Naheed Nenshi

Naheed Kurban Nenshi (born February 2, 1972) is a Canadian politician who was the 36th mayor of Calgary, Alberta. He was elected in the 2010 municipal election with 39% of the vote, and is the first Muslim mayor of a large North American city. He was re-elected in 2013 with 74% of the vote and again re-elected in 2017 to a third term with 51% of the vote. After serving three terms as mayor, he did not seek re-election in the 2021 Calgary municipal election, and was succeeded by Jyoti Gondek. Early life, education, and career Nenshi was born in Toronto, Ontario, and raised in Calgary. His parents, Kurbanali Hussein and Noorjah, were Ismaili Muslims of Indian Gujarati origin who immigrated to Canada from Tanzania. He was educated at the University of Calgary, serving as President of the Students' Union and receiving a Bachelor of Commerce in 1993, and completed a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University in 1998. Nenshi worked for McKinsey & Company for several years before starting his own consulting firm 'Ascend Group' which advised non-profit, private and public sector organizations. The firm also advised the United Nations on ways to encourage wealthy corporations to engage in Corporate Citizenship. As a young professional, he developed his administrative capabilities by joining Canada25, a federal networking organization that mentored professionals under 35 of public policy and leadership. Nenshi was a constant debate opponent of Toronto Sun journalist Ezra Levant; Levant later became a recurring critic of Nenshi's policies. In 2002, Nenshi wrote about how cities can retain young professionals and use resources effectively in a publication entitled "Building Up: Making Canada's Cities Engines of Growth and Magnets of Development". In 2006, Nenshi was the chief author for "ImagineCalgary's 100-year plan".