Canada
Executive Leadership I’m a dynamic, bilingual national higher education leader on a mission to elevate the impact of Canada’s public colleges & institutes on our country’s - and the world’s - biggest challenges, including housing, the care economy and economic growth and productivity. I’m a versatile, authentic and inspiring executive with a talent for building high-performing and high impact teams in an inclusive and innovative environment. My hallmark is being a connector and alliance builder in complex, multi-stakeholder environments. With over 25 years’ experience in increasingly senior roles at Universities Canada and Genome Canada, I provide exceptional national leadership in advocacy, policy, public affairs and partnerships to advance a compelling college-led applied research, innovation & skills agenda in Canada and abroad. Organizational Leadership & Corporate Strategy I am committed to ensuring non-profit organizations are financially sound, well-run, talent-driven & grounded in people-centred values & practice. I excel at identifying and seizing opportunities to move organizations forward, building strategic partnerships & diversifying revenue streams. Public Affairs & Policy Influence Known for opening doors & delivering results through smart policy solutions & innovative advocacy campaigns, I have an impressive track record of federal Budget wins. This includes over $10B in investments for university infrastructure, research, innovation & skills from 2015-19, $40M to the Canadian Covid Genomics Network in April 2020 and $140M in funding for Genome Canada’s challenge-driven programming in Budget 2021. Governance & Stakeholder Relations With significant experience serving on high performing Boards & chairing Board Committees, I am recognized as a trusted & credible executive who drives strategy, builds reputation, mitigates risk and stick handles diverse interests to achieve a united agenda. On the founding Board of Directors of The Conversation Canada, I provided strategic leadership to the successful launch in 2016 of this now very successful national non-profit organization for academic journalism. A passionate community volunteer, I served as Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Royal Mental Health Centre in Ottawa & chaired the CEO Search Ctte. I’ve served as a family advisor on several national initiatives to improve mental health & well-being for Autistic adults in Canada. I founded a CMHC-funded stakeholder-driven social change lab to identify options & develop housing solutions for Autistic adults in Ottawa.