Posted on February 13, 2023

VCC’s Ajay Patel Appointed to Invest Vancouver Management Board

Ajay Patel VCC president and CEO


Vancouver Community College (VCC) is pleased to announce the appointment of Ajay Patel, VCC’s President and CEO, to the Invest Vancouver Management Board. 

Ajay is a provincial leader in the international education sector and sport. Recently, he helped secure the University Mobility in Asia Pacific (UMAP) International Secretariat at VCC from 2021 to 2026, and completed his term as Board Chair for the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) in December 2022, where he will continue as a Past Board Chair and board member until the end of 2023. 

He also represents BC Colleges on the BC Council for International Education (BCCIE), and sits as Board Vice Chair and on their Finance and HR Committee. Ajay was also appointed to the Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan) Board of Directors as an At-Large Director from head of an institution. Recently, Ajay was also appointed by Lieutenant Governor in Council to the Multicultural Advisory Council of BC. 

As a member the Invest Vancouver Management Board, Ajay will contribute as a leader in the post-secondary sector, support international education development, and work towards growing our region in an equitable and sustainable way.

“I’m excited to collaborate with my fellow board members to amplify metro Vancouver’s unique strengths, and work together to find opportunities to position our region for success in a rapidly evolving global economy. I’m proud to represent VCC, and the broader public post-secondary sector, in contributing to a common vision for the region,” said Ajay Patel, President and CEO, VCC.

Invest Vancouver is the Metro Vancouver region's economic development leadership service representing 21 municipalities, one treaty First Nation, and one electoral area. The new Invest Vancouver Management Board consists of leaders from a cross section of the region, and it is chaired by North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan, with City of Surrey Councillor Harry Bains serving as Vice-Chair.
 
Invest Vancouver Management Board

  • Linda Buchanan (C) – Mayor, City of North Vancouver
  • Harry Bains (VC) – Councillor, City of Surrey
  • Bridgitte Anderson – President and Chief Executive Officer, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade
  • Janet Andrews – Secretary-Treasurer, New Westminster & District Labour Council
  • Robert Armstrong – Chair of the Board, Coast Capital Savings
  • Queenie Choo – Chief Executive Officer, S.U.C.C.E.S.S.
  • Joanne Curry – Vice-President, External Relations, Simon Fraser University
  • Darren Dahl – Dean of Sauder School of Business, Sauder School of Business, UBC / Innovate BC Professor
  • Loc Dao – Executive Director, DigiBC
  • Trevor Davies - Secretary-Treasurer, CUPE BC
  • Bob Dhaliwal - Secretary Treasurer, International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada
  • Lisa Dominato – Councillor, City of Vancouver
  • Nora Gambioli - Councillor, District of West Vancouver
  • Anita Huberman – President and Chief Executive Officer, Surrey Board of Trade
  • Wendy Hurlburt – President and Chief Executive Officer, Life Sciences BC
  • Jeanette Jackson – Chief Executive Officer, Foresight
  • Amy Lang – President, North Shore/Mammoth Studios
  • Richard Lee – Councillor, City of Burnaby
  • Christopher Lewis (Syeta’xtn) – Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Reconciliation, Simon Fraser University
  • Cheryl Muir – Senior Vice President, Public Affairs and Communications, Business Council of British Columbia
  • Evi Mustel – Owner and President, Mustel Group
  • Chris O’Riley – President and Chief Executive Officer, BC Hydro
    Ajay Patel – President and CEO, Vancouver Community College
  • Kevin Quinn – Chief Executive Officer, Translink
  • Robin Silvester – President and Chief Executive Officer, Port of Vancouver
  • Olga Stachova – Chief Executive Officer, MOSAIC
  • Tamara Vrooman – President & CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority
  • Brad West – Mayor, City of Port Coquitlam

Full bios on each of the board members can be found here.

About Invest Vancouver

Invest Vancouver is an economic development leadership service provided through Metro Vancouver Regional District to position the region for success in a rapidly evolving global economy. Their purpose is to amplify opportunity and propel prosperity for all residents of the Metro Vancouver region. Their mandate covers three areas of activity: attracting strategic investment, conducting economic research and policy analysis, and fostering collaboration.