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GISÈLE YASMEEN, Ph.D.
SUMMARY
Senior executive with significant experience developing vision, setting strategic direction, overseeing program
design/delivery, business transformations and providing analysis and advice on complex issues to senior officials in
government, academe and in the not-for-for profit sector. Experience reaching out successfully to the private sector and
dealing with large, sensitive stakeholder communities from both corporate-wide and programming perspectives.
Significant experience in building partnerships and excellent communication skills, and proven ability to build and
maintain networks and relationships. Experience with program budgets of up to $110 million per annum and operating
budgets of up to $10-12 million. Strong people manager with experience building and leading teams of approximately
60-80 personnel in agencies with sensitive mandates affecting large stakeholder communities. “Outstanding”
performance ratings in 2009-10 & 2010-11 and “exceeded” in nearly all other years.
Experience in developing and managing grant programs for research and related activities involving the academic
community as well as those involving partners in other sectors. Stong relationships with post-secondary institutions as
well as government, the private sector and non-governmental organisations.
Significant experience working and living across Canada and internationally including Asia (Thailand, the Philippines,
Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, India) the Arctic, the United States and professional travel in Europe, Asia and Latin
America. Canadian citizen fluent in English and French. Study of Thai, Urdu, Mandarin and Spanish.
WORK EXPERIENCE
October 1, 2014 – Present – Senior Fellow: Institute of Asian Research (IAR), University of British Columbia:
conducting and advising on research and related activities, teaching and advising students with specific involvement in
the IAR’s Centre for Southeast Asia Research (CSEAR) and Centre for South Asia Research (CISAR).
Collaborator/author/advisor for initiatives/organizations such as the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research
(NWO), the International Encyclopedia for the Social and Behavioural Sciences, Women in Informal Employment
Mobilizing and Organizing (WIEGO), Laurier Centre for Sustainable Food-Systems, Genome BC and Genome Prairie.
September 2013 – January 2014 – Senior Advisor to the President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council of Canada (SSHRC) – Half-time transitional position subsequent to a family-related move back to
Vancouver. Strategic advice on both corporate and program issues as well as opportunity to document institutional
memory, wrap-up outstanding files, etc. This period was also combined with contractual work for a group based at
Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (WIEGO) and other assignments.
January, 2011- September, 2013 – Vice President, Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council
of Canada – A realignment of responsibilities within SSHRC expanded my mandate to include not only the VP
Partnerships portfolio but all grants for research and related activities as well as various policy files related to the
evolving research funding landscape. Staff complement of approximately 60 full time employees. One of the major
corporate projects I led from 2011-13 was the identification of a renewed set of “future challenge” areas for research
and related activities to be implemented beginning in 2013-14 after a comprehensive foresight process including
stakeholder engagement and the gathering of multiple lines of evidence. The project and its results were endorsed by
SSHRC’s governing council in June 2014. Member of various tri-agency management committees (2007-13).
January 2007 – December 2010 - Vice President, Partnerships, Social Sciences and Humanities Research
Council of Canada – As the founding VP in this new position, I created and developed the new partnerships branch,
setting the vision and strategic direction, building the team and successfully executing a three year workplan related to
activities in the areas of partnerships, knowledge mobilization/exchange and thematic priority areas including
environment, the north, Aboriginal communities and information and communication technologies. Founded and
animated the SSHRC Leaders network of senior administrators in post-secondary institutions. In addition, in 2009-10, I
was the corporate lead, and subsequently the co-lead, on the design phase of program architecture renewal project – a
large and complex three-year initiative to redesign all of SSHRC’s grant programs into an integrated framework. This
involved significant internal and external stakeholder consultation and engagement, analysis, management/mitigation of
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associated risks, securing resources for a dedicated project team and all aspects of program design and implementation.
Jan 2005 – Dec 2006 – Senior Director, Outreach, Communications and Research, Elections Canada, Ottawa,
Canada – Led the conceptualization and execution of a research program involving commissioning of publications,
management of a network of researchers and making recommendations on how to incorporate evidence into outreach
and operations, particularly to marginalised communities. Responsible for policy development, including coordination
of numerous parliamentary appearances, sensitive communications involving political financing, electoral operations,
and the National Register of Electors. Involvement in the International Mission for Iraqi Elections and the International
Mission for the Monitoring of Haitian Elections. I also managed a reorganization combining the corporate
communications function with research, policy and parliamentary affairs. Managed a team of approximately 60 full time
personnel. My work at Elections Canada, particularly communications and outreach, affected millions of electors.
Sep 2001- Dec 2004 - Director (BC and Yukon) of the Centre for Research and Information on Canada and, its
parent organization, the Canadian Unity Council – as founding regional director, I created the office, hired the
staff, developed and executed a research and outreach program, including publications, and managed a network of more
than 20 regional board members, most of whom were blue-ribbon chief exectutives, retired senior civil servants and
community leaders. The work of the regional office involved extensive coordination with the operations of head office
and other regional offices across Canada as well as targeted local outreach to minority francophone, Aboriginal and
multicultural communities.
1989-2002, Consultant, lecturer/researcher and project management in academe and international
development - Vancouver, BC, Montréal, QC and international - Numerous clients and collaborators in Canada
and internationally including the Canadian International Development Agency, the Food and Agriculture Organization
of the United Nations, International Development Research Centre, National Round Table on the Environment and
the Economy, Roslyn Kunin & Associates, Inc., Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada.
Several publications (articles and chapters) in academic and professional journals and books as well as technical reports
and numerous o-eds; two books. Lecturer and Research Associate at University of British Columbia (1991 – 2001);
Fellow - York University, Centre for International & Security Studies as part of the CIDA-funded “Development and
Security in Southeast Asia” project, which involved multi-disciplinary professional teams from Canada and Southeast
Asia (1997-99). Regular column on CBC & Radio-Canada 2000-02. Manager and Co-investigator, CIDA-funded
Bangalore Project – Sustainable Development Research Institute, UBC 1996-99, which was twinned with similar
initiatives in China and British Columbia. Instructor at Dawson College, Westmount, QC (1989-1991). Research
assistant at Institut national de recherche scientifique (INRS) – Urbanisation: 1989
EDUCATION
1991-1996
1988-1991
Ph.D. University of British Columbia
M A. McGill University
1984-1988
B. A. (Honours) University of Ottawa
Vancouver, BC
Montréal, QC
Ottawa, ON
OTHER
Member: Board of Directors, Vancouver Women’s Health Collective – Nov. 2014 - present
Graduate and Fellow of Leadership for Environment and Development founded by the Rockefeller Foundation (www.lead.org).
Member: International Scientific Advisory Board, CATCH program, Netherlands Scientific Research Org.
Member: Ambassador Jacobson’s Canada-US Innovation Committee, summer 2012 – spring 2014
SSHRC: Chair: Employment Equity Advisory Committee, 2008 – 2013; Official Languages champion; 2012-13
Board member 2001 - 2010: Foundation for International Training
Member: Women in Informal Employment, Globalizing and Organizing (WIEGO) 2002-present
Member of the Executive Committee: Centre for India and South Asia Research (CISAR), Institute of Asian Research, University of
British Columbia. Sept. 1999 – June 2001
Multiculturalism Advisory Council: Province of British Columbia, under the leadership of the Attorney General and Minister
responsible for Multiculturalism, the Honourable Ujjal Dosanjh. April 1996 - April 1998
Email: [email protected] | Website: www.giseleyasmeen.com
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