Kevin Campbell was just 31 when he worked on his first billion-dollar deal as an investment banker with Dundee Securities Inc.
Last year, as managing director of investment banking for Haywood Securities Inc., he brokered a $1.1 billion acquisition of CGA Mining by B2Gold.
Arranging multimillion-dollar investments, mergers and acquisitions is what Campbell does for a living – but his real passion is travel and philanthropy.
“Even before he was making as much money as he does now, he started building health clinics in Mali,” said his friend, David Tedman, co-founder of Hootsuite and Invoke Labs.
Campbell’s philanthropy includes forming the Lochmaddy Foundation, which funds social and economic projects in Africa and B.C. Plan International Canada Inc. puts Campbell in its top 1% list of donors.
Born and raised in B.C., Campbell earned a BA from the University of British Columbia, majoring in political science and economics. At the age of 19, while still in school, he went into investment banking with Yorkton Securities as an entry level office worker.
From there, he went to Canadian Western Securities, which later was acquired by National Bank Financial.
In 2003, he went to work for Dundee, focusing on the technology sector, then moved into mining and exploration, which had entered an unprecedented bull market, thanks largely to China’s massive growth.
“I like to credit the fact that I had studied so much Chinese modern history and economics in university in the late ’90s that I felt like I had a pretty good handle on what was coming around the corner,” he said. “So I pursued vigorously getting involved in the mining space, and Dundee was kind enough to let me participate.”
It was while he was with Dundee that he started his philanthropic work in Africa.
In 2007, he joined Haywood Securities, becoming managing director of mining banking. His job and his philanthropy have allowed him to pursue his passion for travel.
“I think I’ve probably been to about 60 countries by now.”
