Appointment of Jennifer Gordon as Director and Executive-in-Residence at Telfer Executive Programs

Stephane Brutus, Dean of the Telfer School of Management, is pleased to announce the appointment of Ms. Jennifer Gordon as Director of Telfer Executive Programs and Executive-in-Residence at the Telfer School of Management. 

Ms. Gordon comes to Telfer with over 25 years of experience in adult education, complex change projects, and professional services. Most recently, Jennifer served as Director of Professional Development & Executive Education at Carleton University.

Jennifer Gordon on stepping into her role as Director and Executive-in-Residence

"Taking on this leadership role at Telfer Executive Programs really inspires me. It gives me a chance to shape the strategic direction of our Executive Programs portfolio, to align what we offer with the rest of Telfer, and to set us up to make a difference in the careers of our participants, in our community, and beyond.

I’m grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the development of leaders and their continued growth. This role gives me a platform to drive innovation – for example, to include technology to enhance the learning experiences of our participants, such as through immersive simulation exercises. This role also gives me a sense of purpose and motivation – to design and deliver relevant and cutting-edge programs to foster lifelong learning; this is a true passion for me.

I’m excited – and humbled – to be given this opportunity where I can have an impact on leaders – where Telfer Executive Programs can have strategic influence and inspire executives and leaders, where we can encourage them to continue to engage in lifelong learning, and where we can enable them to network and build relationships.” 

Ms. Gordon served in various roles at the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA). At the CMPA, Jennifer and her team implemented physician learning programs for a community of over 100,000 physicians across Canada. These programs helped to enhance physician skills, keep practicing physicians informed of new and cutting-edge developments, and promoted  safe medical care in Canada.

Jennifer spent over a decade at the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada, where she was the Director of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) department serving over 40,000 specialist physicians. At the Royal College, she  and her team increased member engagement with continuing professional development activities and led wide consultations with various healthcare stakeholders to contribute to the development of new educational and ethical pan-Canadian standards for continuing professional development.  Her work at the Royal College also focused on building international relationships for the organization. Jennifer created strategic partnerships with international bodies to negotiate CPD credit equivalencies for encouraging learning abroad and expanding learning offerings for physicians. She and several colleagues founded the International Academy for CPD Accreditation, a body with participants from over 30 countries with a direct impact on the availability of global physician learning. Jennifer also led an international consulting project in Qatar to implement the country’s first CPD system for all healthcare professionals.

Jennifer Gordon on her goals for the coming months and years at Telfer Executive Programs

“In my first few months, my primary goal is to listen, learn, and connect. I plan to review existing programs, build relationships, and outline a strategic roadmap highlighting key initiatives and priorities for our future.

In the years to come, several key goals already come to mind, including the expansion of our programs and offerings in the executive education space. Firstly, my goal is to develop new programs and content, engage in new markets, and offer new delivery methods. Secondly, innovation is critical for us – I want to strive to innovate our curriculum to ensure that the content we offer remains relevant and addresses the needs of government and business leaders, organizations, and evolving sectors and markets. The goal of innovation is also connected to our need to offer evidence- and research-informed programming that is diverse and inclusive. Thirdly, I would like to see us expand our reach in terms of audience – to open opportunities to contribute to executive education locally, nationally, and internationally.

My overarching objective is for Telfer to be positioned as the leader in the [area] of executive education – so if someone were to be considering upskilling, reskilling, leadership development or seeking coaching for their executive teams or board – the first thing that comes to mind is: 'Connect with Telfer.'”

Jennifer will draw on her experience, credentials, and passion for adult learning and executive development to lead Telfer Executive Programs and direct the strategy and growth of this important division of the Telfer School of Management. In collaborating with the Telfer team and the Telfer Executive Programs Community of Practice, she will advance the mission to develop robust and innovative executive programming solutions for clients in the public, private, healthcare, and not-for-profit sectors.

Ms. Gordon holds a Master of Education , with a focus on Adult Learning from the University of Ottawa and an Honours Bachelor of Commerce  from Queen’s University. She is also a ProSci Certified Change Practitioner, a Certified Association Executive with the Canadian Society of Association Executives, and a Certified Professional in CPD Healthcare with the Coalition for Physician Learning and Practice Improvement.

Jennifer Gordon on her vision for the future of Telfer Executive Programs and the executive education space

“My vision for Telfer Executive Programs is one whereby we can demonstrate impact; where we can empower leaders through flexible, relevant, and learner-centered programming, no matter the sector.

I would like for Telfer to be known as forward-thinking in the executive education business. It’s important to me that we continue to offer a variety of learning solutions to address needs, such as certificate programs, workshops, events, and coaching in the areas of leading change, influence, communication, and strategic thinking, to name a few.

Providing participants and organizations with the tools, skills, and competencies to lead with confidence and translate their learning into the workplace is critical; I see Telfer as a valued and trusted partner to organizations and individuals as they navigate the evolving landscape of work.”

Telfer Executive Programs is part of the Telfer School of Management at the University of Ottawa and is focused on delivering over 30 high-impact, innovative leadership development programs and workshops for executives and senior leaders in its client and partner organizations.  Telfer clients and partners consist of organizations in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors in the National Capital Region, across the country and internationally.