More than a decade ago, Bob Bannerman was approached about volunteering his business expertise to developing countries around the world.

He had one question.

“I asked what value could an ex-insurance agent possibly offer in the outback of the Kalahari,” he recalls. “They said: ‘Put your application in and see.’ ”

Well, he didn’t make it to the African desert, but Bannerman performed a tour of duty in the warm Caribbean breezes of Dominica, and later in Warsaw as Poland emerged from communist rule.

Dave Olecko, Business Edge
Volunteers such as Davis, left, and Bannerman say their CESO assignments gave them global vision.

“They were wonderfully rich experiences,” says Bannerman, who was offered the assignments through the Canadian Executive Service Organization (CESO).

Bannerman, now the president of CESO’s Calgary chapter, says he gained more from the experiences than he contributed.

Bertha Davis suggests the feeling is probably shared among the more than 3,600 CESO volunteer advisers across Canada.

“We grey hairs are respected overseas and certainly with aboriginal people,” grins Davis, who is CESO’s office co-ordinator in Calgary.

Conceived in 1967, CESO’s mandate is to help improve the lives of those living in developing countries and First Nations people in Canada by offering front-line advice to businesses and governments in need.

CESO is funded primarily by the Canadian International Development Agency and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada with additional support from Canadian businesses and individuals.

The majority of volunteer advisers are retired or semi-retired, says Davis, who has worked on five international assignments.

CESO pays the travel costs when volunteers travel abroad. The host client pays for meals, accommodation and travel to and from work.

Insurance and “walking around money” is provided, and a spouse’s way is paid if an assignment runs more than 30 days. On average, assignments take six weeks.

“In most cases, the spouse is expected to do some volunteer work as well,” explains Davis, who completed jobs in St. Kitts, Sri Lanka, Guyana, Ghana and Honduras.

Davis enjoyed a busy career that included selling real estate, teaching crafts, and working as an editor at the Financial Post.

Her CESO assignments have focused on helping different groups develop designs and production techniques in craft shops. In one instance, she was able to help a group improve its production process 10-fold.

“A lot of people think: ‘Hey, free travel,’ ” says Davis. “But it’s a lot of work and you have to complete your assignment in a designated period of time.”

The average age of a volunteer has dropped from 65 to 61 since Davis took over the volunteer co-ordination of the Calgary office in 1993. About 17 to 20 per cent of the volunteers are women – “Something we’re working on,” she says.

Alberta has about 400 members, with offices in Calgary (403-290-3453) and Edmonton (780-421-4740).

Davis suggests people visit CESO’s website, which offers information on postings and intriguing testimonials.

Currently, people with experience in hotel and tourism or textile and agricultural backgrounds are in demand. Bakers are particularly hot.

“We have one baker (in Calgary), a retired SAIT instructor who is doing about 10 assignments a year, most about two weeks long, helping bakeries, hotels and restaurants,” says Davis. “He’s having a terrific time.”

Bannerman points out that volunteers are also required for shorter periods as part of CESO’s aboriginal services program.

Bannerman has worked in seminars throughout Alberta helping with aboriginal development. Typically, two or three days of time are required; the object is to help band administrations or individual entrepreneurs with start-up projects.

While he’s been to Poland and Dominica, Bannerman has turned down other offers. In one case, there was little time to prepare to go; another assignment was for nine months – too long for his taste.

CESO gives retirees a chance to keep their minds and skills sharp, adds Bannerman, who owned Bannerman Insurance in Calgary, with 25 employees, until he retired in 1989.

Outside Canada, the language, rudimentary tools and supplies, different cultures, weather, even egotistical owners can pose challenges.

“In Warsaw (1995), they gave me a translator, but judging by some of the answers I got to questions, I sometimes wondered if the translator knew what I was saying,” he laughs.

The Polish people, who had lived in the cocoon of communism, faced numerous challenges. “So many of the people on the streets seemed so unhappy, they’d lived their lives under communism and didn’t seem to want to accept the change.”

Bannerman and his wife Norma, who accompanied him on the two-month assignment, soaked in a culture swathed in tragedy and beauty.

They attended opera by night, and walked daily through one of the most beautiful urban parks he’d ever seen.

Across the street from his office stood the former headquarters of the Gestapo, a reminder of the terror inflicted on Poland during the Second World War.

In the insurance office where Bannerman provided assistance and advice, 25 salespeople had only two telephones among them – one dedicated to a fax machine. Insurance coverage was basic and limits were small, he says. For example, a house insurance policy would only cover fire and lightning, and offered nothing for wind, hail damage or theft.

“The company was the third largest in Poland and they wanted to know how things were done in North America,” says Bannerman. “That’s why I was there, to help out where I could.”

CESO applicants face a stringent screening process, he explains.

“You get the odd person (here) who says: ‘I’ll show them how to do it, they’ll do it my way or else,’ ” says Bannerman. “Those aren’t the kind of people we need.”

For those who are a good fit, CESO’s a rewarding experience, he says.

“It’s a chance to give something back to the world.”

Web Watch:
www.ceso-saco.com