Kevin Urbanic

Kevin Urbanic

Job Description

I am a public servant that works for the Government of Canada. I lead a team of 1000 employees whose job it is to inspect agricultural commodities (food, plant and animal) to help ensure that the food we eat is safe, to protect our plants and animals from unwanted pests/disease, and to support Canada’s prosperous agriculture economy

Relevant School Subjects

Science

Areas Of Expertise

Law & Government and Science & Engineering

Career Story

After high school, I completed a Bachelor of Science degree at the University of Guelph where I studied Biochemistry and Microbiology. I then completed a Masters of Science degree in Microbial Genetics also at the University of Guelph. After completing my M.Sc, I worked for a small biotechnology company for one year where I was a Laboratory Supervisor. It was at this point that I was hired by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency as a Food Safety inspector. I have been working at the CFIA for the past 21 years during which my career has progressed from inspector to supervisor, to manager, to director and now to Director General. With each change in position, I acquired additional responsibilities including larger teams, larger budgets and larger areas of responsibility.