{{Short description|Canadian entrepreneur and writer}} {{For|the mayor of Tararua District in New Zealand|Scott Gilmore (mayor)}} {{Infobox person | name = Scott Gilmore | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_date = | birth_place = [[Flin Flon]], Manitoba, Canada | death_date = | death_place = | alma_mater = [[University of Alberta]] ([[Bachelor of Commerce|B.Com.]])<br />[[London School of Economics]] ([[Master of Science|M.Sc.]]) | known_for = Founding [[Peace Dividend Trust|Building Markets]] | occupation = {{hlist|[[Social entrepreneur]]|writer|diplomat}} | spouse = {{marriage|[[Catherine McKenna]]||2019|end={{abbr|sep.|separated}}}} | father = [[Tom Gilmore (ice hockey)|Tom Gilmore]] | children = 3 | relatives = [[Patrick Gilmore (actor)|Patrick Gilmore]] (brother) }} '''Scott Gilmore''' is a Canadian [[social entrepreneur]], former Canadian foreign service officer, and writer who is currently the senior advisor on foreign, defence, and security policy to Prime Minister [[Mark Carney]]. He is known for founding the non-profit [[Peace Dividend Trust|Building Markets]] and as an advocate for capitalist expansion in the international development and charity sectors
== Early life and education == Gilmore was born in northern [[Manitoba]], the son of hockey player [[Tom Gilmore (ice hockey)|Tom Gilmore]] and Collette Gilmore. He is the brother of actor [[Patrick Gilmore (actor)|Patrick Gilmore]]. The family settled in [[Edmonton]], Alberta, when his father played for the [[World Hockey Association]] version of the [[Edmonton Oilers]]. Gilmore obtained a Bachelor of Commerce degree at the [[University of Alberta]],<ref name=Pilger>{{cite web|last1=Pilger|first1=Rick|title=Putting Money Where It Matters Most|url=http://newtrail.ualberta.ca/featurestories/scottgilmore|website=ualberta.ca|accessdate=26 October 2014}}</ref> followed by a master's degree in international history from the [[London School of Economics]].<ref name="Transformational Cdn" />
== Career == Gilmore was a Canadian foreign service officer who began his career in [[Jakarta]]. From that post he covered the civil war resulting from the [[Indonesian occupation of East Timor]], and later joined the [[United Nations Transitional Administration in East Timor]] (UNTAET) peacekeeping mission under [[Sergio de Mello]]. In that role he became disillusioned with ineffective donor efforts to fight poverty. Based on this experience he quit his job as a diplomat in 2004 to launch the non-profit [[Peace Dividend Trust|Building Markets]].<ref name="This Mag">{{cite news|last1=Scott|first1=Graham F.|title=Interview with Peace Dividend Trust's Scott Gilmore|url=http://this.org/blog/2010/01/19/interview-scott-gilmore/|accessdate=26 October 2014|agency=This Magazine|date=January 19, 2010}}</ref> and focus on capitalism instead of aid as a sustainable poverty solution.<ref name=Forbes>{{cite news|last1=Carlyle|first1=Erin|title=Building Markets: Meet The Start-Up Bringing Investors To The Fastest-Growing Economies in the World|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/erincarlyle/2013/11/17/building-markets-meet-the-start-up-bringing-investors-to-the-fastest-growing-economies-in-the-world/|accessdate=26 October 2014|work=Forbes Magazine|date=2013-11-17}}</ref>
In 2006 Gilmore led a [[World Bank]] study to trace spending in peacekeeping missions that revealed only 5% of donor money entered the local economies. Based on those findings Gilmore launched a project in Afghanistan to channel international spending through local small businesses. This approach was successful and expanded to other countries.<ref name="Transformational Cdn" /> Building Market's "buy local" policy was officially adopted by [[NATO]], the United States government, and the [[United Nations]].<ref name=Pilger /><ref>{{cite web|title=NATO Afghan First Policy|url=http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_62851.htm|website=NATO|accessdate=27 October 2014}}</ref> In 2013 Gilmore was appointed to by the External Advisory Group overseeing the merger of the [[Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (Canada)|Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade]] with the [[Canadian International Development Agency]].<ref>{{cite news|last1=Blanchfield|first1=Mike|title=Paradis defends mining exec on advisory panel on international aid|url=http://globalnews.ca/news/935875/paradis-defends-mining-exec-on-advisory-panel-on-international-aid/|accessdate=27 October 2014|publisher=Global News|date=October 30, 2013}}</ref> He had previously been supportive of the merger.<ref name="CIDA Merger">{{cite news|last1=Berthiaume|first1=Lee|title=CIDA merger meets with controversy|url=http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/archives/story.html?id=debacf11-51f7-45c8-be14-44eddda98579|accessdate=27 October 2014|publisher=Vancouver Sun|date=March 23, 2013}}</ref>
From 2014 to 2022, Gilmore wrote a weekly column for the Canadian week national newsmagazine ''[[Maclean's]]'' on issues such [[foreign affairs]]<ref name=Macleans>{{cite web|title=Maclean's Magazine|url=http://www.macleans.ca/author/scottgilmore/|accessdate=26 October 2014}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-03 |title=How to really stop Russia: A million little carrots |url=https://macleans.ca/opinion/how-to-really-stop-russia-a-million-little-carrots/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Macleans.ca |language=fr-CA}}</ref> and Canadian identity.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-05-08 |title=Canada: A nation of strangers |url=https://macleans.ca/facebook-instant-articles/canada-a-nation-of-strangers/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Macleans.ca |language=fr-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-04-19 |title=Canada is not a country. |url=https://macleans.ca/opinion/canada-is-not-a-country/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Macleans.ca |language=fr-CA}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-02-28 |title=Canada is not broken |url=https://macleans.ca/opinion/canada-is-not-broken/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Macleans.ca |language=fr-CA}}</ref>
=== Political Activism === During the [[2017 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election|2017 Conservative leadership race]], he was critical of Conservative Party of Canada candidates and advocated to building a new party around liberty, equality and facts over ideology.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-03-29 |title=Confessions of a self-loathing Tory |url=https://macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/confessions-of-a-self-loathing-tory/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=Macleans.ca |language=fr-CA}}</ref> Gilmore traveled across the country to start a conversation over it.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McSheffrey |first=Elizabeth |date=2017-03-30 |title=Scott Gilmore, a "self-loathing" Conservative, wants to have dinner with you {{!}} Canada's National Observer: Climate News |url=https://www.nationalobserver.com/2017/03/30/news/scott-gilmore-self-loathing-conservative-wants-have-dinner-you |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=www.nationalobserver.com |language=en}}</ref>
In March 2025, Gilmore announced on LinkedIn that he was joining the prime minister office as senior advisor on foreign, defence, and security policy to Prime Minister [[Mark Carney]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Vigliotti |first=Marco |date=2025-03-16 |title=Carney's office taking shape |url=https://www.ipolitics.ca/2025/03/16/carneys-office-taking-shape/ |access-date=2026-03-01 |website=iPolitics |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Awards and honours == Gilmore was named as "Transformational Canadian" by ''[[The Globe and Mail]]''<ref name="Transformational Cdn">{{cite news|last1=Rockel|first1=Nick|title=Scott Gilmore makes peace missions more effective|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/scott-gilmore-makes-peace-missions-more-effective/article1319533/|accessdate=26 October 2014|agency=The Globe and Mail|date=Dec 14, 2010}}</ref> and a [[Young Global Leader]]s by the [[World Economic Forum]]. In 2009 he was awarded the $765,000 Skoll Prize for Social Entrepreneurship by philanthropist [[Jeffrey Skoll|Jeff Skoll]].<ref name=Newswire>{{cite news|title=Canadian NGO Wins Prestigious Skoll Award and Endorsement from US Leadership in Afghanistan|url=http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/493815/canadian-ngo-wins-prestigious-skoll-award-and-endorsement-from-us-leadership-in-afghanistan|accessdate=26 October 2014|agency=Newswire|date=December 15, 2009}}</ref> The University of Alberta awarded him a Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2013.<ref name=Pilger /> He received a [[Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal]] for professional excellence.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Cohen|first1=Andrew|title=Let's find a better way to honour Canadians|url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=4d434f3f-864b-4172-8636-c15158af46fc|accessdate=19 December 2014|agency=Times Colonist Victoria|date=Oct 31, 2012|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150221151005/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=4d434f3f-864b-4172-8636-c15158af46fc|archivedate=February 21, 2015}}</ref>
== Personal life == Gilmore was married to [[Catherine McKenna]], former [[Liberal Party of Canada|Liberal]] MP for [[Ottawa Centre (federal electoral district)|Ottawa Centre]] and former cabinet minister until separating in 2019. They have three children together.<ref name=":1">{{Cite news |last=Guly |first=Christopher |date=July 14, 2021 |title=McKenna set to dive into new, post-politics pool to combat climate change |work=The Hill Times |url=https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2021/07/14/mckenna-set-to-dive-into-new-post-politics-pool-to-combat-climate-change/280512/ |access-date=February 5, 2023}}</ref><ref name="Catherine McKenna">{{cite web |date=January 7, 2015 |title=Small NGO, big results |url=http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=e3d5dc04-83b2-4c25-add7-bbfe2a59eeeb |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324222748/http://www.canada.com/story.html?id=e3d5dc04-83b2-4c25-add7-bbfe2a59eeeb |archivedate=March 24, 2016 |accessdate=October 31, 2015 |publisher=[[Ottawa Citizen]]}}</ref>
== References == {{Reflist}}
== External links == * {{commons category-inline}} * {{Wikiquote-inline}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gilmore, Scott}} [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Canadian social entrepreneurs]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]] [[Category:Canadian businesspeople]] [[Category:People from Flin Flon]] [[Category:University of Alberta alumni]] [[Category:Alumni of the London School of Economics]]