Kim Campbell - Post-political Career

Post-political Career

Despite her dramatic loss in the election, the Canadian women's magazine Chatelaine named Campbell as its Woman of the Year for 1993.

Campbell returned to lecturing in political science for a few years, this time at Harvard University. It was rumoured she was to be sent to Moscow as the ambassador to Russia. However, she did not receive this appointment. Then, in 1996, Campbell was appointed Consul General to Los Angeles by the Chretien government, a post in which she remained until 2000.

She published an autobiography, Time and Chance, (ISBN 0-770-42738-3) in 1996. The book became a national bestseller in Canada, and is currently in its third edition from the University of Alberta Bookstore Press (ISBN 000010132x).

In 1997, Campbell collaborated with her third husband, composer, playwright and actor Hershey Felder, on the production of a musical, Noah's Ark in Los Angeles. From 2001 to 2004, she lectured at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She continues as an Honorary Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership at the Kennedy School. She served as a director of several publicly traded companies in high technology and biotechnology.

From 1999 to 2003, she chaired the Council of Women World Leaders, a network of women who hold or have held the office of president or prime minister. She was succeeded by former Irish President Mary Robinson. From 2003 until 2005 she served as President of the International Women's Forum, a global organization of women of prominent achievement, with headquarters in Washington, D.C.

Campbell chairs the steering committee of the World Movement for Democracy. She served on the board of the International Crisis Group, an NGO that aims to prevent and resolve deadly conflicts. She is on the board of the Forum of Federations, the Arab Democracy Foundation, and is on the advisory body of the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College in London. In 2004, she was included in the list of 50 most important political leaders in history in the Almanac of World History compiled by the National Geographic Society. She was cited for her status as the only woman head of government of a North American country (defined variously), but controversy ensued among academics in Canada over the merit of this honour, since her brief term in office was marked by very few, if any, major political accomplishments.

She was a founding member of the Club of Madrid, an independent organization whose main purpose is to strengthen democracy in the world. Its membership is by invitation only, and consists of former Heads of State and Government. At different times Campbell has served as its Interim President, Vice President and then from 2004 - 2006, she served as Secretary General of the organization.

On November 30, 2004, Campbell's official portrait for the parliamentary Prime Minister's gallery was unveiled. The painting was created by Victoria, British Columbia artist David Goatley. Campbell said she was "deeply honoured" to be the only woman to have her picture in the Prime Ministers' corridor, stating: "I really look forward to the day when there are many other female faces." The painting shows a pensive Campbell sitting on a chair with richly coloured Haida capes and robes in the background, symbolizing her time as a cabinet minister and as an academic.

During the 2006 election campaign, Campbell endorsed the candidacy of Tony Fogarassy, the Conservative candidate in Campbell's former riding of Vancouver Centre. Campbell also clarified to reporters that she is a supporter of the new Conservative Party. Fogarassy lost the election, placing a distant third.

Campbell is the founding Chair of the International Advisory Board of the Ukrainian Foundation for Effective Governance, an NGO formed in September 2007 with the aid of Ukrainian businessman Rinat Akhmetov.

While testifying in April 2009 at the Mulroney-Schreiber Airbus inquiry, Campbell said she still follows Canadian politics "intermittently."