Waqas I. Yousafzai
Waqas is currently a Trade Commissioner with Global Affairs Canada in Toronto and was previously a Policy Advisor in Halifax (2021), Calgary (2020), and Edmonton (2018) with federal departments responsible for economic development and diversification. He has supported senior decision makers in Syria (2011), Austria (2011), Qatar (2012), Ghana (2013), and Mongolia (2017) and was an Advisor with the Alberta government (2014-17) prior to joining Canada’s federal service. As part of Canada’s international assistance program, Waqas worked on gender inclusion and equity for Ghana’s K-12 curriculum in Accra and with the Mongolian wool and cashmere sector in Ulaanbaatar. Waqas’ passion for community development has seen him serve as: Chair of Finance on the Board of Governors of St. Stephen’s College at the University of Alberta, two terms as Director of one of Canada’s top 100 employers and Maclean’s 100 best charities – World University Service of Canada; and past Chair of Governance and Government Relations and current treasurer of the Canadian Art Therapy Association.
Waqas has completed all modules of the Institute of Corporate Director’s (ICD) Board Fundamentals Series and holds ICD’s NFP Governance certificate. He is a Certified International Trade Professional (CITP®), and also holds a Bachelors in Sustainable Economic Development, an MA in Public and International Affairs, and a postgraduate diploma in Project Management. He is an avid traveler and father to three very active boys. Waqas strongly believes in every individual’s right to feel safe and be themselves in their quest to reach their full potential. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or Twitter.