Biography
Dr. Cindy Gouveia is George Brown College’s inaugural vice-president, global partnership and president, George Brown College International, a new initiative focused on strategic international partnerships and opportunities that allow GBC students to learn, grow and succeed in a globally diverse economy.
Cindy has oversight for the Global Education team which recruits and supports international students, and develops, designs and delivers responsive international education programming, both in Canada and around the world. She works closely with academic and administrative colleagues across the college to build capacity, identify opportunities and provide students with engaging and meaningful local and international experiences.
Since joining GBC in 2008, Cindy has held progressive leadership roles while demonstrating a deep commitment to student success, strategic collaboration and reputation enhancement. Most recently, she nurtured GBC’s network of 260,000 alumni as vice-president, advancement and alumni relations. She concurrently served as president of the George Brown College Foundation where her passion for equitable access to education resulted in over 11,000 awarded scholarships and over $60 million raised including two of the largest donations in GBC’s history. During her tenure, donor retention increased by over 500 percent and she established a representative, diverse and passionate board of directors. Cindy has also held roles as the college’s chief development officer and senior manager, industry liaison, partnerships and operations at the Centre for Hospitality and Culinary Arts.
Cindy began her career in the hospitality, health and wellness industries, where she held management positions with leading companies such as The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Group, Hilton Hotels and Toronto’s Elmwood Spa.
Cindy received a PhD in Higher and Adult Education from the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE) of the University of Toronto and an MBA in Hospitality and Tourism Management from the University of Guelph. She is a proud college graduate; she holds a Hospitality and Tourism Administration diploma from Centennial College.
