Kyle Olsen
Government Relations and Public Affairs Leader
Helping organizations navigate government, unlock funding, and move complex initiatives forward.
16+ years across higher education, public policy, consulting, and politics.
I help organizations navigate government, strengthen their position, and move complex initiatives from concept to decision.
Government Relations Strategy
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Funding and Approvals Pathways
Building practical engagement strategies that align organizational priorities with government decision-making, funding cycles, and policy direction.
Funding and Approvals Pathways
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Funding and Approvals Pathways
Helping organizations clarify how projects can move forward, strengthen the case for support, and navigate complex approval environments.
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Supporting leaders with clear positioning, relationship strategy, and decision-ready communications for internal and external audiences.
Public-sector Partnerships
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Stakeholder and Executive Engagement
Identifying and advancing opportunities with governments, institutions, and mission-aligned partners where public policy and organizational strategy intersect.
Risk and issue navigation
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Reducing friction around ambiguous rules, reputational risk, regulatory uncertainty, and politically sensitive files.
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Strategic Positioning for Complex Initiatives
Turning messy or unconventional ideas into credible, well-framed proposals that can attract support and withstand scrutiny.
Selected Experience
Experience across higher education, municipal government, consulting, and political environments, with a consistent focus on government relations, strategy, funding, and executive decision support.
Thompson Rivers University
Director of Government Relations
Executive-level counsel on funding, approvals, institutional positioning, and complex government-facing files.
City of Calgary
Senior Policy Advisor, Assessment and Tax
Municipal policy and fiscal decision support in a high-accountability public-sector environment.
Olsen+Biggs Public Affairs
Political Consultant and Partner
Strategic advisory work on advocacy, procurement, and government-facing mandates.
University of Calgary
Government Relations Specialist
Government engagement and institutional strategy in a complex research university setting.
Government of Alberta
Director of Research
Policy leadership and executive support in a political and legislative environment.
SPEAKING, PANELS, AND TOPICS
Kyle contributes to conferences, panel discussions, roundtables, and sector events on government relations, public policy, higher education, public finance, and navigating complex public-sector decision-making. He is also glad to speak with emerging public policy leaders and with students interested in careers in public policy, government relations, and public-purpose organizations.
Topics include:
- Government relations and public affairs
- Funding strategy and approvals pathways
- Higher education and research advocacy
- Public policy and institutional strategy
- Stakeholder engagement in complex environments
- Public finance, accountability, and decision-making
- Strategic positioning for ambitious or unconventional initiatives
- Careers in public policy, government relations, and public-purpose organizations
Open to selected invitations for panels, roundtables, moderation, guest lectures, and conference discussions.
Opportunities
Kyle is open to selected conversations related to:
- Executive and senior leadership opportunities
- Advisory and strategic counsel work
- Board and committee service
- Speaking and sector event invitations
- Collaborations connected to public policy, higher education, research, and public-purpose growth