David Connelly
Government and Corporate Affairs
Mr. Connelly has over 45 years of senior project finance, strategic planning, project development, logistics and community, Indigenous and government relations experience, initially internationally and for the last 27 years based in Northern Canada.
David is the owner of Ile Royale Enterprises Ltd., chair, board member, and strategic planner and engagement consultant to Aboriginal, mineral, energy and cleantech businesses. As an investor and advocate for responsible economic development, David lead turnarounds and structured many successful strategic alliances. He helped pioneer groundbreaking alliances and impact benefits agreements.
Recognized by the sovereigns of Canada, England, Sweden, and Spain for governance, leadership, volunteer and philanthropic work he serves or has served on over two dozen public company, private company, Indigenous development corporation, not-for-profit, quasi-judicial and government boards. The NWT Government appointed him a founding member of the Yellowknife Airport Economic Advisory Council in 2017 and the NWT Business Development Investment Corporation in July 2019. He serves on the Mayor of Yellowknife’s Economic Development Task Force and the City’s University Post-Secondary Advisory Committee, Quantiam Technology Inc. and several national boards. As a Naval Reserve Officer he advised the Commander Joint Task Force North on Indigenous and Northern affairs for 26 years.
As President and CEO from 1992-1997, he led the turnaround of Canada’s largest Indigenous development corporation. In 2000, he co-authored the “Five Year Review of The Nunavut Land Claims Agreement 1993 -1998”.
