Robert Bourgeois has held senior positions at the vice-president level in finance and administration and external relations at University of Ottawa between 2019 and 2024 where he was responsible for major corporate functions including finance, human resources, information technology, facilities, pension fund and investment management, risk management, protection services, and advocacy.
From 2011 to 2019, Mr. Bourgeois was President of Stonecliffe Consulting Group in Ottawa, specializing in management consulting services to a number of Canada’s largest universities.
From 2007 to 2011, Mr. Bourgeois was Vice President, Administration at Laurentian University in Sudbury where he was responsible for all corporate business functions including finance, human resources, information technology, infrastructure, ancillary services, risk management and security. During that period, he was acting President for the period required to recruit the permanent President.
From 2002 to 2006, Mr. Bourgeois occupied the position of Deputy Secretary, Intergovernmental Operations at the Privy Council Office (PCO) in Ottawa. In this position, he was responsible for policy and operational support to the Prime Minister, Cabinet and the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, including key meetings such as First Ministers conferences and meetings with Premiers.
Prior to joining PCO, Mr. Bourgeois was the Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, at the Department of Justice in Ottawa, from 1999 to 2002.
From 1998 to 1999, Mr. Bourgeois was Assistant Deputy Minister, Canada Millennium Scholarship Transition Secretariat, where he was responsible for providing executive leadership within the federal public service for laying the groundwork for the establishment and efficient startup of the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. This foundation had a mandate to manage a $2.5 billion endowment fund created by the federal government to award 100,000 scholarships per year to post-secondary students.
Prior to 1998, Mr. Bourgeois held several senior executive positions within the federal public service, both in Ottawa and in several provinces. During his diversified career, he has successfully led organizations of up to 800 people, managed the business affairs of a 50,000 student university and administered an annual grants and contributions budget in excess of $470 million.
Mr. Bourgeois holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Moncton and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Dalhousie University. He is fluently bilingual, both written and oral, in English and French.