Alex held a succession of senior positions with the federal government over 28 years, including Executive Director of the National Parole Board, Associate Secretary of the Treasury Board, and Deputy Minister of Canadian Heritage, culminating in his appointment as Clerk of the Privy Council and Secretary to the Cabinet — the most senior public servant in the federal government. He served as Clerk for three Prime Ministers from 2002 until 2006 when he was appointed Canada’s Ambassador to Italy with concurrent accreditation to Albania, San Marino, and as High Commissioner to Malta. Before entering the public service, Alex taught at the University of New Brunswick for nearly a decade, and more recently served as Director of the Glendon School of Public and International Affairs at York University, where he continues to serve as Director Emeritus.