Jason Campbell (BA ’94) is trying to pose for a photograph, but first there’s work to be done.

As a foreign television crew tries to record a segment about a new Toyota prototype vehicle, a loud announcement comes blasting over the sound system interrupting their work.

“Excuse me for a second,” Campbell says as he pulls out his Blackberry and dials a number to get the problem dealt with. “Those announcements were supposed to be stopped.”

As the general manager of the Canadian International Auto Show, being held this week at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Campbell will get very little rest.

On this particular chilly February Thursday, hundreds of reporters, photographers, videographers and online bloggers have shown up for the annual CIAS Media Day.

It’s up to the individual car companies to wow the journalists, but it’s up to Campbell to make sure the manufacturers are happy, and that the entire massive undertaking of Canada’s biggest car show runs smoothly.

“This time of year I’m like a firefighter,” Campbell says. “Everything comes together, but every day is a like a week and every week is like a year.”

Brock University alumni Jason Campbell is the general manager of the Canadian International Auto Show held each year in Toronto.

After graduating from Brock University in 1994 with a BA in Political Science and Business Administration, Campbell headed to Europe to work in marketing and sponsorship with some of the top teams and brands in Formula 1. He was one of the driving forces behind Red Bull’s sponsorship of the Infiniti-backed F1 team.

Campbell, who was born in Oshawa and grew up in Burlington, says his Brock education has helped him throughout his career.

“Everybody’s university years are formative in their lives. Not just from what you learn in classes, but from general life experiences,” he says. “You learn how to learn at university and that sets you up for later in life.”

He was hired to head up the CIAS in April 2014, and was happy to move back to Canada.

“I’d had enough of the crazy travel life and had a young son. The F1 life is great if you’re single and unattached, but it’s not great for young families. This role still allows me some of the international exposure and the ability to use some of my international contacts, but have a more stable home life,” he says.

This year’s show continues until Sunday, Feb. 21, and for the first time ever, there are two worldwide vehicle debuts at CIAS, as well as a handful of vehicles being shown for the first time in North America.

“We’re quite proud. I think we’ve got a very strong show with very strong features,” says Campbell.

A new Jaguar model is unveiled during media day of the 2016 Canadian International Auto Show in Toronto.