Earlier this month, Anne Sado, president of George Brown College (GBC), announced that she will be stepping down from her position after the current school year. Over the past 17 years, Sado oversaw George Brown’s enrollment numbers double, the creation of more international exchange opportunities, and prioritizing a multicultural environment. Sado says she prides her efforts in innovation by helping students to find their potential within their fields. 

Before entering the world of academia, Sado studied engineering at the University of Toronto and worked in the telecommunications industry. After working in leadership roles within the technology industry, she decided to pursue a career that will help enrich the lives of other people. Therefore, Sado decided to accept a position as the president of GBC after an intensive recruitment process. Although the role was challenging at first, she wanted to help others achieve their potential in terms of personal and career development in order to work towards a better world. 

“Academia gave me the opportunity to pursue something new,” Sado said. “It was work that mattered.” 

She had previously worked within the health and social service sectors, so she viewed academia as the perfect industry to combine her experiences.

“The connections all aligned with the volunteer work that I did,” said Sado. “I am very proud that I took on the role.” 

Sado continuously decided to value diversity and achieve her goals by creating a welcoming environment. Although being the first female president at an institution can be intimidating, Sado realized that her perspective can impact the college’s future in a different way. 

“I never thought much about [being a woman in academia],” said Sado. “I have always worked in male-dominated industries and academia isn’t much different.” 

The different point of view can be evident when Sado and her team started to prioritize multiculturalism within the college. While being inspired by the cultural diversity in Toronto, Sado and her team continuously worked towards achieving global recognition structurally and internally by educating students through ‘internationalization’ programs. She states that she wishes students to interact with individuals from different cultures and learn more about the world within a school environment.  

“Diversity is wonderful, and it is so important to be part of a diverse world,” said Sado. “Seeing the staff and students remind me about the richness in culture everyday.”

 Sado also decided to place her efforts on innovation and education. She analyzed the nature of the economy and tried to help professors revamp the curriculum for the ever-changing job market. Hence, many programs at GBC offered more internship and co-op placement opportunities for students, in order to prepare them for their future careers. 

However, Sado also supported students who wanted to start their own companies. Throughout her leadership, the college shifted gears to become more student-focused through collaboration, support, and entrepreneurship. 

“We recognized that we had the capability within the college to work with small to medium enterprises,” said Sado. “We want to help students, and continue to support them and see the future opportunities that arise.” 

Sado’s efforts in innovation, education, and cultural diversity were evident within and outside the GBC community. On May 2, 2013, Sado was awarded the Order of Canada for her contributions towards the education sector. 

“I was honoured and humbled to receive the award,” said Sado. “Someone nominated me, and I was blown away for the recognition.” 

Throughout Sado’s leadership at GBC, the college has altered its efforts on a student and global level. When making challenging decisions throughout her position, Sado tried to accept change and look towards the future. The growth of technology and sustainability allowed her to experiment outside of her comfort zone, whereas the increase of multiculturalism pushed her to foster unique relationships with students and faculty from around the world. The change that Sado created opened her eyes and other students’ eyes to a thriving school community. 

After Sado steps down from her position next June, she hopes that the college continues to remain resilient when faced with situations, such as the pandemic, while nurturing the students with a strong support system. 

Although the college announced that they will commence the process of finding her successor, Sado wishes the next president to continue embracing change not from the past, but from the future.