Seán Riley 瑞利山

I have an undergraduate degree plus one year of graduate school majoring in Political Science and International Relations, one year of Business, a semester of Indigenous Studies, and a year at a French-language university in Quebec.

My early real-world education was obtained via four years working as a political aide on Parliament Hill for both Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments, then diving into the private sector for 30 years—both as a self-employed entrepreneur in the international education business, and as a senior executive for several private companies and groups, including two market-leading and financially successful private investment banks based out of both Canada and the United States.

Over the decades since 1993, I’ve also spent a cumulative eight years living and working primarily in China. Experiencing China’s complete economic and competitive transformation has been an invaluable education in itself, offering many positive insights that can be applied abroad, both in the present and for the future.

I would say my most valuable educational experience to date came from secretly becoming temporarily homeless three times while operating as a self-employed entrepreneur—without a safety net and too proud to ask for help.

There is no greater education than being homeless and living with real hunger and poverty. While it's somewhat beneficial for weight loss, I would never recommend it or wish such experiences on my worst enemies or detractors.

The School of Hard Knocks and Poverty is a real eye-opener—unlike anything taught in academic classrooms. If you’ve ever been privileged to read and grasp the full meaning of Plato’s Analogy of the Cave, you’ll know exactly what I mean. Once you break free from chains and emerge from the shadows of the cave to glimpse the light of reality and truth of our world, you never look at anything the same again. Pursuing excessive material gain does not matter at the end of one’s life. Real wealth and happiness can be found in helping make it a better world for all—for the many, not just the few. To paraphrase Dolly Parton: “If you know, you care. If you care, you act.”

For more about my educational background, kindly take a few moments before you vote to check out my full bio and short campaign video online.

As per my LinkedIn profile, my first full-time job from 1981–1983 involved building public housing. In 1984, I was employed as an Ottawa-based aide to the Federal Minister Responsible for CMHC. Later, in the early 1990s, I was recruited to become the Executive Assistant/senior aide to a Progressive Conservative government MP with considerable expertise and focus on housing policy, immigration, and the environment. I have since maintained a strong interest in sustainable and social/co-op housing models. The ‘Vienna Housing Model’ is a favourite. ‘Housing First’ represents my core values.

Concurrently, while working on Parliament Hill from 1990–1992, I was also the Founding Executive Secretary of the all-party Canada-China Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, responsible for interpersonal political relations between Canada’s federal parliamentarians and members of the Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress. I held a similar role handling political relations with Japan’s Diet (parliament) during this period.

After leaving government to enter the private sector, I spent decades honing my financing acumen by turnkey designing and launching numerous government-regulated, globally marketed financial products and services.

I also served as project lead for five years on successfully obtaining Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) approval of the business plan to become a Schedule I Canadian-owned bank—much like the soon-to-be-launched Schedule I digital bank under the guidance of Vancity 2.0’s new leadership. I’m excited to see that coming down the pipeline.

Currently have applied decades of successful private investment banking experience to turnkey design innovative, no-cost-to-taxpayers housing finance/funding models intended for Ireland and Canada. Believing that everyone who needs a home should have a home, I’m focusing my government and private sector financial acumen to mobilize private capital for public good. And that’s a good thing.

As for governance, I have decades of experience dealing with academic, government, private sector corporate, community, and volunteer or political party boards in Canada and abroad. I am a stickler for strictly following the rule of law, transparency, good corporate ethics, and generally accepted accounting practices.

Coming from a government and private finance and business background, I know how effective governance works. Beyond competency in governance, I also believe it’s an equally important function of a credit union’s board to be able to bring financial and business experience to the table to help guide revenue growth—all for the benefit of members and community.

Core values are solidly progressive yet I’m also a small ‘c’ fiscal conservative in that I’m opposed to wasting limited resources that could be better applied to helping our communities. Early on in my career, I was happy to have helped 3 adults become literate. Within the last decade after returning to Vancouver I have volunteered several years for First United Homeless Shelter in DTES Vancouver.

Have most recently have assisted and advocated for several chronic homeless persons befriended in my neighbourhood. Highlights include in 2021-22 when I was able to assist a disabled person living in a park over a year to finally secure/transition into first a used rv then permanent public housing after 20 years on the streets. On a one-to-one basis, I similarly helped a couple of homeless gentlemen in 2017 and 2019. In 2023, I was fortunate to assist a longtime wheelchair bound senior in my neighbourhood acquire a mobility scooter. What a happy day that was.

Responses for each question were optional and the candidate opted to skip this question.

For more about my skills and expertise (e.g., financial literacy, leadership, strategic planning, technology background), kindly take a few moments before you vote to check out my full bio and short video at https://homes4allcanadians.org/vancityvotes . It’s a secure link and visitors are never tracked.

Responses for each question were optional and the candidate opted to skip this question.

Responses for each question were optional and the candidate opted to skip this question.

Responses for each question were optional and the candidate opted to skip this question.

Responses for each question were optional and the candidate opted to skip this question.