A social entrepreneur passionate about workforce development, Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly is Assistant Vice-President of Continuing Studies at York University.
A visionary and bold leader, Tracey reimagined how universities could serve the needs of employers and adult learners and created a revolutionary new model.
The School of Continuing Studies was launched in 2015 and has served to rapidly upskill and reskill recent graduates, adult workers, and international students to fill fast changing and increasing gaps in our workforce and drive economic recovery from the pandemic. The School is a diverse community of ambitious, growth-minded individuals pursuing professional upskilling or academic language preparation programs. By its fifth year, the School had become one of the largest and most award-winning in North America, serving students from across Canada, the USA, and globally.
Tracey is a thought leader and frequent speaker on topics related to the future of work, talent development, and the future of higher education in Canada and around the world.
Recognized for her leadership in these areas, the success of the School, and her response during the pandemic, in 2021 Tracey was honoured with the WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada award and with a Stevie award as the global Female Executive of the Year in the large government and non-profit category.
As a Chartered Director (C.Dir), Tracey is also a Board Director. She is a Board member and committee chair for Achēv, one of Canada’s leaders in developing human capital. She’s served on and led the Board of the Canadian Association for University Continuing Education (CAUCE).
Prior to York University, Tracey held leadership and teaching positions at McMaster University, and worked in the public and consulting sectors. With a passion for learning and performance, Tracey is lifelong and life-wide learner, and is an avid reader, consumer of podcasts and other informal learning, combined with lifelong formal learning.
You can connect with Tracey Taylor-O’Reilly on LinkedIn or Twitter.
2021 Stevie Award – Female Executive of the Year (Large Government & Non-Profit category)
2021 YWCA Hamilton Women of Distinction – Courage of COVID Nominee (Pandemic Innovator category)
2021 WXN Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada award
Richard Piticco CPA, CA, CFA has more than twenty years of experience in strategic financial leadership, operations and leading large-scale organizational changes. At York, he is responsible for strategic management & planning, financial management, human resources, technology, business & learning support services, physical resources planning, and health & safety.
For the last ten years, Richard was the Vice President of Student Services for CPA Ontario where he oversaw the operations, strategic and financial planning, business development, regulatory requirements, and policy development, relating to a 20,000-student portfolio. He implemented a new post graduate program and a comprehensive set of online prerequisite courses, as well as leading aspects of unifying three professional accounting bodies into one. He also led large-scale digital transformation projects and co-developed and implemented a multimillion-dollar funding model for Ontario universities that led to the creation of four specialized research centres.
Richard was also worked at CIBC World Markets where he was a Director in Equity Research, and quickly was ranked by Brendan Woods International as a “Rising Star”. Previously, he was a Treasury Manager with Pepsi Canada and become a CA with KPMG in 1999. Richard continues to volunteer on Boards of Not-for-Profit organizations, ranging from Treasurer to President of the Board.
Christine Brooks-Cappadocia’s nearly thirty-year career has seen her applying an innovation and entrepreneurial lens to causes which benefit society. Prior to becoming the Executive Director of Programs & Partnerships, she served as the School’s Director of Continuing Professional Education and Director, Marketing & Enrolment Management. With the launch of several new programs which help graduates and mid-career professionals thrive in emerging fields, the School’s Continuing Professional Education division is considered among the most innovative in the country and has enjoyed unprecedented enrolment and program growth during her tenure.
Before joining the School of Continuing Studies in 2014, Christine spent six years building and managing the marketing department of McMaster’s Centre for Continuing Education. Christine’s career highlights include supporting the launch of the York University School of Continuing Studies, several programs which are the first of their kind in Canada, launching a foundation to support at-risk youth, the development of the communications department for St. Joseph’s Healthcare Foundation Hamilton and the management of a high-profile event featuring former US President Bill Clinton and former Ontario Premier Bob Rae.
She has been privileged to serve in several governance roles in non-profit organizations including President and Founding Board Member of the International Association of Business Communicators’ (IABC) Golden Horseshoe chapter, Vice-President of Community Arts Ontario, and Founding Board Member of the Coalition of Ontario Voluntary Organizations.
Christine has earned several awards for marketing from the Association of Healthcare Philanthropists, the International Business Communicators, and the Learning Resources Network (LERN). Christine holds a B.FA from York University and a Master of Management, Innovation and Entrepreneurship from Queens.
