Cyndi McLeod

Cyndi holds a MBA in International Business and has worked in the BC Post Secondary Education system at many levels for the past 24 years. Prior to joining TRU, Cyndi had eight years experience at the Dean level and has taken a leadership role in over 30 different program areas, as well as contract training in international markets. Cyndi has 12 years of experience in international education, including work for UNESCO, and is now responsible for one of the largest international programs in Canada. Cyndi has extensive experience in establishing joint ventures worldwide and successfully negotiated 4 training contracts for the Beijing Olympics.

TRU World, the international education, training, and development arm of the University, is a multi-dimensional, multi-cultural business unit that provides a wide variety of services to an extensive international client base. In existence for twenty-five years, the department has moved from a cost-recovery operation to generating significant net revenues for the University. Under Cyndi’s leadership over the past ten years, TRU has grown from $3.5 million in international activity to over $17 million for the 2008-09 year. The department’s operating budget – including all marketing and business development investments – are entirely funded by international revenues. International revenues have also supported the construction and ongoing operation of TRU’s International Building, a state-of-the-art learning facility that opened its doors in the heart of the TRU campus in 2005.

Over the past ten years, TRU has grown from 400 international students from 16 countries per semester to over 1200 international students from 70 countries, as well as an additional 600 international trainees that come to TRU each year for short-term training. TRU is also a leader in knowledge export, delivering TRU curricula overseas through joint and accredited programs with institutional partners. 1,400 off-shore students are currently studying TRU programs in China, Malaysia, Thailand, Dubai, Singapore and India. In addition, TRU World has contributed to the internationalization of the campus and projected the institution’s image and reputation around the world. The unit is recognized across Canada as being a post-secondary leader in international education, training, and development.