\u201d she recalls. \u201cI discovered that when we put out the call for entrepreneurs by word of mouth, women weren\u2019t accessing those informal networks. So we improved our outreach and found lots of fantastic women doing great things.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She eventually created a dedicated program that invited Canadian women leaders in technology to Silicon Valley, immersing them in the ecosystem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI really admire how important Silicon Valley is as a centre of innovation and how innovation is happening on every front\u2014even in the social and creative spheres. It seems to infect everyone there,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But simultaneously, Ms. Doyle says she could recognize the advantages to her home country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIn California, I was exposed to poverty as a volunteer for the United Way and, compared to Canada, it was startling,\u201d she says. \u201cThere are serious weaknesses in the social safety net in the United States.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, Ms. Doyle\u2019s career began with a support position in Canada\u2019s social safety net. She completed two practicums in Ottawa through the School of Social Work: the second one launched her on a career in social housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt was a big opportunity and really important for me,\u201d recalls Ms. Doyle, who went on to spend a decade working for the City of Ottawa Non-profit Housing Corporation. \u201cNot only did it give me professional experience, but I did work that I felt passionate about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As a result, she\u2019s a big proponent of professional work experiences for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s so important in terms of gaining real experience to test out whether this is a field you want to work in and to make valuable contacts,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She also urges students to persevere in the face of \u201crevolving temp\u00adorary contract work\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t want them to be discouraged because this is often how careers get launched, including my own. There are so many fulfilling opportunities working for the public interest. Carleton launch\u00aded me into a public service career that saw me work for all three orders of government up to the deputy minister level and it all started with a short-term contract.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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