SAIT.ca - Board of Governors - Board of Governors Biographies

		Irene Lewis, President and CEO SAIT Polytechnic

Irene Lewis became president and CEO of SAIT Polytechnic in 1998.  Irene then set out to transform SAIT into Canada’s premier polytechnic, while changing society’s perceptions of the value of trades and technology education along the way.  Today, SAIT is globally-recognized as a leader in energy and petroleum training and an international trailblazer in applied research and innovation.

In 2007, Irene introduced a 100-year capital expansion plan that aimed to triple SAIT’s student body.  She has lead a campus transformation including the development of the new world-class $400-million Trades and Technology Complex, currently under construction.

Irene was instrumental in bringing the international WorldSkills competition to Calgary in 2009.  Symbolizing the pinnacle of excellence in skills training, this event ignited a passion for trades and technology careers in a new generation of young Albertans.

Prior to joining SAIT, Irene was president of a college in Edmonton and led its transition to an independent board-governed institution.  She also worked in Singapore for more than five years, where she had a central role in shaping that country's vision for workforce development.  Irene has written textbooks, hosted an educational television series and taught in primary, secondary and post-secondary systems.

In 2010, Irene received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of Calgary — its highest honour.  She has received the Chair Academy’s 2009 International Exemplary Leader Award, the 2008 Distinguished Leadership Award from the Council of Advancement and Support of Education, the Premier’s Gold Award of Excellence and a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal.  She was named 2009 Woman of the Year by Consumers’ Choice, a Woman of Vision by Global Calgary, one of Alberta’s Most Respected Corporate Leaders in 2007 and one of Alberta’s Most Influential Citizens in 2005.  Irene is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta and a member of the Alberta Health Services Board.