Liisa Pelot

Background

About Liisa Pelot

I’m Liisa—a higher education leader who translates bold vision into disciplined execution. My career spans strategy, planning, operations, governance, and education design, with a focus on helping institutions align resources, people, and priorities to deliver measurable impact. Over the past two decades, I’ve led initiatives across teaching, research, policy, Indigenous initiatives, curriculum development and executive planning. I bring critical thinking, systems design, and persuasive communication to unite diverse stakeholders behind common goals. My leadership combines strategic foresight with operational discipline - ensuring that institutional priorities are not only well-framed, but fully executed. At Algonquin College, I played a central role in shaping the institution’s multi-year Strategic Plan and designing the implementation architecture that connected strategy to operations — creating institutional diagnostics, performance frameworks, and accountability structures that advanced execution capacity; prepared executive, and Board-level communications; and advised senior leadership on strategic framing and decision-making. Throughout my career, my portfolio has included: Financial & operational leadership — guiding resource allocation, budget alignment and performance measurement. Governance & executive support — developing frameworks and Board/leadership materials to support evidence-based decision-making. Change management & organizational development — leading initiatives that strengthened institutional coherence, efficiency, and execution capacity. Curriculum & program innovation — designing inclusive learning systems rooted in equity and Indigenous partnership. Entrepreneurial leadership — founding BrainGoodies, an education design firm that develops innovative learning products and frameworks that merge neuroscience, pedagogy, and strategy. Colleagues know me as a strategist with both presence and pragmatism — someone who can hold vision and detail in the same frame, move fluidly between data and narrative, and build trust across diverse stakeholders. My leadership style combines clarity, equity, and disciplined follow-through, ensuring that institutional priorities don’t just live on paper, but take root in practice. If you’re advancing strategy, growth, or transformation in higher education, let's connect.