Alex Usher
President,
Higher Education Strategy Associates
Alex Usher is the President of Higher Education Strategy Associates. He is an internationally recognized expert on a range of fields within higher education, including student financial aid, quality measurement, rankings and public financing. He also has wide experience in strategic planning at both the institutional and system level.
Alex is the lead author of the annual higher education almanac The State of Post-Secondary Education in Canada and the co-author of the premier statistical handbook on global tertiary education: World Higher Education: Institutions, Students and Funding His internationally read (and free) daily intelligence e-mail, One Thought to Start Your Day, has over 15,000 subscribers. He also regularly engages with fans and critics alike on Twitter (@alexusherhesa).
Prior to founding Higher Education Strategy Associates in 2009, Mr. Usher served as the Director of Educational Policy Institute Canada and prior to that he was the Director of Research and Program Development at the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation. He holds degrees from McGill University and Carleton University.
When Alex is not thinking about post-secondary systems and outcomes, he can be found raiding used bookstores for their most eccentric titles, cheering for Toronto FC, or obsessing about sumo.
Allie Bear
Manager: Marketing and Communications Strategy, Recruitment & Admissions,
Wilfrid Laurier University
Allie Bear is a seasoned marketing and communications strategist with a proven track record in developing and executing integrated plans. With over ten years of experience in the higher education sector, Allie has been instrumental in attracting and converting prospective students through compelling marketing campaigns and communications plans.
As an "all-in" professional, Allie is dedicated to uncovering challenges, consulting with stakeholders, and co-creating solutions that engage audiences and advance strategic goals. She excels in leading cross-functional teams and has successfully collaborated with future students, current students, faculty, and staff.
Currently serving as the Manager of Marketing and Communications Strategy, Allie leads a team of five specialists in communications, digital engagement, and graphic design. Her role focuses on attracting prospective undergraduate students to consider Laurier as their top-choice university. Working closely with the integrated recruitment and admissions leadership team, Allie develops data-informed enrolment strategies and ensures a seamless journey for each student through the enrolment funnel.
With a strategic mindset and creative flair, Allie continuously develops innovative approaches that capture attention and differentiate organizations in a competitive landscape.
For more information on Allie's accomplishments and expertise, please visit her LinkedIn profile.
Andrew Klotz
Co-Founder and CEO,
Circuit Virtual Tours
Andrew is the Co-Founder and CEO of Circuit Virtual Tours, a virtual visit platform that supercharges recruitment outcomes. He leads a team to craft experiences that showcase the best aspects of colleges and universities. The best part of his job is working with institutions to identify new ways that Circuit can support current and future students as they transition to post-secondary.
Andrew Leopold
Director of Marketing and Communications,
Humber College
Andrew has provided strategic, communications, marketing, branding (and more) counsel to colleagues and clients for more than 24 years. At Humber, Andrew leads a team of Marketing, Communications, Creative Services and Analytics enthusiasts who Bring It to their work Humber by telling the college’s many compelling student, faculty and partnership stories across multiple platforms to many audiences. Andrew co-chairs the MarCom Guild and is a member of Colleges Ontario communications and marketing advisory groups. Prior to working at Humber (one of his alma maters), Andrew worked at two different global public relations firms in Toronto.
Andrew is eagerly awaiting his call to the Hockey Hall of Fame, knows the pen (and keyboard) is mightier than the sword, listens to the Dave Matthews Band and likes to chill with Charlee (the cat) and Lucy (the dog).
Chris Wilkins
Co-Founder,
SchoolFinder Group
Chris Wilkins is the Founder & CEO of The SchoolFinder Group. He taps into his more than 30 years of experience in the education, media, tech, and digital worlds to help direct the SchoolFinder Group forward. He works closely with the SchoolFinder Group team, as well as clients and partners. Outside of work, he loves to travel, explore Toronto, read, stay active, have fun, and hang out with his family and friends. His three favourite words are kaizen, think, and why.
Clint Thiessen
Student Recruitment Officer - Engagement,
Red River College Polytechnic
Clint Thiessen (he/him) works as the Student Recruitment Officer, Engagement at Red River College Polytechnic, where he has celebrated over 19 years of Higher Ed experience within recruitment, admissions and event planning.
Described as a detailed-oriented, passionate and forward-thinker, Clint continues to enjoy his work assisting future students on navigating their way into the post-secondary world. Whether Clint is connecting with future students, college staff, or external stakeholders, he leads all initiatives with optimism, care, and direction. Most recently, Clint has participated in RRC Polytech’s SEM Planning on creating a guided and enthusiastic path for the future of the College.
Outside Clint’s professional pursuits, you can almost always find him either catching a hockey game, camping with his family, or counting down the days until his next hot vacation.
Craig Robinson
National Higher Education Advisory Leader,
Deloitte
Craig is a Director and the National Higher Education Advisory Leader for Deloitte Canada. With almost 30 years of experience in working with tertiary education, Craig specializes in advising institutions on strategic and operational matters.
Since starting his career with the UK Government agencies that funded Higher Education, he has dedicated his career to working with universities and colleges to enable them to provide an improved student experience. This has included a range of projects from overall institutional strategic plans to market analysis and digital innovation strategies. He has worked in multiple countries including the UK, Canada, Australia, the Middle East, and India with the full spectrum of education providers, including those in the private sector, and covering apprenticeships.
Cristina Blesa
Associate Director, Marketing and Digital Engagement, International Enrolment,
Toronto Metropolitan University
Cristina Blesa has 17 years of experience developing and implementing higher education marketing strategies at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU). Specializing in digital marketing and communications, she played an integral part in building institutional foundations for TMU's digital effectiveness and measurement strategies. In her current role as Associate Director of Marketing and Digital Engagement at International Student Enrolment, Education and Inclusion (ISEEI), Cristina leads initiatives to increase prospective international student engagement through marketing, communications and customer relationship management. She holds a BSc in Psychology from McGill University.
Daniel Goulard
Student Recruitment Officer, Ontario High School Focus,
Nipissing University
Daniel Goulard is a Student Recruitment Officer from Nipissing University, specializing in Ontario high school applicants. He is a Nipissing University graduate with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and a minor in Marketing. Building a foundation for a budding career at Nipissing, he has worked in areas like Residence, Academic Advising, Facilities and as part of the Nipissing University Student Union in addition to having three cycles worth of experience in Student Recruitment.
Dr. Joe Stokes
AVP International and University Registrar,
Ontario Tech University
Dr. Joe Stokes is the AVP International and University Registrar at Ontario Tech University in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada, where he is also an award-winning professor (adjunct) in the Faculty of Education. Joe is the past Chair of the Ontario Universities’ Council on Admission, and the Ontario University Registrars’ Association, and has led work across the post-secondary sector on, Internationalization, governance, strategic enrolment management, and student retention and student success.
Dr. Stokes’ research interests include International student mobility, strategic enrolment management, leadership psychology, and higher education policy and governance. In the last 3 years, Joe has led groups that have attracted over $1.3 million in research funding including leading the creation of Ontario’s international study brand, and the development of a competitive internationalization toolkit for the province’s post-secondary system. His most recent publications focus on international student mobility in the pandemic era, and strategic enrolment management in a time of global disruption.
Dr. Lee Ann McKivor
University Registrar,
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Dr. McKivor is an experienced academic administrator in higher education. She previously served many years within central administration at the University of Sheffield in the U.K., over 20 years as Associate Registrar and Director, and Associate University Secretary at Western University, and is now Memorial University of Newfoundland's University Registrar. As University Registrar, Dr. McKivor is tasked with leading the institution's SEM planning with a lens of strong collaboration amongst university leadership. She is skilled in staff retention, higher education administration, supervisory skills, higher education leadership and higher education policy. Dr. McKivor also serves as an Assistant Professor within Western University's Doctor of Education program in a part-time limited duties/contract position. She has a Master of Education, Specialization in Higher Education Leadership (Calgary) and was part of Western University's first Doctor of Education graduating class.
Erika Wright
Digital Engagement and Campus Experiences Specialist,
University of Guelph-Humber
When not curling or paddleboarding, Erika can be found using non-traditional ways to reach prospective student audiences. With 15 years in student recruitment and MarCom at uOttawa, Humber College and the University of Guelph-Humber, she seeks to learn what makes prospective students tick and meaningfully connect throughout their future student journey. Recent years have taken her from education fairs across the globe to doing layups with mascots, all in the name of message alignment and quality lead interactions!
Felipe Matoso
Student Recruitment Officer, Marketing,
Red River College Polytechnic
Felipe Matoso (he/him) is a marketing strategist with an engineering degree in the back pocket. His marketing work at RRC Polytech spans international education, research and partnerships, fundraising, and, in particular, domestic student recruitment for the past three years.
Hailing from Brazil, Felipe brings a strong engineering background and years of project management experience to his role. These skills have been instrumental in crafting data-driven, results-oriented strategies and tactics throughout his marketing career in Canada. Notably, he leads the in-house development of the college's current domestic recruitment strategy.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Felipe enjoys spending his free time exploring dog parks in the company of his beloved 130lb furry friend.
Graham Donald
Founder & President,
Brainstorm Strategy Group
Graham Donald is one of North America’s leading experts on attracting, recruiting, and engaging students and graduates.
He founded Brainstorm Strategy Group Inc. in 2003 to focus on improving students’ school-to-work transition by advising and training both the employers that hire students and the educators who support their career development on campus.
His clients have included KPMG, PwC, University of Toronto, Deloitte, GE, McGill University, HSBC, UBC, Rutgers University, Kraft, and many others.
He chairs several conferences annually including the Campus Recruiting Forums in cities across Canada and the USA; the Canadian Career Development Summit; and, the Strategic Enrolment Marketing & Management Forum. He also speaks regularly at conferences across the US and Canada.
Graham Donald is a firm believer in the value of a general arts education and makes use every day of the skills he developed pursuing a double-major in English and Literary Studies. He received both his BA and MBA from the University of Toronto.
Hagar Effah
Researcher,
Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario
Hagar Effah (she/her) is a researcher at the Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario where she works on research projects aimed at access to postsecondary education, student learning opportunities and outcomes, and the sustainability of Ontario’s PSE system. Prior to joining HEQCO, she worked with a team at University of Manitoba to study labour market trends within Canada’s creative industry. Hagar is passionate about supporting equity of access in postsecondary education and as well as equity of outcomes in postsecondary education for underrepresented groups.
Haley Prentice
Community Marketing Manager,
SchoolFinder Group
Haley Prentice is the Community Marketing Manager at The SchoolFinder Group, where she oversees the planning and execution of all marketing activities. She helps create campaigns that support client acquisition, events, and overall brand strategy. She has a BA in Communication Studies from Wilfrid Laurier University.
The SchoolFinder Group is designed to help students find schools, programs, scholarships and careers, and to help institutions recruit students from all corners of the world, using a variety of tactics that include lead generation, marketing, and in-person events.
Hans Badillo Tellez
International Digital Marketing Coordinator,
Humber College
Hans Badillo (he/him) is The International Digital Marketing Coordinator at Humber Global. As a seasoned digital marketing expert, he has increased Humber’s visibility in overseas markets through his custom-designed and run digital marketing campaigns on social media and Google to increase applications and enrolments from international markets. He also creates exciting and innovative digital strategies to engage with current international students. Hans is highly skilled in utilizing data analytics to optimize marketing campaigns and drive measurable results. Throughout his career, he has honed his skills in leveraging digital platforms to maximize brand visibility and drive customer engagement. Before coming to Canada, he helped various brands in his home country of Colombia to build an online presence in industries such as real estate, fitness and coffee.
Isaac Garcia-Sitton
Executive Director, International Student Enrolment, Education and Inclusion,
Toronto Metropolitan University
Isaac Garcia-Sitton is the Executive Director of International Student Enrolment, Education & Inclusion at Toronto Metropolitan University, leading policy and operations to create and sustain a learning ecosystem that understands and advocates for international student needs. Prior to joining Toronto Metropolitan University, he held senior leadership positions at York University and McGill University, and served as diplomat for Panama, working at the Consulates in New Orleans and Montreal.
A respected leader in the Higher Education sector with over 20 years of experience in international relations and business development, Isaac has been actively involved in promoting policy measures to enhance international student support, particularly as a Board Director for the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE). Since 2020, he has served the International Network of the University Professional and Continuing Education Association (UPCEA) in a leadership capacity, working with public and private colleges and universities across North America. He is also a member of the International Education Working Group, advising the Council of Ontario Universities on policy and advocacy issues relevant to international students.
Isaac is nearing the completion of his PhD in Education with a research focus on immigration policy-making in international education in Canada. For his efforts to support immigrant communities, he has been recognized as one of the 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians in 2018 and received the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award in 2020.
Jamie Bramburger
Manager, Community and Student Affairs,
Algonquin College Pembroke Campus
Jamie Bramburger loves regional college campuses. He has been a mainstay at Algonquin College’s Pembroke Campus for the past 25 years and has championed the benefits of strategic enrolment management at smaller campuses. Originally trained as a broadcast journalist, Jamie has a passion for storytelling, community development, partnerships and student success. In addition to his work at the college, he is heavily invested in his community, sitting on several boards and committees while also finding time to write two books and be the play-by-play voice of the Pembroke Lumber Kings hockey club for more than 30 years on cable television. His community work provides an intersection to share the stories of the Pembroke Campus while also looking for the next opportunity to collaborate on a project that will help him live the Algonquin College mission to transform hopes and dreams into life-long success.
Janene Christiansen
Registrar and Associate Vice-President, Strategic Enrolment,
George Brown College
As Registrar and Associate Vice-President, Strategic Enrolment, Janene Christiansen leads the Registrar's office and plays a vital role in George Brown College’s efforts to provide equitable and accessible educational pathways for all students. She ensures academic policies, systems, data, and processes are in place for the college to deliver the highest quality academic programming, reduce barriers and provide the optimal student experience.
Janene brings a wealth of experience leading teams in areas such as admissions; assessment; convocation; fees and scheduling; financial aid; systems and reporting; and registration and audit. Throughout her career she has demonstrated an unwavering focus on ensuring policies, systems and processes improve the student experience and help learners succeed and flourish.
While she started her career at George Brown as an operations manager in the Registrar’s office in 2003, Janene spent more than a decade in a range of registrarial leadership roles at other post-secondary institutions. She returned to George Brown as Registrar and AVP, Strategic Enrolment in 2022.
Prior to her return, Janene was Deputy Registrar at Sheridan College where she led the Enrolment Services team across three campuses. Her team members nominated her for the Sheridan Inspirational Leader Award — an important nod to her leadership during the pandemic and to her qualities as a people leader.
She also held progressive leadership positions in the Registrar’s office at Humber College, including Manager, Fees, Audit, Reporting, and Scheduling; Associate Registrar, Fees, Reporting, Scheduling and ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Student Team Lead; and Associate Registrar, Student Systems and Reporting. She earned a President’s Distinguished Administrative Staff Award in 2014 for her work on the migration from Humber’s home-grown Student Information System to Banner and for her leadership in other areas.
Janene holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science and Psychology from the University of Western Ontario.
Jared Lindzon
Freelance Journalist & Public Speaker
Jared Lindzon is a freelance journalist and public speaker based in Toronto. Though he covers a wide range of subject areas — including tech, entertainment, and business — Lindzon has emerged as one of the leading voices on the "Future of Work." Over the last decade, his reporting has been featured in some of the world's most respected publications as well as in panels, firesides, and keynote presentations around the world. Beyond his regular columns in Fast Company, The Globe & Mail, BetaKit and TIME Magazine Lindzon's work has also been featured in The New York Times, the Guardian, Fortune Magazine, Rolling Stone and The BBC, among others.
Jen Heard
Associate Registrar, Records & Systems,
University of Northern British Columbia
Jen has worked in the Office of the Registrar in both a small community college and a university. A passionate advocate for the student in student systems, Jen strives to reduce barriers to student success through efficient and positive interaction with the OREG and student systems.
Jennifer Gilbert
Associate Director,
Carleton University
Jennifer M. Gilbert is the Associate Director at the Centre for Initiatives in Education, Carleton University. Jen has taught first year students in the Enriched Support Program for the past 20 years. Fun facts about Jen: plays the guitar, cat mom (also a kid mom). She holds a BA in Linguistics from York University and an MA in Language and Discourse Studies from Carleton University.
Jennifer Porter
Deputy Registrar,
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Jennifer Porter holds a B. Comm. (Co-op) (Hons) from Memorial and an MBA from York University.
Through her 20+ years with Memorial University, Jennifer has been a Planning Analyst with the Centre for Institutional Analysis for a few years before moving to the Office of the Registrar. She worked as an Assistant Registrar supporting the Schools of Nursing and Pharmacy as well as an Associate Registrar for both Registration and Enrolment Services and Academic Advising. She began as Deputy Registrar in 2012.
During her downtime, Jennifer enjoys spending time at her cabin with her two children and husband and participating in a variety of water-based activities.
John Reid
President,
Glacier
John Reid is the President of Glacier and has been growing Glacier's presence in both Canada and the US for many years. He's an expert at helping colleges and universities run successful campaigns and achieve their enrollment goals, primarily focusing on driving additional website traffic or lead generation. He's a passionate speaker when he's talking about his favorite subjects, Gen Z advertising and Dairy Queen blizzards. Make sure you attend to see which one he's speaking on!
Julie Peters
Vice President of Research,
Academica Group
Julie Peters, Academica’s VP Research, is passionate about research design. For the last 12 years, she has worked closely with postsecondary institutions across Canada to better understand their brands and their learners and has been invited to present research findings at institutions and conferences across the country. Julie holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from Western University.
Kayley Istace
Recruitment and Admissions Officer,
Alberta University of the Arts
Kayley is a Recruitment and Admissions officer working with Alberta University of the Arts. Being a graduate from their Bachelor of Design program, she brings a unique strategy to recruiting aspiring artists into pursuing a higher education in the arts. Leveraging a human centered approach, she utilizes her creative design thinking into communication plans and engagement with prospects. When not on the road recruiting, she works as a contract designer for Albertan and BC design and marketing firms.
Kirk Kelly
Founder,
CRi - Customer Relationship Index Inc.
Kirk is a founder of Customer Relationship Index Inc. (CRi) and has worked with nearly every client over the company’s 19-year history. The common thread running through the work of Kirk and his colleagues in market research is a relentless focus on generating concrete recommendations for clients built on a strong foundation of in-depth analysis and synthesis.
After completing his Bachelor of Science in Biological and Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto, Kirk discovered that his initial plan to pursue a doctorate in Medicine was not for him. He became an entrepreneur in the marketing, design, communications and research sectors and hasn't looked back.
Over the last 40 years, Krrk has worked with amazing organizations including Royal Bank of Canada, Merck Frosst, BDC, Brookfield, Air Canada, Alcan, IBM, almost every major developer in Toronto & Montreal as well as 61 Canadian universities and colleges.
Lindsey Fair
Associate Vice President, Communications and Marketing,
University of Victoria
20+ years in higher education – teaching and administration, at colleges, universities and a Polytech, Lindsey knows the ins and outs of SEM from all angles. Lindsey started her career in marketing at hotel the day after graduating by putting her resume on the side of a coffee mug which the hiring manager couldn’t shuffle to the bottom of the stack. She has created notable student recruitment campaigns that have 96% conversion rate to ones that prompted a call to the minister’s office from a competitor when it started to make waves and take off on Reddit. Before higher ed she owned a web development company in Nepal with her husband, co-authored a business strategy book for entrepreneurs, and ran an Innovation Centre. Fueled by coffee and crafting, Lindsey also has an MBA and recently completed her PhD in Place Branding from Queen’s University. Now the Associate Vice President of Communications and Marketing, Lindsey is working on make it less of a best kept secret – because best things just shouldn’t be secrets, right?!
Natalie Leung
Social Media Manager,
Humber College
Natalie Leung (she/her) has been Humber College’s Social Media Manager since 2021. She oversees the college’s central social media channels and provides expert counsel on social media best practices to faculties and departments across the college. Prior to joining Humber, Natalie worked at Unity Health Toronto and the Ontario Government where she oversaw social media policies, launched community management playbooks, managed social media rebrands and led social media communities of practice. She is a proud recipient of a 2021 IABC Gold Quill Award of Excellence.
Nathalie Mejia
Manager Higher Education Transformation,
Deloitte
With more than 13 years of experience in higher education, Nathalie has dedicated herself to enabling strategic transformations that are anchored in enhancing the student experience at each journey stage. Nathalie is passionate about leveraging a student-centric and human-centred design lens to find creative, unique, and agile solutions to address complex challenges in higher education. She has expertise in student journey mapping, strategic enrolment management, SEM, institutional strategic planning and assessing core institutional functions to prepare for future transformations. Nathalie has worked with key educational partners in Canada, the US, Mexico, the UK, and Asia and brings her international lens to research analysis and insights to understand how strategic initiatives and transformations are aligned with broader market trends.
Nina Bilimoria Angelo
Chief Marketing Officer,
Unibuddy
Nina Bilimoria Angelo joined Unibuddy in 2021 as Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer. In this capacity, Nina supports the global expansion of Unibuddy’s unique peer-to-peer platform that allows institutions to help students make crucial decisions about where to go to school, what to major in, and how to make the most of their higher ed experience. Prior to joining Unibuddy, Nina led teams at Top Hat, Pearson, and HP and advised Fortune 500 companies as a management consultant. A seasoned higher ed leader, Nina specializes in strategy creation, product conceptualization and testing, positioning and messaging, brand advocacy, and generally bringing order to chaos.
Richard Mitchell
Manager of Access and Inclusion, Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment,
Queen's University
Richard brings 14 years of direct experience in community outreach, relationship building, and providing educational support to various students from underserved communities throughout the GTA. Examples include building and maintaining relationships with Toronto Community Housing (TCH), MP’s Office (Bill Morneau), Regent Park Community Health Centre, Empowered Squared, Toronto District School Board, the Pathways to Education program and most recently representing Queen’s on the Tri-Business School Collaborative. As the Manager of Access and Inclusion with the Undergraduate and Recruitment team, Richard is responsible for the implementation and execution of the Undergraduate and Recruitment (UAR) EDII Task Force recommendations. Formed in August 2020 the UAR RDII Task Force was created to address challenges of equity, inclusion and diversity faced by Black, Indigenous and racialized students. Under his portfolio Richard oversees the First-Generation Student Admissions Pathway and the Queen’s Equity Ambassador Program. Both initiatives focus on increasing access and awareness to post-secondary by engaging with equity deserving and racialized students to reduce barriers to demystify and some of the barrier’s they encounter. Richard is also currently acting as the Vice Chair for the Standing Committee, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion with the Ontario University Registrars Association (OURA).
Ryan Snowdon
Strategic Enrolment Management Lead, Faculty of Arts and Science,
Queen's University
Ryan Snowdon is the Strategic Enrolment Management Lead in the Faculty of Arts and Science at Queen’s University. In this role, Ryan guides the faculty in all matters of enrolment and retention including the development of transfer opportunities and pathways. Ryan has over 10 years of experience working in Undergraduate Admissions at Queen’s where he was integral in developing a First-Generation Pathway while continuing to oversee key initiatives such as the Indigenous Admission Policy and admission to upper year and online programs. Ryan has presented on transfer options and processes at several conferences and colleges throughout Canada and the United States.
Sean Williams
Co-Founder,
Dashboard Marketing
Sean Williams has over 25 years of experience in marketing and communications. His marketing shop – Dashboard Marketing – specializes in the area of #HigherEd. He and his team have worked with institutions across Canada and in the US in areas such as institutional branding, recruitment marketing, student retention, student housing, social media management, digital engagement, and market research.
Over the last 15+ years, he has worked with a wide variety of institutions in a mix of roles. Sean was on contract with StFX University as their Director of Communications and Marketing. He has also led a mix of marketing and student engagement projects with Holland College, Dalhousie University, Grenfell Campus MUN, and the University of Regina. During this time, he also worked as a marketing consultant with US-based SEM Works and Ruffalo Noel Levitz. He’s is currently aligned with Academica Group as a Branding & Marketing Strategist, and through this relationship, has worked with NIC, VCC, NCC, Georgian College, Athabasca University, University of Regina, York University and Western University.
He’s a frequent guest speaker at conferences and post-secondary institutions and offers his time as a mentor for student-based startups and entrepreneurial-focused organizations (i.e. Dalhousie IdeaHUB, DMZ, Enactus, Volta, etc.). Sean is a graduate of TMU (formerly Ryerson) and holds a BAA in Media Arts. You can find out more about his company at www.dashboardmarketing.ca
Shelby Verboven
Registrar and Associate Dean, Strategic Enrolment Management,
University of Toronto Scarborough
Shelby Verboven is the Registrar and Assistant Dean, Strategic Enrolment Management at the University of Toronto Scarborough, where she oversees the Office of the Registrar and leads a variety of SEM initiatives on campus. A values-based leader, she is passionate about all things SEM, service to students, communications and building inclusive teams. Shelby has 25 years of experience working in higher education, including registrarial functions, residence life, student advising, admissions and student recruitment. Shelby holds an Honours Bachelor of Arts (York), a Bachelor of Education (York) and a Masters of Education (Memorial) in post-secondary studies. Shelby is proud to have had her work acknowledged through the UTSC Principal’s Accomplished Leader Award (2017) and the Ontario University Registrars’ Association Award of Excellence (2021).
Shoshannah Bennett-Dwara
Recruitment Representative, Undergraduate Admission and Recruitment,
Queen’s University
Shoshannah Bennett-Dwara is a Recruitment Representative in the First-Generation Portfolio for Admission and Recruitment at Queen's University. She works directly with underrepresented communities in the GTA to assist in navigating the process of obtaining a post-secondary education. She has spent 4+ years working in EDII work through enacting policy and enforcing change through her role as Undergraduate Trustee to the Queen's University Board of Trustees as well as through Vice-President of the Queen's Student Diversity Project, Co-Chair and Co-Founder of the Queen's University Advocacy Coalition, and Chief of Sponsorship on the Queen's Black Premedical Association, among others. She has an overarching goal to express, validate, and ensure that the perspectives and ideas of marginalized groups are readily discussed and actively pursued to promote diversity, inclusion, and equity at Queen's and beyond.
Shoshannah has won various accolades that speak to her passion in furthering the above aim, including the Agnes Benidickinson Tricolour Award, the highest tribute that can be paid to a student for valuable and distinguished service to Queen's University in non-athletic, extracurricular activities. She looks forward to expanding her reach in the coming years and truly cultivating courageous change.
Sohrab Rahmaty
Lead Researcher and Writer,
OCAS
Sohrab Rahmaty is the Researcher and Writer Lead with OCAS’s Applied Research team. He has extensive experience working with both quantitative and qualitative data. At OCAS, Sohrab and his team work extensively with Power BI and Cognos to help analyze data for much of their research needs. Sohrab also has extensive labour market and economic development experience, as well as expertise working with international students and hopes to bring these skill sets to OCAS’s future research projects.
Stephen Flaherty
Senior Consultant, Higher Education Transformation,
Deloitte
Stephen is a Senior Consultant in Deloitte’s Higher Education Transformation practice. In this role he is focused on helping post-secondary institutions design strategies to improve student outcomes. He also has experience working with education institutions across tuition modelling, solution architecture, student data analytics, and service delivery. Stephen is a co-author of the 2021 Deloitte report, The Case for a Student-Centric Campus, the 2023 report, Reshaping The Student Experience, and the accompanying student-survey for both reports. Prior to joining Deloitte, Stephen completed his MA in Economics and Philosophy and worked as a researcher on economic development in Ontario. Stephen graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business HBA program.
Susan Burhoe
Coordinator of Programs, Centre for Initiatives in Education ,
Carleton University
Biography
Susan Burhoe is the Coordinator of Programs at the Centre for Initiatives in Education (CIE), Carleton University. Susan is responsible for recruitment, admissions and advising for the Centre's Enriched Support Program. In her "spare time", she teaches a course in popular culture and is training to be a therapy dog handler. She holds a B.A. and M.A. in History from Carleton University.
Susan Kates
Professor & Program Coordinator, Entrepreneurial Enterprise Business Management Program,
Humber College
Susan Kates has been in academia for over 10 years, teaching business-related topics, and is currently the Program Coordinator for the Entrepreneurial Enterprise Business Management Post-Grad program. Susan also ran the Internship Program at Centennial College for over 7 years bringing a personalized approach to finding opportunities for students looking for real-world experience. With a background as a marketing leader, she brings a keen understanding of process and people management. Susan has founded a business, focused on marketing innovation. Her business experience has brought her into contact with fields like food, retail, hospitality, senior care, and computing software. Susan has an MBA and a Master's in Innovation and Entrepreneurship with certificates in Disruptive Technology, Marketing Innovative Products, and Design Thinking. She is also a DBA candidate focusing on Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Tyler Levesque
Student Recruitment Officer, Domestic High School Focus,
Nipissing University
Tyler Levesque is a Student Recruitment Officer from Nipissing University, specializing in Canadian domestic high school applicants. Prior to joining Nipissing University’s Recruitment Team, Tyler amassed years of experience in the fields of film production, media arts, youth programming, and public library service. He holds his Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts from Nipissing University, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Digital Cinematography from Canadore College.
Victoria Wells
Manager, Student Recruitment and Wellness Centre,
Bow Valley College
Victoria Wells oversees the domestic recruitment team and the Welcome Centre at Bow Valley College. Under her leadership, the team develops and executes the recruitment strategy within the Strategic Enrolment Management plan of the college with a mission to open doors and open minds to the possibilities available with a college education. As a passionate higher education professional, Victoria’s background includes student recruitment, enrolment services, and academic advising, focusing on building pathways to success for learners of all backgrounds.
Wendy Curtis
Dean, International,
Fanshawe College
Wendy Curtis is the Dean of International Strategy, Partnerships and Market Development at Fanshawe College of Applied Arts and Technology in London, Ontario, Canada where she leads Fanshawe’s global engagement initiatives. Over 10,000 international students, from over 100 countries study at Fanshawe each year in 180 programs.
Wendy holds an MA in Global Change from Athabasca University, a certificate in Intercultural Studies from the University of British Columbia, a BA in Political Science from Western University, and a diploma in Recreation Facilities Management and Administration from Seneca College.