Brian Mulroney Institute of Government Special Event
Beyond the Career You Imagined: From Canadian Policing to International Service
William Kelly (Author and Former RCMP Officer)
November 9, 2026
1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Mulroney Hall 3034
The Mulroney Institute will be hosting a special talk with author and former RCMP officer William Kelly. Drawing upon over 30 years in the RCMP and extensive international service, William “Bill” Kelly will connect firsthand experiences in policing, peacekeeping, election observation, and conflict monitoring with broader questions of international affairs, public service, leadership, and individual responsibility.
Kelly will explore how initiative, calculated risk, perseverance, reputation, cultural understanding, and a willingness to pursue unexpected opportunities can change the direction of one’s life.
For students beginning to consider their own futures, the presentation offers a practical, human perspective on the possibilities that can develop when education and knowledge are combined with experience, initiative, and the courage to pursue opportunities.
The event will be moderated by Dr. Lavinia Stan, the Mulroney Institute’s Dahdaleh Chair in Democracy and Governance.
All are welcome.
Mr. Kelly’s books More Than a Badge: The Making of a Mountie (2026) and Crossing the Front Line: War Watching in Ukraine (2026) will be available for purchase.
William Kelly
William Kelly William “Bill” Kelly served 33 years with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia holding a variety of operational, supervisory and leadership responsibilities throughout his career. He concluded his RCMP service in 2004 at Antigonish Detachment, where he had served for six years as the Operations NCO (senior operations supervisor), providing a direct professional connection to the Antigonish community.
His experiences took him beyond Canadian policing into peacekeeping, international policing, election observation, investigations, and civilian monitoring in areas experiencing political transition, instability, and conflict. Over the course of his career and post-RCMP international work, he completed 17 overseas duties, working with international organizations including the United Nations, European Union, Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, as well as non-governmental organizations.
Kelly is now an author and founder of Mission Junkie Publishing. His two books published in 2026, More Than a Badge: The Making of a Mountie and Crossing the Front Line: War Watching in Ukraine, reflect different stages of a career that developed in directions he could never have imagined when he first joined the RCMP.