Meet Naheed Nenshi
Naheed Nenshi's story exemplifies the best of Alberta.
His early life, marked by his family's resilience during the '80s recession and the pivotal role of public services in his education and success, laid the foundation for his community contributions to follow.
Naheed served as Calgary’s mayor for three terms between 2010 and 2021. During his time as mayor, Calgary was named the third best city to live in globally.
His leadership saw an unprecedented investment in quality of life including transit, roads, recreation centers and libraries including the magnificent Central Library--all while keeping taxes the lowest in Canada.
His time as mayor also saw the City of Calgary through four states of emergency, including devastating flooding in 2013 and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Naheed was recognized as “the best mayor in the world” in 2014 by The City Mayors Foundation. He also received the President’s Award from the Canadian Institute of Planners and the Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Psychological Association for his contribution to community mental health.
Prior to his election, Naheed served as Canada’s first tenured professor of nonprofit management at the Bissett School of Business at Mount Royal University. He was also a management consultant for McKinsey & Company. Headquartered in Alberta, Naheed ran his own firm: Ascend Group. His clients included the United Nations and he advised on how corporations can help the world’s poorest people.
Naheed is a graduate of the University of Calgary where he served as President of the Students’ Union. He also earned a Master of Public Policy Degree from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University where he studied as a Kennedy Fellow.
He is a proud first-generation Canadian of Indian ancestry, whose parents immigrated from Tanzania.
His family and his Ismaili Muslim faith instilled in him the ethic of seva--service to the community--something he tries to live every day.
Together, we can stand up to those that seek to divide us.
Together, we’ll continue the legacy of Rachel Notley and those who helped grow this party.
Together, we can deliver a smart, capable government that respects all Albertans.