Advisory Council

Haleigh Callison is the founder and CEO of both Takoda Consulting and Takoda Industrial Supplies. A member of the Hwlitsum First Nation, Haleigh currently resides in Vancouver, BC, on the traditional and unceded territory of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations. She grew up in Smithers, BC, with her three older brothers and completed her Human Kinetics Degree while playing Varsity Ice Hockey for the UBC Thunderbirds. 

Before transitioning to a career in the Lumber and Forestry industries, Haleigh was the GM and Strength & Conditioning Coach for Twist Conditioning, a high-performance training centre in North Vancouver, for 14 years. Her hockey career also took her around the world, playing professionally in over 15 countries—a journey that gave her the chance to experience diverse cultures through the sport she loves. 

Her personal motto, “Make a positive impact on people’s lives every chance she gets,” resonates through her community involvement, including organizing charity events and her longstanding commitment to the Canucks for Kids Foundation, where she is entering her 19th season. 

Haleigh graduated with a dual MBA from Cornell and Queens in May 2023, and was honoured with the “Community Builder” award by her cohort. She currently serves as a director on the BC Hockey Board, is a member of the UBC Alumni Advisory Council, and continues her part-time work with the Canucks for Kids Foundation. 

Outside of work, Haleigh enjoys spending time with her niece and nephews, reading, and playing just about every sport under the sun. 

Takoda Consulting, an Indigenous female-owned business, works with male-dominated industries on how to better recruit, retain & support women. The company focuses on helping organizations create an intersectional and inclusive environment through workshops and training. Takoda Consulting believes in fostering respect and safety for everyone in the workplace, regardless of gender, race, sexuality, or class, and strives to build long-term relationships with clients by ensuring they feel supported and empowered through their services.  

Fred is a retired partner of Ernst & Young Canada, having retired in 2014 after 37 years with the Firm. His various roles prior to retirement were as Chief Development Officer for Canada (2011 to 2014), Managing Partner Western Canada (2005 to 2011), Managing Partner British Columbia (2001 to 2005) and Program Director for the Ernst & Young Pacific Region Entrepreneur of the Year Program (2001 to 2010). 

Fred has been active at the University as a member of the Sauder School of Business Faculty Advisory Board (2004 to 2014) and served as Vice Chair of the Board from 2007 to 2014. He chaired the Opening Worlds Campaign, a campaign for the major redevelopment of the business school facilities. 

In the community, Fred serves as Vice-Chair of the Vancouver Symphony Foundation and is a board member of the Royal Columbian Hospital Foundation. He is a past chair of the Vancouver Symphony Society, the British Columbia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum, and Boys’ & Girls’ Clubs of Greater Vancouver, a past co-Chair of the Business Laureates of BC Hall of Fame, and a past vice chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade. Fred is married to Dr. Kathy Jones (BSc’80) and together they are the proud parents of 4 daughters. 

Born and raised in Saudi Arabia, Amal was covered head to toe since third grade and in a fixed marriage at the age of 18. After filing for divorce, she moved to Canada in 2013 and has transmuted the pain into her power. Today, she’s a social justice advocate and a leadership somatic coach. She was recognized as a Top 40 Under 40 when she had just turned 30, gave a TEDx Talk, was featured on Nasdaq as a Woman Leader to Watch, and had the privilege of being a guest on Oprah Winfrey’s show. 

After 5 years of entrepreneurship and working as an independent consultant, she joined forces with Tandem Innovation Group, a dream team and a dream organization (a dream Amal didn’t know she had!). Currently working as the People & Culture Manager supporting the Tandem team as well as Tandem clients to build and nourish their diverse leaders, establish equity practices and policies, and create a culture of psychological safety, belonging and inclusion. She does this through keynotes, customized training development and facilitation, storytelling and interactive discussions. Amal also has offered transformative inner work coaching to over 100 women and non-binary leaders, established and rising, to find their voice, and unlock their full potential for power, pleasure and impact. 

Amal experienced UBC from both campuses and is currently enrolled in an online program with UBC Extended Learning. Upon first arriving in Canada, she began her studies at UBC’s English Language Institute (ELI) on the Vancouver campus, before moving to Kelowna to join the Faculty of Management. During her time at UBC Okanagan, Amal served as VP of External Affairs, became the first female President of the UBC Students’ Union Okanagan, and acted as Campaigns Coordinator for the BC Federation of Students. In these roles, she worked with Provincial and Federal governments, advocating for the affordability and accessibility of post-secondary education on behalf of BC students. She proudly graduated with a BMgt in 2019 and is currently pursuing her Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Certificate through UBC. 

On any given day, you can find Amal writing her memoir, working title “From Burka To Bikini”, procrastinating by reading other memoirs, dancing, gardening, spending time in nature, and most likely planning her next dinner party. 

Jacquie was a 1994 recipient of a UBC Dean of Science Scholarship Award and graduated from UBC with a degree in Computer Science (Co-op Program) in 1999. 

Jacquie grew as a software professional in startups in Vancouver, making a move in 2010 to the Okanagan to join The Walt Disney Company. As a Director, Technology Jacquie was responsible for a variety of technology initiatives across Disney Games, Streaming, Parks, and Consumer Product projects for licensing and shopdisney.com. She now works for Amazon, driving projects that materially improve the consumer experience across a variety of products and services.  

As a proud woman in tech, Jacquie finds great joy in mentorship, having been a mentor for UBCO’s Women in Science & Engineering (WiSE), through the UBC Alumni Association, and the OKGN WMAN group with the goal to build an empowered community of female entrepreneurs. 

Jacquie is also a retired competitive curler, having represented BC at the Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women’s Curling Championships four times, and a participant at the 2009 Olympic Canadian Curling Trials. Jacquie was profiled in the UBC Science article “From Curling to Coding”. 

Danial Asif is a fourth-year computer science student at UBC Okanagan and currently serves as the president of the Students’ Union of UBC Okanagan (SUO). He acts as the spokesperson for the SUO and has been an active and passionate advocate for student welfare at UBCO with a particular focus on affordability, accessibility and improving the student experience at UBC Okanagan. His leadership is instrumental in shaping policies and initiatives that benefit students and reflect student voices.  

Danial’s former role as VP Campus Life at the SUO gave him a chance to make a difference at UBCO and he acted on it by bringing campus life and in person events back to the campus post pandemic.  He played a vital role in revitalizing campus life and fostering a sense of community on campus via in person events. His efforts have contributed significantly to student engagement and rebuilding a vibrant campus atmosphere.  

Today, Danial continues to champion student perspectives and demonstrates a strong dedication to both the present and future of UBC Okanagan.  

Kwame is a graduate of the UBC Okanagan campus, receiving a Bachelor of Management in 2013. Since then he has become both a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), a Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute (FCSI®), and a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®).  Kwame has worked with Odlum Brown Limited. since graduating in 2013. He is currently a Portfolio Manager and Investment Advisor at the firm. Kwame is also an Adjunct Professor at UBC Okanagan, periodically teaching an upper-level Investments course during the academic year.  

Kwame is engaged both with UBC Okanagan as well as the broader Okanagan community.  He is currently President of CFA Society Okanagan; an extension of CFA Institute designed to provide support and create value for the local membership on a national and global scale. Additionally, he serves on the Organizing Committee for MOTIONBALL: Marathon of Sports in Kelowna. As a national non-profit that empowers young Canadians to be leaders in their communities, MOTIONBALL raises funds and awareness for Special Olympics through integrated social and sporting events. 

Tara is the Deputy Director, Competence & Practice for Forest Professionals British Columbia (FPBC). She is responsible for managing the Continuing Professional Development program, ensuring high standards of competence in practice among FPBC registrants. She also oversees the annual audit program which assesses FPBC registrants’ ethical and professional conduct.   

Previous to FPBC, Tara’s career spanned urban forestry, wildland fire management and silviculture through positions in government and consultancy. She brings critical thought and innovation to all facets of her work, and is currently pursuing a PhD focused on improving alignment between strategic plans for urban forest and wildland-urban interface management. 

Tara holds credentials as a Registered Professional Forester (RPF), a Cert. Arborist with the International Society of Arboriculture, and Certified Urban and Community Forester (CUCF) with the Society of American Foresters. She is currently appointed Chair of the FPBC-BCWS Wildland Fire Joint Panel and sits on the Fuel Management Prescription Advisory Panel. 

In balance to her professional life, Tara has co-founded a small business in the construction industry and is an avid cyclist and runner. 

Nancy Cho graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science in Rehabilitation (BSR’82), educated as both a physiotherapist and occupational therapist, and an MBA’94.

At Vancouver Coastal Health, Nancy was the Regional Practice Lead, Physical Therapy providing professional practice leadership to 400 physiotherapists and rehabilitation assistants. Along with her team she ensured safe, competent physiotherapy services by developing best clinical practices across the continuum of care. She retired from this position in June 2020 and now works casually on the frontline.

Since 1994, Nancy has been a UBC Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine. Nancy has been an active alumnus assisting with several fundraising projects, including establishing the Rehab Alumni bursary in 1982, that has since dispersed over $ 92,000, fundraising for other scholarships, bursary funds, and the Friedman Building renovation project. She was a recipient of a UBC 75th Anniversary award, 20 year Long Service Honour in 2018, and a UBC Alumni Builder Award in 2018-19.

Other professional activities include Chair of the BC Physiotherapy Leadership Council Chair (7 yrs), and Chair of the Canadian Physiotherapy Written Test Construction and was recognized by the Canadian Association of Physiotherapy Regulators with an Award of Distinction in 2017 after 25 years of service. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association recognized her in 2014 with an Excellence in Leadership award. Provincially she was recognized in 2009 with the BC Leadership award and in 2017 for the Professional Contribution award.

Natalie Cook Zywicki is a member of the University of British Columbia’s development and alumni engagement leadership team. As the Executive Director/AVP for alumni UBC, Natalie plays a key role in leading efforts towards establishing a strong, sustainable and growing culture of alumni engagement at UBC and building a robust, strategic partnership between the alumni association and the university.

Natalie served as the Associate Executive Director at alumni UBC during UBC’s highly successful start an evolution alumni engagement and fundraising campaign, which concluded in September 2015. This dual-goal campaign was unique in Canada and exceeded expectations by raising $1.624 billion and engaging 130,005 alumni (more than doubling the annual rate of engagement since its launch).

In 2009, Natalie was appointed the Director of University Partnerships at alumni UBC and was tasked with the unique challenge of establishing a cohesive campus-wide alumni engagement program. Today, as the result of Natalie’s leadership, UBC has a highly effective cross-campus alumni engagement program that works collaboratively.

Over the past 30 years, Natalie has enjoyed successful careers in student recruitment, alumni engagement and fundraising in the post-secondary sector. Prior to joining UBC, Natalie launched her career in student recruitment at Brock University and then served six years at McMaster University successfully leading the DeGroote School of Business alumni and development program. In 2004, Natalie joined UBC as the Manager of Development and went on to lead the Faculty of Medicine’s alumni and development program, as well as the annual giving program.

Natalie, holds a BA and an MBA and has presented at several Canadian Council for the Advancement of Education (CCAE) national conferences and is currently serving on the CCAE National Board.

Jennifer is a board member and significant shareholder of Jones Soda Co., a craft beverage company founded in Vancouver BC, now headquartered in Seattle, WA, as well as an investor and advisor in multiple other consumer or retail companies.

Jennifer’s background included banking, investment banking and venture capital prior to joining full time with a portfolio company, Jones Soda Co.  In 1994 Jennifer joined Jones Soda Co. as a board member and then joined the company full time in 1995 to launch the company’s flagship brand, Jones Soda. From 1995 to the end of 2005, Jennifer played a key role in the launch and building of the Jones Soda brand and company, acting as CFO, COO and a board member. She ultimately returned to the Company as CEO in 2012 until 2020 to turn the company around, invest in the company and build its portfolio of beverages.

Jennifer and Jones Soda Co. have created an Advisory Board for the company, which includes a selection of students from multiple universities, including those from the UBC Sauder School of Business, all who get the opportunity to participate in brand advisory meetings.

Jennifer received her BCom (Finance) from UBC in 1986 and completed an MBA (International Business) from McGill University in 1990. Jennifer is also a Chartered Financial Analyst. Jennifer has lived and/or worked in Edmonton, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Paris, Rome, San Francisco and Seattle.

Mosope Fagbongbe, LL.B, LL.M, Ph.D., is an Associate Counsel at Bekkering York Barristers LLP. She began her legal career in Lagos, Nigeria prior to immigrating to Canada.  Before commencing legal practice in Canada, Mosope had a brief stint as Sessional Lecturer at the Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia. She successfully challenged the Certificate of Qualification of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada and completed a joint articling year at a national law firm, and the law department of a major oil and gas company in Calgary, Alberta. She was called to the Alberta Bar in July 2016 and joined the Law Society of British Columbia in 2017.  

Mosope’s current practice is focused on Insurance Defence, Civil litigation, Employment and Human Rights Law. Over the years, she has volunteered at various organizations across the Lower Mainland. She was appointed as a member of the Patient Care Quality Review Boards in 2023. 

Mosope is married. She enjoys spending her spare time with family, traveling and learning about different places and cultures. 

Ross Gilmour has over 37 years of experience primarily working on major design-build infrastructure projects in the construction industry across Canada and the US.

Ross is currently the Principle of Gilmour Infrastructure Consulting (GIC) in Vancouver, where he provides value engineering, constructability reviews, shadow bids / affordability estimates, critical path scheduling, risk assessments and other services for both public and private clients on major design-build (DB) and P3 infrastructure projects and pursuits across western Canada and USA.

Ross attended the University of Washington in Seattle and subsequently UBC in Vancouver where he received a BASc in Civil Engineering. During his time at both UBC and UW, Ross participated as a member of their varsity rowing teams, competing across Canada, the US and Europe. He is a professional engineer registered in the provinces of BC, Alberta, PEI, Washington and Hawaii.

Ross previously worked for Peter Kiewit Sons for 14 years as a VP and Area Manager, and prior to that for SCI / Strait Crossing for 20 years. During these periods, he held senior management roles on the pursuit and/or delivery some of the largest and most technically diverse design-build infrastructure projects in North America, including the Ottawa LRT Project, Confederation Line; Pitt River Bridge & Mary Hill Interchange Project, (DB), Vancouver; Millennium Line SkyTrain Guideway Project (DB); H-3 Windward Viaduct Project in Oahu, HI (DB); Seattle Sound Transit LRT Tunnel Project (DBB); Calgary 1988 Winter Olympic Speed Skating Oval (DBB); and Vancouver SkyTrain Expo Line (DBB).

Alex is passionate about ecosystem building and learning and development. She has worked the last eight years at Accelerate Okanagan, a technology accelerator that supports entrepreneurs with the mentorship, connections and community they need to build tech-driven ventures. Her role as Community Manager supports the growth and development of the Okanagan tech sector.  

Prior to Accelerate Okanagan, Alex worked at UBC Okanagan’s Campus as a Manager of Student Housing. She also loved her time as a student at the UBC Vancouver Campus where we completed a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Education. 

Alex grew up in the Okanagan, and now her and her family reside in Kelowna. She loves Broadway musicals, skiing, volleyball, board games and trivia, being creative, and can’t pass up a glass of Okanagan wine.  

Chris Gorczynski is the Manager of Student Services for UBC’s Department of Civil Engineering and Director of Business Development at Vizable Insights, a data visualization consultancy specializing in Tableau. Holding two degrees from UBC, a BA in Psychology and Master of Management from the UBC Sauder School of Business, and primarily working on campus since graduating, Chris has been an active member of the UBC community for over 10 years.

Chris has served on numerous boards over the years and currently co-chairs the Master of Management Alumni Association, which he also founded and chaired from 2013 to 2015. He brings to the alumni UBC Advisory Council his passion for relationship-building and drive to empower people to do good in their community.

Mr. Haji is a strategic, agile, high impact leader with experience in building a US $500 million health care and higher education enterprise in complex settings and challenging economic environments. He works collaboratively with people from different corporate and national cultures and has conducted business in 27 countries and raised US $1.5 billion in funding.

Mr. Haji leads Intercontinental Capital Corporation, a family office that invests in real estate and public and private companies. He was previously the Vice President, Finance & Chief Financial Officer of The Aga Khan University and Hospitals (AKU) where he led a global team and has a well-earned reputation for developing extraordinary leaders.

He established AKU’s Real Estate Unit, purchased over 4,000 acres of land and helped oversee the construction of 18 new buildings in multiple countries. Working with consultants, Mr. Haji led the effort to measure the impact on the carbon footprint of AKU’s operations to develop strategies to reduce the carbon footprint within the institution and with suppliers. Mr. Haji also led and oversaw the first of their kind Economic Impact Studies of AKU in Pakistan and the French Medical Institute for Mothers and Children in Afghanistan.

Mr. Haji is a leader on diversity, equity and inclusion issues and has extensive experience sitting on boards and serving as board chair.

Mr. Haji has been invited to speak by the African Development Bank, Agence Française de Développement, International Finance Corporation, International Hospital Federation, Overseas Development Institute, the World Bank, and the World Health Organization. He also taught about health services and financial management.

Earlier in Mr. Haji’s career, he was a Vice President at Deloitte & Touche, Corporate Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Corporate Secretary at a NASDAQ listed company and started his career at KPMG.

Romil came to Canada as an international student from Myanmar, but was born in India. He graduated from UBC Okanagan in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Economics. During his time at UBC Okanagan, he served terms as President and Vice-President of Finance and Administration at the UBC Students’ Union Okanagan. Additionally, he served as a member of the Senate at UBCO.

Currently, Romil is working as a Recruiter and Advisor for UBC. In his role, he travels throughout Canada to recruit and advise students about student life and the educational pathways available at UBC. Romil is passionate about Blockchain innovation and Entrepreneurship and even started his own marketing company, as well as working towards building his own crypto company.

Throughout both his academic and professional career, Romil has been a passionate advocate for student success and wellbeing.

Umang Khandelwal is an incoming articling student at Blake, Cassels and Graydon LLP in Toronto. She is a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, a network of young people driving dialogue, action and change. During 2018-2019, Umang was an Action Canada Fellow – a national public policy engagement and leadership development program funded by the Government of Canada, delivered by Action Canada in partnership with the Public Policy Forum.

Umang graduated in 2018 from the University of Cambridge Faculty of Law, having served on the Board of the Faculty of Law (2015-2016) and two terms (2016-2018) on University Council, the highest governing body of the university. Umang spent a summer at Hootsuite as a legal student, assisting in international expansions, providing contractual support and improving internal legal processes.

Umang’s prior degree in International Relations was from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, where she graduated in 2015 as valedictorian of her graduating class. She spent a term abroad through Go Global at Sciences Po Paris studying economics and politics of the European Union, earning a Certificate in Social Sciences and the Humanities. She is committed to fostering inclusion in communities, having trained and practised as an antidiscrimination workshop facilitator at UBC Equity and Inclusion. During her time at UBC, she was actively involved in student politics and university governance, having served as the Speaker of the Arts Undergraduate Society Council, and as the Associate VP Academic and University Affairs at the AMS.

Umang has participated in the 2014 WTO’s Public Forum in Geneva, the 2014 Council of Europe’s World Democracy Forum in Strasbourg, and the 2013 Spring Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington D.C. In 2016, she represented Canada in China as part of a five-member delegation at the Y20, one of the official stakeholder groups of the G20, and presented the negotiated policy document to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. She is dedicated to increasing access to justice for immigrants, refugees, Indigenous peoples and other groups who face structural risks, and has volunteered with the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and Access Pro Bono BC.

Since moving to Canada with her mother in 2009, Umang carries with her fond memories and values rooted in her childhood in India, which continue to shape and guide her.

Mona has practiced in various areas in pharmacy including hospital, community, industry, policy, and academia. She received a Bachelor’s of Pharmacy and Master’s of Science from UBC, Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the University of Florida, and a Master of Public Administration from Queen’s University.  She has an Industrial Pharmacy Residency certificate from the University of Toronto. 

Mona enjoys enhancing the quality of patient care, promoting collaborative inter-professional teams, and is passionate in education (public and peers) and mentorship of junior healthcare professionals and students.  

Currently Mona is the Pharmacy Advisor and Director for the Pharmacy Stream of the Interdisciplinary Addictions Fellowship Program for BC Centre on Substance Use (BCCSU), clinical pharmacist consultant at Infinity Medical Specialists Clinic, and is the managing partner of an independent pharmacy. 

Professionally, she remains involved in various interprofessional groups. She has BCPhA Board and the College of Pharmacists of BC Board experience, and committee experience with health professional regulatory colleges. 

Mona has presented in local, national and international seminars and has received awards for practice, leadership, and research. 

Caleb graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Sciences in 2006, and went on to train and work in a variety of fields before focusing on English-language education. He then returned to UBC to pursue a Master of Education in Teaching English as a Second Language, graduating in 2016, and taught as a sessional lecturer in UBC’s department of Language and Literacy Education (LLED) for three years. In 2019, Caleb moved into organizational learning, where he now works as a senior advisor for communications and learning at SRK Consulting, a global mining consultancy. 

Marina graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics before joining her family business group. She started her own business as property developer in Hong Kong and China in 2008 and is now the owner of Sofitel Sanya Leman Resort Hotel. While working hard to develop her business in Mainland China during the past 30 years, she is keen to contribute to the community. She is currently a board member of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society, a court member of Lingnan University, and an Honorary President of the Hong Kong University Foundation. 

Marina has maintained a close connection with her alma mater while residing in Asia. She is a member of the alumni UBC Hong Kong Leadership Council and has been contributing to strengthening the presence of UBC in Hong Kong. Marina is passionate in education and youth development and is committed to helping out the youth community and fostering future generations. 

Throughout his undergraduate degree, Linkai has been deeply engaged in a variety of on-campus and off-campus activities. His diverse experiences in both business and science, along with being on the SAC Career Development Committee, highlight his dedication to fostering interfaculty collaboration. Over the years, Linkai hosted events such as the 2023 UBC BizChina Forum and the SAC Networking Night, which united students, professionals, and academics to discuss critical issues of student development both locally and globally. He also worked as a research assistant at the Vaccine Evaluation Centre, driven by a keen passion for pediatric health equity in BC. 

Danica received her BSc in 2005 in combined honours Physics & Astronomy, followed by a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in experimental cosmology. Following her PhD, Danica accepted a Keck Institute for Space Studies fellowship at Caltech and worked with a research group at UC Santa Barbara as a postdoctoral scholar. At the same time, she taught Astronomy classes at the local Santa Barbara city college and had a small electronics assembly business. After this, Danica switched gears, working in new technology development at Suncor (Petrocan) from 2013 to 2015. In 2015, Danica was recruited to quantum computing, working as a project manager for D-Wave. In 2020, she moved to a more technical role with the SQT lab at SFU, working on quantum computing with Dr. Stephanie Simmons.

Volunteering has always been important to Danica. She volunteered with the UBC astronomy club, and served on the board of Penn’s outdoor club, as well as on the Academic Disciplinary Hearing board. Danica also worked with the homeless in Philadelphia for 6 years, at Project Restart.

Steven is General Counsel at Mission Group, an Okanagan Real Estate and Building Developer. As General Counsel, Steven advises the company’s executive and all department managers and teams on various legal and business matters.

Steven gratefully serves on the board of directors for the YMCA of Okanagan and is often recognized for his significant community involvement including his work with University of British Columbia Okanagan Heat Athletics, alumniUBC, the local United Way, and as a lululemon ambassador and co-leader of November Project Kelowna.

Steven received his Juris Doctor from the University of Alberta and is also called to the Bar in Alberta.

In his spare time, Steven can be found engaged in community events, staying active, and enjoying the outdoor playground that is the Okanagan Valley. Steven was named as a 2018 City of Kelowna Civic and Community Awards’ Frank Maclin – Man of the Year finalist.

Desmond Ng has over 42 years of management and technical experience in Bids & Proposals, Business Development, Branch Office Management, Project Management, and Software Engineering. He has a BSc in Computer Science from UBC and holds a PMP designation from the Project Management Institute.  

Desmond is currently a Director, Bids at  Hitachi Rail GTS Canada, where he is responsible for leading multi-million-dollar proposals with complex contractual and organizational structures in response to domestic (Canada) and international (US, Europe, Asia Pacific, China, India, South America, Australia, Middle East) Signalling & Train Control RFPs and Tenders. 

At Hitachi Rail GTS Canada, Desmond was the Vancouver Branch Office Manager accountable for the overall administration, growth, and operations of an 80+ person office consisting of Project Managers, Engineers, and Functional Departments who implemented and deployed real-time transit rail signalling systems worldwide. Prior to  Hitachi Rail GTS Canada, Desmond worked at various high-tech companies including Digital Dispatch Systems and MacDonald Dettwiler & Associates, where he held increasing senior technical management positions in project management, product development, software engineering, systems integration, and post-revenue Customer support.  

Desmond’s volunteer activities include an 8-year term at the BC Centre of Ability (BCCFA) where he held multiple roles including past President of the BCAA Foundation Board, BCCFA Foundation Board Director, and member of the BCCFA Association Board Governance Committee. Desmond was also a 9-year Industry Mentor at UBC’s Computer Science Tri-Mentoring Program. 

Debbie graduated from the Master of Food and Resource Economics (MFRE) program at UBC in 2018, where she was awarded the prestigious MasterCard Foundation (MCF) Scholarship. 

She is a Senior Economist at the BC Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development, and Innovation, focusing on building data frameworks for rural and often overlooked communities within the province. With extensive experience as an Economist, Debbie previously held the role of Data and Regulatory Manager at the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission. She has also worked with the research team at Vancity and the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce. 

Over the years, Debbie has consistently made strong contributions to her community in various ways. She is currently the oldest serving board member of FarmFolk CityFolk, BC’s oldest and largest food and agriculture non-profit organization. She actively contributes to strategic planning, governance, and stakeholder relationship-building, and leads the Finance Committee as Treasurer. Debbie is widely recognized for her commitment to the BC food system and significant community involvement. 

Originally from Nigeria, Debbie relocated to Canada seven years ago. She lives in Clayton, Surrey with her husband, two children, and her father. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, experiencing new diverse cultures, and volunteering in her local community. 

Suchin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the University of British Columbia and a Certificate in Executive Research from the Association of Executive Search and Leadership Consultants (AESC). With a blend of experience in executive search, agency recruitment, and in-house talent acquisition, he brings a comprehensive approach to identifying and developing senior leadership prospects in the Canadian market. 

Suchin has a diversified background working with a range of private and public sector clients, including some of the largest organizations in British Columbia. He has successfully engaged with leading entities such as BC Hydro, ICBC, the City of Vancouver, UBC, Vancouver Coastal Health, YVR, and TransLink to help build their senior leadership teams. 

Leyla graduated from UBC with a Bachelor of Science, double majoring in biology and Spanish in 2016. Leyla then pursued a law degree from the University of Victoria. Leyla now practices construction litigation at a regional law firm in Vancouver.

During her studies at UBC, Leyla was actively involved with student initiatives including Peer Programs, the UBC Student Conference, and the UBC Trek Program. Leyla also participated in the on-campus work-learn program working for the Faculty of Dentistry, the UBC Tandem Language Learning program, and as a student coordinator for the UBC Jump Start program for incoming international students.

Leyla is keen to give back to her community and looks forward to this opportunity.

Aaron Sanderson leads the national fundraising strategy for Kids Help Phone, Canada’s only national, 24/7 mental health support service for children and youth, as Senior Vice-President and Chief Development Officer.

He is an international award-winning fundraiser with over thirteen years of experience at leading non-profit organizations, including War Child, SickKids Foundation, Plan International and BC Children’s Hospital Foundation. In addition, he has over a decade of senior volunteer experience with non-profit boards and committees, including the Arthritis Society, Habitat for Humanity, Heritage Toronto, Athletics Ontario, Vantage Point and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. He has also served on the Regional Leadership Committee for Alumni UBC in Toronto, and teaches in the Fundraising Management program at Humber College.

Aaron holds an MA in Philanthropy and Development, an Associates Certificate in Non-Profit Management and a BA in Political Science and International Relations. He is the eleventh Canadian to earn the international Advanced Certified Fund-Raising Executive (ACFRE) designation, and is a Fellow of the Association of Healthcare Philanthropy (FAHP). He was named Top 40 Under 40 in North America by AHP, and a “Difference Maker” by the Rick Hansen Foundation during its 25th anniversary relay.

Jas Sangra is an associate attorney with the San Francisco office of Venable LLP where he advises high-net-worth individuals and their related business entities on intricate wealth planning strategies, with a focus on cross-border tax, trust, estate, and probate law.  

Jas is licensed to practice law in both California and British Columbia and has managed complex cross-border transactions for multinational clients, aligning their business objectives with international laws and regulatory requirements. He is experienced in devising and executing measures to minimize income, estate, and generation-skipping transfer taxes, safeguarding family assets from undue risk. He also advises businesses on cross-border expansion, including the tax aspects of immigration and emigration planning. 

Jas holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of British Columbia and a law degree from the University of Victoria. He has also completed the In-Depth Tax Course through CPA Canada in order to further hone his skills in the area of Canadian tax. 

Before starting his legal career, Jas worked with two of Canada’s largest financial institutions, providing sound financial and investment advice to his clients. His extensive financial, legal, and business knowledge benefits individuals and corporations seeking innovative and pragmatic solutions. In his spare time Jas enjoys being actively engaged with the local community, volunteering his time to mentor undergraduate students, law students, and young lawyers. 

Jane Shackell has practiced business law for over 30 years, advising senior executive teams and corporate boards on mergers and acquisitions, partnership and shareholder agreements, franchising, and owner succession. Jane provides practical and timely counsel as a trusted adviser to clients in diverse industries. She is also one of British Columbia’s foremost Fairness Advisors for public sector procurement, advising owners on fairness issues related to public-private partnerships and conventionally-procured projects.

Dr. Kenji Shimizu graduated in 1979 at the top of his class from the U.B.C. Faculty of Dentistry and was awarded the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C. Gold Medal. He declined two Medical Research Council of Canada Fellowships and positions in two Ph.D. programs, one in the Department of Orthodontics at the University of Toronto Faculty of Dentistry and the other in the Department of Pharmacology at the U.B.C. Faculty of Medicine, opting instead for a long, enjoyable, and successful career in the Lower Mainland as a “family dentist.” 

Immediately upon graduation in 1979, Dr. Shimizu was invited by his former professors to join the part-time dental faculty.  Over the past 45 years, Dr. Shimizu taught courses in preclinical and clinical prosthodontics, operative dentistry, oral diagnosis, periodontics, communications skills, and dental hygiene and mentored numerous small group learning and problem-based learning sessions.  Presently, he continues to teach in the U.B.C. D.M.D. program as a Clinical Assistant Professor and Prosthodontic Consultant. 

Since 1994, Dr. Shimizu has performed the duties of a dental consultant for several insurance companies, reviewing claims for validity and uncovering cases of fraudulent billing.  He has also served as a complaints reviewer and remedial educator for the College of Dental Surgeons of B.C., as well as an independent dental examiner in personal injury cases for the Trial Lawyers Association of B.C. and the Insurance Corporation of B.C. 

Dr. Shimizu has enjoyed a great deal of professional and personal satisfaction from the wonderful profession of dentistry, the warm friendships with his patients, students, and colleagues, and his long association with the University of British Columbia. 

Dr. Katherina Tarnai-Lokhorst, P.Eng., FEC, FGC(hon), graduated from UBC with her Bachelor of Applied Science in Mechanical Engineering in 1987. A Professional Engineer in BC specializing in aerodynamic design, aircraft manufacturing and leadership, Katherina is an award-winning educator who began instructing as Faculty at Camosun College in 1994 and as Adjunct Professor at UBC Mechanical Engineering, in 2017. 

Katherina holds a Master of Business Administration (UofPhx’07) and a Doctor of Social Sciences (RRU’18). Her dissertation explores the perceptions of gendered careers in high school with the goal of increasing gender diversity in engineering. Her current major project is The Edge, a series of vignettes, blog posts and infographics designed to support those who wish to explore the edge of their understanding on how their own behaviour impacts workplace culture, with the focus of enhancing inclusion and belonging in the professions. 

Katherina has served on several academic and corporate governance committees and is a Fellow of Engineers Canada, recognition for her years of exemplary service and commitment to the profession of engineering. 

President and co-Founder of the Lokhorst Group Ventures, Katherina serves on several boards including as Chair of both BCalm (the BC Association for Living Mindfully) and AGC (the Artisanal Gold Council).  Currently, Katherina sits on the UBC Alumni Victoria Leadership Council, is Music Minister and Cantor at her parish in Saanich, BC, sings in a semi-professional jazz trio, and ensures she holds time to share with her husband, parents, children and grandchildren.

Stephanie Warner, obtained both her BSc in Biochemistry and PhD in Experimental Medicine from UBC Vancouver.

In 2014, Stephanie was recruited to the University of Calgary as an Eyes High postdoctoral researcher in the Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases. She has since held a variety of roles at the University of Calgary, including Career Development Specialist for PhD Students in Career Services, Sessional Instructor of immunology and cell biology, and Research Officer in the Office of the Vice-President (Research). She has also had a private practice as a career coach.

Since November 2021, she has been the Manager, Knowledge Engagement in Research Services at the University of Calgary. In this role, she provides strategic planning for the portfolio’s initiatives including community-engaged research, knowledge exchange and research assessment across the University of Calgary.

Stephanie is a longtime member of the alumni UBC Calgary Leadership Committee.

In her spare time, Stephanie embraces the Calgary weather by cross-country skiing, running, and cycling.

Originally from Winnipeg, MB, Ben is entering his fifth and final year of the Bachelor of Science in Behavioural Neuroscience program at UBC. With previous experience in the Student Alumni Council’s Campus Engagement and Career Development committees and as the Science Undergraduate Society’s Associate Vice-President External, Ben brings his commitment to getting students involved and supporting them in their student-to-alumni journey to his role as the President of the SAC, as well as his role on the alumni UBC Advisory Council. 

 Outside of his role in the SAC, Ben is passionate about contributing to the implementation of evidence-based solutions to the quality of patient- and family-centred health care within our province and beyond, as is evidenced by his current roles at the Providence Breast Centre and Prostate Cancer Supportive Care Program as a member of both clinical research teams.  Additionally, he was previously a member of UBC’s Behavioural Neurogenetics (Rankin) Lab, where he contributed to research on the genetic underpinnings of Parkinson’s disease. 

In the remainder of his free time, Ben can be found volunteering at VGH’s Emergency Department, tutoring for Big Brothers of Greater Vancouver, running, and enjoying the great outdoors.