IAAO Conference – Vancouver 2025
September 17 – 19

  SFU Harbour Centre

515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

08:15am | Registration and Breakfast
09:00am | Welcome to IAAO – Vancouver 2025!
                        Karen McCredie, Executive Director, EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), Canada
                 | From Down Under to the World: Key Takeaways from Australia 2024
                       Stuart Mossman, Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC), Australia
09:20am | Country Updates –  Croatia, Germany & United Kingdom
10:00am | Building Cyber Resilience – From Vulnerability to Vigilance – VTAC & UCAS
                        Teresa Tjia, Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC), Australia
                        Lynsey Hopkins, Director of Admissions, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom
10:50am | Coffee Break
11:00am | Cybersecurity Tabletop Exercises: Improving Muscle Memory for your Technical and Leadership Teams
                         Jastej Aujla, Chief Information Security Officer, Information Security Services, Simon Fraser University, Canada
                         Stephanie Stewart, Disaster Recovery Coordinator, Information Security Services, Simon Fraser University, Canada
11:45am | Game of Standards
                        Igor Drvodelic, Assistant Director, Agency for Science and Higher Education, Croatia
12:30pm | Lunch
01:30pm | Future-proofing Admissions: Navigating Change with Technology, Automation, and AI
                        Bonnie Crocker, Senior Consultant, Strategic Enrolment Management, Academica Group, Canada
02:30pm | Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in New Student Enrolment: Transforming Undergraduate University Admissions
                        Kathryn Verkerk, Registrar & Executive Director of Enrollment, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Canada
03:15pm | Coffee Break
03:30pm | Supporting Diverse/Disadvantaged Students 
                        Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom
                        Stuart Mossman, Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC), Australia
04:30pm | Depart for Conference Reception: Joey’s Shipyards. (Travel to Waterfront Seabus Terminal by foot)
06:45pm | Day 1 Concludes

SFU Harbour Centre

515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

08:15am | Breakfast
09:00am | Opening Remarks
09:15am | Driving Canada: Structural Barriers, Gig Work and Survival as a Newcomer
                        Haroon Khalid, Co-Founder and Executive Director, Qissa, Canada
                        Anam Zakaria, Co-Founder and Strategic Director, Qissa, Canada
10:15am | Coffee Break
10:30am | Foster Inclusion: How the Credit Bank Broadens Post-Secondary Opportunities
                          Susan Forseille, Director, Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition and Strategic Partnerships, Thompson Rivers University, Canada
11:30am | Broadening the Post Secondary Ecosystem: All-Member Discussion
                          Facilitated by Shannon Lipskie, Interim President & CEO, Ontario College Application Service (OCAS), Canada
12:15pm | Lunch
01:00pm | AI Panel
                          Facilitated by Stacey Baker, Chief Technology Officer, EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), Canada
                          Featuring Jo Saxton, Chief Executive, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom
                          Featuring Nico Hecklau, Head of IT, uni-assist e.V., Germany
02:00pm | Discussion of Executive Committee/Board Options
                         Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom
                         Karen McCredie, Executive Director, EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), Canada
                         Stuart Mossman, Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC), Australia
                         Hans Pongratz, Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officer, Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, Germany
03:00pm | Wrap Up & Prepare for Departure
03:30pm | Depart for Conference Dinner and Sight Seeing. Grouse Mountain – the Peak of Vancouver.
                     Shuttle Pick-Up: SFU Harbour Centre
                     Dress Code: Comfortable, practical footwear and weather appropriate for eco-walk
07:00pm | Dinner
10:00pm | Day 2 Concludes

SFU Harbour Centre

515 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC

08:30am | Depart for UBC Robert H. Lee Alumni Centre
09:00am | Breakfast
09:30am | Panel Discussion on Admissions in British Columbia, Canada
                          Michael Bluhm, Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and University Registrar, Thompson Rivers University
                          Rella Ng, Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and Registrar, University of British Columbia
                          Jan Smith, Registrar, British Columbia Institute of Technology
                          Bacel Younan, Registrar, Douglas College
11:30am | Depart for SFU Harbour Centre
12:15pm | Summary of Key Learnings and Actions
                         Heather Lane, Executive Director, Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), Canada
12:45pm | Closing Remarks & Conference Concludes

Jastej Aujla
Chief Information Security Officer, Information Security Services, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Jastej Aujla has over 20 years of Cybersecurity, Risk Management, Compliance, and Information Technology (IT) experience, that includes enterprise strategy development and execution. He has a proven track record of building and transforming a strong and committed team of IT security professionals that drive business performance while ensuring organizational security and minimizing risk. At present, he is the Chief Information Security at Simon Fraser University (SFU). His international experience, as a Senior IT Security Consultant for 9 years, spans the UK, South Asia, and the Middle East, working with government and financial organizations, and holds certification with CISA, CEH, ISO 27001 LA.

 

Stacey Baker
Chief Technology Officer, EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), Canada

Stacey has been with EducationPlannerBC since 2017, responsible for facilitating and managing systems development projects for EPBC’s services. He brings a wealth of knowledge from many different technology leadership roles in Canada and the UK, in various sectors including in the e-commerce, financial, government, as well as health care sectors.

Michael Bluhm
Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services & University Registrar, Thompson Rivers University, Canada

Michael Bluhm is the Associate Vice President, Enrolment Services & University Registrar at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, BC. Michael leads Strategic Enrolment Management initiatives that align institutional goals with student access, participation, and success. He has worked in various provincial and national postsecondary education sector roles and currently serves as the Co-Chair of the EducationPlannerBC Steering Committee. Michael holds a Master’s degree in Education from the University of British Columbia.

Bonnie Crocker
Senior Consultant, Strategic Enrolment Management, Academica Group, Canada

Bonnie Crocker is a Senior Consultant at Academica Group with over 35 years of experience in the post-secondary sector. She brings deep expertise from her leadership roles in recruitment, admissions, and student services, including 15 years at McMaster University (primarily in recruitment and admissions) and more than a decade as Registrar at Huron University College at Western University. At Academica, Bonnie has led numerous enrolment and Registrar’s Office reviews, helping institutions across Canada adapt to a rapidly evolving post-secondary landscape. She is currently leading a national research project on the “Modernization of the Registrar’s Office,” examining how demographic, technological, and policy shifts are reshaping the future needs of the RO.  Bonnie holds a Master’s degree in Strategic Enrolment Management and is a passionate advocate for innovation and student-centered practices in higher education.

 

Igor Drvodelić
Assistant Director, Agency for Science and Higher Education, Croatia

Igor Drvodelić, Assistant Director, Agency for Science and Higher Education participated in the introduction of the central admission of study programs and national secondary school’s final exams in Croatia as one of the project managers. He has 20 years of experience in information systems and services in higher education and has been heading the Central Admission Office since its foundation in 2009. Igor has actively participated in launching projects which better link higher education and the labor market (e.g. graduates tracking). He also actively promotes the introduction of new technologies into Croatian higher education.

 

Susan Forseille
Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition and Strategic Partnerships, Thompson Rivers University, Canada

Susan Forseille is the Director of Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR) and Strategic Partnerships at Thompson Rivers University (TRU), a role she’s held since 2018. A passionate PLAR advocate, she champions recognizing adult learners’ knowledge from life and work experiences, as well as Indigenizing PLAR. She was elected to the CAPLA (Canadian Association of Prior Learning and Assessment) Board in 2019 and previously co-chaired the BCPLAN, Prior Learning Action Network (BCPLAN) for five years. She is also on the Editorial Board of PLAIO, Prior Learning Assessment Inside Out.  Susan’s PhD research focused on PLAR’s impact on career development.

 

Nico Hecklau
Head of IT, uni-assist e.V., Germany

After studying computer science, Nico Hecklau founded an IT startup with a partner in 2010, focusing on identity management, data protection, and data security. He has worked for unis-assist as a software developer since 2016 and has now been the head of the IT department for two years. Agile software development, flexible software architecture, and technical innovations such as the use of AI are the focus of his work within the ESISTS project at uni-assist to renew the software system.

Lynsey Hopkins
Director of Admissions, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom

Lynsey has worked at UCAS since 2020, leading the Operations function prior to becoming Director of Admissions in 2025. In this role she works with heads and directors of admissions across the UK to ensure the successful running and development of the UK’s shared admissions service. Before joining UCAS she worked in higher education for twenty years at five different universities, including holding senior admissions positions at Birmingham, Warwick and Sheffield, and chairing national groups and forums and leading a sector-wider review into the structure of the admissions cycle. Lynsey is a graduate of the universities of Warwick and Oxford.

Ben Jordan
Director of Strategy, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom

Ben has been at UCAS for over a decade and has been described as a “leading figure in higher education admissions policy,” with his knowledge in this area considered “second to none.” During his time at UCAS, Ben has led the response to and engagement with every major political event that could impact student progression, including Brexit, admissions reform, qualification reform, Scottish independence, general elections, and, most recently, the COVID-19 pandemic—during which he was part of three separate ministerial taskforces.

Ben has also overseen the delivery of UCAS’ key policy outputs, including Unpacking Qualification Reform, the first major report on schools’ response to qualification reform; Where Next?, a leading piece on student decision-making; and Starting the Conversation, UCAS’ landmark report on student mental health. As Director of Strategy, Ben has led the development of UCAS’ latest corporate strategy, Next Chapter, which seeks to ensure that all who could benefit from higher education do so.

Outside of work, Ben is a trustee for a qualification awarding body and can often be found searching for his ball on the golf course.

Haroon Khalid
Co-Founder and Executive Director, Qissa, Canada

Haroon Khalid is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Qissa, a non-profit organization that documents, archives, and exhibits oral histories of immigrants to Canada. Haroon has an academic background in anthropology and is the author of five books and hundreds of articles that explore minority rights, folk traditions, politicization of history and heritage, nationalism and identity. His work has appeared in CBC, Al Jazeera, Forbes and Huffpost among other media outlets and has been translated into six languages. Haroon is a recent immigrant to Canada and brings his personal experiences to his work with other newcomers through Qissa.

 

Heather Lane
Executive Director, Ontario Universities’ Application Centre (OUAC), Canada

Heather Lane has been the Executive Director of the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre since 2018. Prior to that Heather worked in senior administrative positions at the University of Toronto, University of Guelph and Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University) where she served as the Vice Provost, Students for almost 10 years. Heather holds a doctorate in Higher Education Administration from Bowling Green State University in Ohio.

 

Shannon Lipskie
Interim President & CEO, Ontario College Application Service (OCAS), Canada

Shannon Lipskie is Interim President and CEO and has worked at OCAS since June 2021. Shannon previously held the positions of Vice President, Partner Relations, and Director, Stakeholder Engagement, at OCAS. Prior to joining the organization, for 24 years Shannon held various roles in student services, program development, and administration with Ontario’s public colleges.

Shannon holds a Master of Education in Leadership from the University of Prince Edward Island and an Advanced Diploma in Child and Youth Care from Fanshawe College. At OCAS, Shannon has played an instrumental role in strengthening the company’s relationships with its partners and fostering new connections across the higher education system.

Karen McCredie
Executive Director, EducationPlannerBC (EPBC), Canada

Karen became the Executive Director of EducationPlannerBC in 2019, after years of contributing to its governance committees. She spearheads the organization’s strategic direction that manages B.C. post-secondary applications, data exchange and supports sector-wide student recruitment and career awareness campaigns. Karen’s career is marked by a diverse wealth of experience, cultivated through her roles in B.C. post-secondary institutions and her active involvement in numerous councils, working groups, and committees for related agencies and the Provincial Ministry.

 

Stuart Mossman
Chief Executive Officer, South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC), Australia

Stuart Mossman is the Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC). With over 25 years of experience across higher education and professional services, Stuart has held a range of senior and executive roles and is known for driving strategy, innovation, transformation, and governance reform. He has held leadership positions at Flinders University and the University of Adelaide, began his career with PwC, and is a Chartered Accountant and Stanford Executive Program graduate. Stuart is an influential voice in tertiary admissions policy and practice, regularly contributing to national sector forums and advisory groups. His leadership is defined by collaboration, integrity, and impactful change.

 

Rella Ng
Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and Registrar, University of British Columbia

Rella Ng is the Associate Vice-President, Enrolment Services and Registrar at the University of British Columbia. She has worked in higher education for over 20 years, with experience in both colleges and large research universities. Her work has focused on admissions, enrolment strategy, and student services. It has included leading service integration and systems modernization projects to improve the student experience and support the broad college and university communities. Rella values collaboration, thoughtful leadership, inclusive practices, and a student-centred approach. She continues to learn from the evolving challenges in postsecondary education and is grateful to contribute to this important work.

Hans Pongratz
Chief Information Officer/Chief Technology Officer, Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung, Germany

Hans Pongratz is CIO/CTO of the Foundation for University Admissions in Germany (Stiftung für Hochschulzulassung) and Professor for Complex IT Systems and Digital Infrastructures at the Centre for Higher Education (zhb) of TU Dortmund University. Formerly Senior Vice President and CIO at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), he co-founded the German Association of CIOs of Higher Education Institutions (Hochschul-CIO e.V.) and the Digital Credentials Consortium. He has contributed to international initiatives including W3C Verifiable Credentials and the European Higher Education Interoperability Framework. He has led national projects on digital student mobility and credentials and serves on several expert boards, including the Standing Commission on Digitalization of the German Rectors Conference (HRK). His work focuses on digital infrastructures, interoperability, and trustworthy credential ecosystems in higher education.

Jo Saxton
Chief Executive, Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), United Kingdom

Dr Jo Saxton CBE joined UCAS at the start of 2024, and was previously Chief Regulator of Ofqual from September 2021 until 2024. Jo brings a decade of experience in school leadership to the role. She has been an education advisor to successive governments and was formerly an academic. Jo was awarded a CBE for services to education in 2024.

Jo served as a Trustee of The Brilliant Club, the New Schools Network, and was a Board Director of the qualifications regulator for England from 2018 to 2020.

Jo is a published author, and holds qualifications from universities in England and the USA.

Jan Smith
Registrar, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Jan Smith is an accomplished leader with over 27 years of leadership in post-secondary education, specializing in governance, strategic planning, and organizational management. She is known for championing quality excellence and leading transformative initiatives that align organizational goals with evolving societal needs. Currently the Registrar at British Columbia Institute of Technology she is also the current President of the B.C. Registrar’s Association. As a change manager, strategic collaborator, and student centric leader, she actions Strategic Enrolment Management best practices through process improvement to achieve impactful outcomes.

Stephanie Stewart
Disaster Recovery Coordinator, Information Security Services, Simon Fraser University, Canada

Stephanie Stewart has over 10 years of experience in the higher education with a focus of IT communications and cyber resiliency.  She is currently the Disaster Recovery Coordinator at Simon Fraser University (SFU), is the Vice-President of the Board of Directors of the Administrative and Professional Staff Association (APSA), and past chair of SFU’s United Way of British Columbia’s campaign. In her time at SFU, she has led the planning and delivery of cyber security focused training including tabletop exercises and university-wide cyber security awareness campaigns.

Teresa Tjia
Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC), Australia

Teresa Tjia is a change agent and leader in education and the non-profit sector, transforming organisations, services and student/customer experience for lasting value and impact. Currently Teresa is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC). Teresa contributes more broadly as member of sector committees and government working groups, and for community, arts and philanthropic organisations in Melbourne and regional Victoria.

Kathryn Verkerk
Registrar & Executive Director of Enrollment, Emily Carr University of Art + Design, Canada

Dr. Kathryn Verkerk has over 20 years of experience in higher education at The University of British Columbia (UBC), Simon Fraser University (SFU), and Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU), where she is currently Registrar and Executive Director of Enrolment. Her background spans admissions, student recruitment, financial aid and awards, academic and faculty advising, research services, and co-op education. Career highlights include leading SFU’s undergraduate strategic enrolment management plan and supporting admission model reforms at UBC and SFU. Dr. Verkerk holds an EdD from Western University (2023), an MEd from UBC (2016), and a BA from SFU (2004).

Bacel Younan,
Registrar, Douglas College, Canada

Bacel is a seasoned higher education leader and has been the Registrar at Douglas College for the past two years. He previously served as Associate Director of Strategic Enrolment Management (SEM) Implementation at BCIT, and as Associate Registrar at both BCIT and Capilano University. Bacel is an active member of the Canadian SEM community and has presented at national conferences and panels. He holds a Master of Arts in Leadership, with graduate studies in SEM, and undergraduate studies in Chemistry and Business.

Anam Zakaria 
Co-Founder and Strategic Director, Qissa, Canada

Anam Zakaria is an oral historian and author of three books and dozens of articles focusing on violence, memory, narrative-making and otherization. As the Co-Founder and Strategic Director of Qissa, Anam currently documents oral histories of immigrants to Canada with the aim of challenging the western gaze through which stories of immigrants are usually framed. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, CBC, Toronto Star and The Walrus, among other media outlets and has won her the 2017 KLF-German Peace Prize. Anam is a recent immigrant to Canada. Her work at Qissa is shaped by her lived experience.