Trevor Clark has roots deep in the soil of small-town Alberta but his life and career have extended branches across the globe. The well-travelled U of L alumnus earned a bachelor of management degree in 1999 and, from the moment he signed on for his first overseas exchange, knew that this experience would determine the scope of all future growth.
The decision to enroll in the international management program was one that Clark says he made quickly and easily, based on the nature of the program itself and on the opportunities to work and study abroad.
"I've always wanted that. I had that inquisitive mind that I wanted to know about different countries and
After his initial placement in Taiwan, Clark continued to seek global employment opportunities in such far-flung places as China, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Singapore, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Serbia and Kosovo. He is currently posted in the South American nation of Guyana as Peace and Development Advisor and Project Manager for the UN Development Program.
"I lead a $7M USD project implementing interventions and activities that hope to build stronger social cohesion amongst the people of Guyana, which has been divided along ethnicity and dealing with other post-colonial issues."
The path Clark travelled to the prestigious position he now holds had rather humble beginnings.
"How I got here was just a lot of low-paid and no-paid internships over an extended period of time. I decided to move into the human development field and get a master's degree in international conflict analysis; eventually getting more in the field of conflict mediation and peace building."
Aside from satisfying an insatiable wanderlust, Clark's work allows him to be involved in projects that have a demonstrable, transformative effect on the people and communities they serve.
"Right now, one of the most important things I do is to impact positively on the people that really need the help with interventions that we're doing. When you see the look in their eyes and the smile on their faces and the change in their confidence, knowing that you've actually helped them is a pretty important thing."
Clark emphasizes the importance of social responsibility in the development of a society and in ensuring fair and equitable access to resources.
"In the work I do, corporate social responsibility plays a fairly prominent role. When you're talking about human development, it involves the private sector and the corporate sector. You need to lean on them because they're the ones that provide the jobs and a future for the people. That's where you see the private sector really playing a role in developing the country.
"They have a responsibility to contribute to the betterment of people's lives in the country. The benefit of corporations acting socially responsible can have more impact than any international organization."
Clark says he intends to continue in the field of conflict prevention and conflict transformation, but is open to whatever opportunities may arise.
"I tend not to look too much into the future, but take a day-by-day approach and see where things take me. If I looked too much into the future, it wouldn't allow me to accomplish too much!"
To learn more about the Faculty of Management at the University of Lethbridge, follow this link.