Dean’s Circle

Shahla Aly

Vice President of gTech Ads Product and Tools Operations, Google

Shahla Aly has been at Google for 10 years and brings a ton of deep and broad experiences from Information Technology (IT), Professional Consulting Services and Technology Sales expertise to Google Technical Services. She started her Google journey from Microsoft, where she spent 11 years in several divisions. Her last role at Microsoft was as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing IT. Prior to Microsoft, Shahla was at IBM serving as VP of the Communications Sector for Canada, as well as VP of Global eBusiness in New York. She is a passionate advocate for diversity in the workplace. Along with this, she has served on numerous not-for-profit boards, including the Board of Advisors for Catalyst.

Vickery Bowles

City Librarian, Toronto Public Library

Vickery Bowles is the City Librarian at Toronto Public Library (TPL), which delivers services through a network of 100 branches and online channels. She believes passionately in the difference public libraries make in the lives of individuals, in communities and cities. Vickery has advanced TPL’s strategic plan to support opening up public spaces, digital access and inclusion, workforce development, democratic values and civic engagement and an innovative service culture, and is currently leading the development of a new Strategic Plan for 2025-2029. Vickery is a former Chair of the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) based in Washington, D.C., a member of the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC), and a Board member for the Federation of Ontario Public Libraries (FOPL).

Brian Detlor

Professor and Vice-Chair of the Research Ethics Board, McMaster University

Former President Elect for ASIS&T

Brian Detlor is Professor of Information Systems in the DeGroote School of Business at McMaster University. He also is Professor (Status Only) in the Faculty of Information at the University of Toronto and serves as a Visiting Professor at the Centre for Social Informatics, School of Computing, Engineering, and the Built Environment at Edinburgh Napier University, Scotland. He is a Past-President of the Association for Information Science & Technology (ASIS&T). His recent research projects involve the investigation of digital literacy training programs, specifically to marginalized older adults, led by public libraries, social service agencies, other local community organizations. Research partner organizations include Hamilton Public Library, Dixon Hall, and CityHousing Hamilton. Brian is also an active research member of McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and the McMaster Digital Transformation Research Centre.

Sanjeev Gill

Associate Vice-President Innovation & Executive Director WatSPEED, University of Waterloo

With over 25 years of experience in industry and academia, Sanjeev is an accomplished leader of global teams, delivering strategic transformations, business growth, and operational excellence, while also developing public-private-partnerships for economic growth and positive societal impact. As Associate Vice-President, Innovation at the University of Waterloo, Sanjeev enables pan-campus strategies and initiatives that bring together the full innovation capacity of the university to maximize Waterloo’s impact on businesses, governments, and society. As Executive Director of WatSPEED, Sanjeev leads Waterloo’s professional education programs at the intersection of technology and business for professionals, corporations, and executives. Prior to joining the University of Waterloo, Sanjeev spent 25 years in industry, including 20 years with IBM Canada. At IBM, Sanjeev held leadership roles in innovation, supply chain management, and microelectronics, and led IBM’s research partnerships with Canadian universities and colleges. Sanjeev holds a degree in Mathematics and a diploma in Engineering from Dalhousie University and professional certifications from Harvard Business School and Boston University. Sanjeev currently serves as a founding member on the US Consul General’s US-Canada Innovation Partnership, a member of the Global Advisory Board for the Future Talent Council, and as a member of the University of Waterloo’s Executive Council. He has also served on the President’s Advisory Board at OCAD University, AGE-Well Industry Advisory Board (Canada NCE), Board Chair for iCity (University of Toronto Transportation Research Institute), and Scientific Advisory Committees at SOSCIP (Southern Ontario Smart Computing Innovation Consortium), and DeepSense (Oceans Research) at Dalhousie University.

Kelly McKinley

Chief Executive Officer, Bay Area Discovery Museum

Kelly McKinley is the CEO of the Bay Area Discovery Museum, a children’s museum at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge. She previously served as Deputy Director of the Oakland Museum of California. Other professional roles have included Executive Director of Education and Public Programming at the Art Gallery of Ontario, and senior roles at Bruce Mau Design and the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego. Kelly has lectured internationally on museum leadership and taught in the graduate programs at University Toronto, Bank Street College, University of San Francisco, and OCADU. She is a board member of the Association of Children’s Museums, and previously the American Alliance of Museums and the editorial board of Curator: The Museum Journal. Her writing and work have been featured in recent publications including What is a Museum: Perspectives from National and International Museum Leaders (eds. Quinn and Peña Gutiérrez), and The Inclusive Museum Leader (eds. Catlin-Legutko and Taylor).