After spending 30 years in the military living overseas and across Canada, Malcolm chose the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as the place where his children and grandchildren could achieve their full potential without having to move elsewhere. Formerly the CEO of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, Malcolm joined the newly-formed Edmonton Global in 2018. He’s proud of the region’s welcoming and inclusive community. It’s a region where people can grow, enjoy and thrive.

Mustafa Sahin is a senior international business and economic development leader with 28 years of experience in trade and investment, sales, and marketing. Sought after for his investment and trade knowledge, Mustafa is a Canadian thought leader who attracts interest to Canada while also bringing Canadian brands to international markets.

Riya’s passions include research, innovation, and health sciences. She is a lover of great food – trying new local restaurants is a favourite past-time. A self-proclaimed health enthusiast, she is often outdoors snowshoeing in the winter and hiking year-round. With a PhD and two master’s degrees, Riya has been educated or worked at seven post-secondary institutions throughout Canada. She is thrilled to be raising her daughter amidst the innovative thinkers and supportive community that exists across the Edmonton region.  

An experienced leader and active community volunteer, Chris has a strong track record of bringing people and ideas together. He has an impressive portfolio and expertise in economic development, community-building, marketing, strategy, and business engagement. An avid cyclist and volunteer ski patroler at Jasper’s Marmot Basin, you can usually find him flying down the nearest mountain side.

A life-long champion of the Edmonton region, Jeff believes in the importance of evidence-based decisions that are founded on collaboration, transparency, humility and accuracy. He enjoys looking at maps and pondering the trade-offs between good information now and better information later. His diverse background includes international experience working with academia, private sector, not-for-profits and the public sector. When Jeff is not neck deep in some spreadsheet or research report you can find him exploring local art galleries and music venues – or stopping to smell the wildflowers in the North Saskatchewan river valley.

>Brent has been leading clean energy initiatives within Alberta for over three decades. His knowledge of Alberta’s innovation ecosystem and his experience in forging industry-government partnerships will help position the Edmonton Metropolitan Region as Canada’s preeminent net zero hydrogen hub. In his free time, Brent can be found running, biking and skiing on Edmonton’s extensive trail network.

With a long background in international business, Brent is a Mandarin speaker who has a wealth of experience ranging from supply shain and wine logistics, to corporate training and facilitation. A University of Alberta alumni and current Senate member, he loves to network and identify business opportunities both locally and abroad. In his free-time you will often find Brent swinging a hammer or working on anything with an engine – glass of vino in hand.

A plant biologist by training, and an entrepreneur by passion, Trevor grew up on a farm just an hour from Edmonton. From those roots in the fields and forests of the Edmonton region, Trevor has had the chance to travel much of the world developing new business opportunities and expanding Alberta’s commercial reach in new markets. A University of Alberta grad, Trevor was lucky enough to start his career with the provincial government where he had a hand in promoting sustainable farming practices and leading the early charge in plant proteins and plant-based materials. Trevor has spent the last eight years in the private sector developing and commercializing new products in the environmental space and expanding sales overseas. Food and plants are a central part of Trevor’s existence; his children avoid family hikes for fear of what rogue wild thing he will ask them to eat!

Some of the best choices Aman’s made began with the thought “I might be crazy, but…” Driven by her curiosity for all things science, policy and tech, her career path led her to aviation, data science, cleantech, blockchain, and now to her specialty in artificial intelligence. With an engineering background, she completed her MBA and Masters in Sustainable Energy Public Policy, opening doors to work for organizations big and small—from research groups and startups to government organizations and large corporations. The more she’s come to understand the world, either through school, work, or general life, the more she finds things fascinating. Her nerdier fascinations include Harry Potter, Star Trek, the MC Universe, and octopuses (ask her to explain that one.)

A born and raised Edmontonian, Robert has a deep love of his city and its people. You can find him running one of the many river valley trails with his dog Max or golfing at one of the local courses. With an education in BioChem, Robert has diverse in-depth experience and knowledge advising, overseeing, and growing companies internationally in the biotechnology, petrochemicals, and nutraceuticals industries. Along with a rich history in international travel, particularly overseeing European and South-East Asian markets, he’s brought new business opportunities and initiatives abroad, growing Canadian companies and establishing and maintaining partnerships—and he’s bilingual in English and French. His success in business comes not only from his technical knowledge and expertise but that he enjoys helping and seeing those around him succeed. Robert brings his skills in long-term relationship building, investment, international business development, and trade initiative enhancement to any table.

Amanpreet is a charismatic, driven self-starter with a passion to help organizations grow. Born and raised in Sherwood Park, Alberta, she was drawn to the business development world early as she watched her parents succeed in running their own businesses. After completing her BCom degree with a management major, she knew that she wanted to be a leader. When she’s not supporting Edmonton Global’s investment attraction activities, Amanpreet is pursuing her passions for reading, fashion, travelling, and trying any and every new restaurant or café in the region.

Almas was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and moved Canada in 2015. With a Master’s degree in Computer Science, Almas has more than 15 years of experience in higher education teaching and research. She is also a Microsoft certified Data Analyst and certified Professional SCRUM Master. Her problem solving and analytical skills enables her to tell stories through data and numbers. Almas is a family-oriented person who loves to spend time with her family and enjoys cooking food from different cuisines. Gardening and exploring Edmonton’s beautiful trails are her favourite past times in the summers.

Armed with a psychology degree and a certificate in project management, Alyssa has a knack for turning chaos into order. A go-getter, she uses her experience to successfully manage and execute projects to support Edmonton Global’s strategic initiatives. With a background in the non-profit sector specializing in small business development, she understands the Edmonton Metropolitan Region’s unique advantage as a place to start and grow a business. In her spare time you might find her hanging out with her dog, enjoying a good cup of coffee, in a spin class, or researching her next beach getaway. 

An avid traveler and lover of cheesecake, Karolina Korzeniewski was born in Poland and moved to Edmonton when she was 5. After completing her bachelor’s and masters degrees at the University of Alberta, Karolina took her career international. She’s worked and lived in Vietnam, the Phillippines, New Zealand, Australia, and throughout Alberta. With a background in science and business, Karolina has held a variety of positions—from nutritionist to outreach manager. Her favourite part of her work is building strong relationships with diverse groups of people to find innovative ways of making an impact. She’s motivated by curiosity and learning new things and is always seeking out her next adventure. Some of her conquests include travelling or backpacking through every continent (except Antarctica), which have expanded her worldly perspectives. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, playing the guitar, and practicing for moments when she might be called upon to sing karaoke.

Brianna is a master at breaking down difficult concepts and encouraging others to consider the big picture. She’s excited to help our region improve its global competitiveness by developing policy solutions and providing thought leadership on economic transformation.Brianna has several years of experience working at public policy think tanks and has had her work featured in media outlets and institutions across the country. She grew up in Calgary, earning a Master’s degree in political science at the University of Calgary, and has since made the Edmonton region her home. A lover of learning as well as of travel, Brianna has sought out opportunities to learn about economics, philosophy, politics, and history throughout the world, including the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. Brianna has an eclectic range of hobbies, from playing the flute to snowmobiling with her family in the mountains.

Amanda has a knack for finding creative solutions. If she doesn’t know something, she knows who does. With over 15 years of hands-on regional experience working with the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA), the Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board, and now Edmonton Global, Amanda’s portfolio includes executive and operational support, as well as programs and event management. An enthusiast of triple espresso and non-fiction, Amanda can be found discovering new adventures in literature and movies.

Maria loves to create things from scratch and make them beautiful. She’s a master at finding efficiency and enjoys exploring new technology. Maria immigrated to Canada from the Philippines in 2010 when she first landed in Ontario. Since 2013 she’s called Edmonton her home. She recently received her diploma as an administrative professional. Maria enjoys spending her time volunteering at her church, honing her baking skills, hiking, exploring in nature and playing the ukulele.

Jane holds a master’s degree in Global Business Management and a certificate in Project Management. She has lived and worked in Nigeria, France and South Korea and worked with international companies on their entry strategies into new markets. Jane’s background includes experience in a variety of different industries throughout her career. She loves using analytics to build and define strategies.  On the side, Jane is pursuing her love of fashion and styling by running a fashion blog in her free time.

A MacEwan University alumni, Boris has completed his Bachelor of Commerce with a major in accounting and is currently completing his CPA accounting designation. With a background in public practice, he’s has spent the past several years as a public accountant in the assurance line of business working with not-for-profit clients and small to medium sized businesses. Boris is is a fluent speaker of three languages – English, Ukranian and Croatian. In his free time Boris is an avid snowboarder, soccer player and mountain biker and can be found exploring Edmonton and its surrounding parks.

A born storyteller, Sherri loves the thrill that comes from taking complex issues and translating them into simple messages that are easily understood. Having lived in and around Edmonton all her life, she’s excited to be able to use her love of the written word to promote the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.  A true Edmontonian, Sherri lives for the summer months when you can often find her hitting up the various Edmonton festivals, camping with friends or hanging out in a park with her nose in a book.