As part of our coverage of the federal election, Investment Executive is profiling candidates who are working or who have worked in the financial services industry.

Here we look at NDP candidate Tim Robson:

Tim Robson, founder of Robson Insurance, is the federal NDP candidate for the Alberta riding of Wetaskiwin. Although Robson, by his own admission, is not favored to win in the riding he says the process has been enlightening in a number of ways.

“I’m not sure how people get their information,” he says. “If they’re following at all I think they follow the federal campaigns. People also tend to vote the way they voted before.”

Robson started out in the insurance industry in the early 1980s and worked at Prudential of England until starting Robson Insurance in 1989.

In addition to insurance, Robson sold mutual funds from 1986 until last year when the Mutual Fund Dealers Association raised its fees. These days he does most of his work in group insurance, providing health, dental and disability insurance to farmers and small business owners through the local Chamber of Commerce.

Robson says he decided to enter the race late in the game because his constituency didn’t have a local NDP candidate. Although the NDP had a “parachute candidate” from Calgary lined up for the riding, the party thought it would be preferable to have someone run locally. “I’ve been a socialist for a long time, 15 years now,” he says. “The constituency needed a candidate. I’m taking one for the Gipper,” he laughs.

Robson doesn’t know if the experience will help in his professional life. “Let’s hope,” he says. Although his name is out more in the community, he says that might not be particularly helpful because a lot of small business clients in his area tend to be fearful of socialist agendas. “It’s not strong socialist country.”

Alongside his insurance business, Robson is an avid runner and director of the Camrose to Wetaskiwin relay race, an advocate with the Wetaskiwin Victim Services, a charter member of the Rotary Club and serves on the executive of the Chamber of Commerce.

Robson is up against Liberal candidate Rick Bonnett who works in his family’s feedlot business, and Conservative MP Dale Johnston.