There is an outstanding team of academic and administrative professionals behind BCIT. Their leadership ensures BCIT remains a viable, accountable and world-class institution.
Dr. Jeff Zabudsky has over 30 years of experience within post-secondary and polytechnic leadership roles, both in Canada and internationally. Throughout his career, he has championed applied education as a transformative instrument to enrich lives and contribute to thriving communities.
Prior to his appointment as President of the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in 2023, Dr. Zabudsky was Provost for the American University of Bahrain, having also served as CEO for Bahrain Polytechnic. Before his career took him to the Middle East, Dr. Zabudsky was President and Vice Chancellor for Sheridan College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning. He has also served as President and CEO of Red River College Polytechnic and Vice President, Academic at Sault College of Applied Arts and Technology.
Dr. Zabudsky is Chair of the Board of Directors for the British Columbia Association of Institutes and Universities (BCAIU) and Treasurer of the Board of Directors for the Skilled Trades Training Consortium. In addition, he is active on the boards for the Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, the Post Secondary Employers’ Association, and Invest Vancouver. Previously, he chaired municipal United Way campaigns for both Oakville and Winnipeg.
Dr. Zabudsky has been honoured with distinguished alumni awards from Toronto Metropolitan University and Athabasca University. He has also received an award for the employment of Indigenous people from the Inter Provincial Association for Native Employment (IANE) and is a Paul Harris Fellow of Rotary International. Dr. Zabudsky holds a PhD in Educational Policy Studies from the University of Alberta, a Master’s degree in Distance Education from Athabasca University, and a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Broadcast Journalism from Toronto Metropolitan University.
As Provost & Vice President, Academic, Jennifer is the senior academic officer for the Institute. She leads the creation and implementation of the academic priorities for the Institute and has direct responsibility for the Schools (via the Deans) and the learning and teaching mission (via the Associate Vice Presidents, Students and Academic).
Additionally, Jennifer has served as the Interim Vice President, Academic and Associate Vice President, Academic Operations. In these roles, Jennifer was instrumental in leading a successful academic response to the COVID-19 pandemic and forwarding the strategic Education Plan for the Institute, which included spearheading the BCIT Agile and Work Integrated Learning framework – a significant strategy in provincial workforce development and recovery.
Jennifer joined BCIT as faculty in the School of Business + Media in 2005, bringing with her nearly a decade of experience in the accounting sector in both financial and human resource management roles. She holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of British Columbia and is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA). In 2015 she was the recipient of a BCIT Employee Excellence Award for Leadership and in 2017 was appointed Associate Dean of Accounting, Finance, Financial Planning, Risk Management and Insurance. Jennifer also spent six years as Chair of the Education Council where she was responsible for the review and approval of new and existing academic programming at the Institute.
As Vice President, People, Culture & Inclusion, Chris provides executive leadership in the areas of Human Resources; Privacy, Information Access & Policy Management; Safety, Security, & Emergency Management; and Respect, Diversity & Inclusion. Chris leads People, Culture & Inclusion with a focus on developing and strengthening strong relationships across BCIT and seeking out diverse opinions and perspectives.
Chris has senior leadership experience in large organizations in both the public and private sectors. Throughout his decades-long career, he has led many complex negotiations, ranging from collective bargaining to integration agreements following large mergers and acquisitions, and all other forms of dispute resolution.
Chris is passionate about workplace culture, workplace safety, and building environments where everyone feels valued and acknowledged. His goal for the purpose of People, Culture & Inclusion is to be accessible, visible, and responsive to all the exceptional faculty, staff, and students across BCIT. Chris is proud to champion BCIT’s inclusive work environment and commitment to Truth and Reconciliation.
Chris himself is a proud BCIT graduate. Outside of work, his greatest joy is spending time with his wife and son, especially supporting his son’s love of soccer out on the pitch!
As Vice President, External, Cynthia Petrie champions the Institute’s vision and mission, providing executive leadership to a broad portfolio of departments including Advancement, Marketing and Communications, Stakeholder Relations, and Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships – whose unified goal is to enhance the Institute’s profile locally, nationally, and globally. As the strategic connector between BCIT and its stakeholders, Cynthia works to nurture and cultivate the Institute’s relationships with all levels of government, industry, donors, alumni, Indigenous communities, and relevant strategic partners.
As Chief Financial Officer and Vice President, Administration, Navida Suleman brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience across publicly listed, private, and member-owner organizations. Most recently, she served as Senior Vice President and CFO at BCAA, where she led several major transformation initiatives, delivering complex projects on time, within scope and budget, while ensuring tangible and lasting results.
Navida’s portfolio is responsible for the stewardship of BCIT’s physical and financial assets. She provides executive leadership to a broad portfolio, including Financial Services, Campus Planning and Development, Facilities, Information Technology Services, Cyber Security, Internal Audit, Enterprise Risk, and Corporate Services.
Throughout her career, Navida has been passionate about coaching and developing people, implementing strategy for long-term sustainability, and making meaningful contributions to the community.
Navida holds a Bachelor of Commerce from UBC and is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CA).
She is also a committed lifelong learner, having completed Columbia University’s Senior Executive Program and UBC’s Executive Development Advanced Leadership Certificate. Outside of her professional life, Navida enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and son and has a passion for cooking and exploring new cuisine.