How do you figure out the right skills to help you succeed in a world of rapid change and constant disruption? George Brown College's newest Chancellor and notable construction industry leader, Geoff Smith, plans to leverage his over forty years' experience to support students and the College to navigate the evolving landscape of artificial intelligence, automation, and skills development, to name a few.
Chancellor Geoff Smith
These challenges aren't new to Smith. The Executive Chair of the Board of Directors for EllisDon, a Canadian-founded global construction services and technology company, has a strong track record and reputation in shaping Toronto's infrastructure and skyline, giving back to the communities they build in, and building great relationships with countless partners and within their organization.
Geoff Smith will be installed as Chancellor at the first ceremony of George Brown College's Convocation Week, June 9 - 13, 2025, at Toronto's Meridian Hall. Smith will share the stage with George Brown President Dr. Gervan Fearon, faculty, and employees as part of the platform party.
Smith will be George Brown College's third chancellor, following Noella Milne (2019-2025) and Chancellor Emeritus Sally Horsfall Eaton (2012-2018).
A City Builder for a City College
Smith and EllisDon have a longstanding relationship with George Brown College, both of which have provided real-world work experience for students and have employed our graduates. Smith is also a donor and George Brown honorary credential recipient (Honours Bachelor of Technology - Construction Management, 2023). EllisDon's relationship stretches back to the construction of our first Waterfront Campus building, the Daphne Cockwell Centre for Health Sciences, which opened in 2012, and solidified the College as an anchor in the East Bayfront community.
Now, Smith is ready to bring the insights he's gathered from industry to take that longstanding relationship to the next level.
The construction industry is ripe for technological disruption, Smith said. He worked to leave a lasting mark on EllisDon to support its employees for decades to come. In his 25 years as former President and CEO, he reinforced the importance of digital transformation, accelerated diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, prioritized sustainability, and formed the building blocks to bring EllisDon to becoming a fully employee-owned organization. In doing so, he provided the stepping stones for EllisDon's current leadership to continue the momentum of this work and thrive in the construction industry.
"EllisDon has a unique culture, and we think George Brown College's is very close to ours," he said. "There's a common set of values and a real friendship there." Smith also noted George Brown's reputation in the construction industry when it comes to mining new talent.
"I believe the industry largely sees George Brown as the place to get the best students," he said. "George Brown delivers a broader-based graduate to the industry than most because the College does not only focus on the technical, it focuses on a broader set of educational values."
Helping Students Control Their Destinies
For students and graduates, figuring out how to fit into a world of disruption is challenging and scary as AI continues to augment, reshape, and replace jobs. As Chancellor, Smith wants to share with students what he's learned over his career when it comes to essential skills and controlling your destiny amid change.
For long-term success and adaptability, Smith says students should focus on developing their interpersonal skills, creativity, empathy, and honing a positive attitude.
"This is what I would be figuring out if I were graduating today: What skills can I learn that may be replaced by AI?" he said.
"Be willing to learn, relearn, weave, and be agile. A key motto our leaders communicate to employees at EllisDon is: fast, fluid, and flexible. If I were younger, I would apply that to myself as much as I would apply it to any company. There will be huge opportunities for future grads, but we don't know exactly what they are right now. This uncertainty can be scary, to say the least, but I strongly encourage students and graduates to consider what skills they need to be successful in light of technological shifts in our world."
Smith continues to advise students and graduates to adopt a proactive mindset when it comes to relearning, reskilling, and retraining, which will be integral in the face of unrelenting and rapid change.
Success in the Global Workforce
Smith highlighted his concern about funding for the post-secondary education sector and policies that have affected international enrolment, which have led to financial challenges. He says George Brown should not relent in our "global approach to curriculum and view of the world."
"To the faculty I would say: be as cutting edge as you can, force yourself to be about the transformational changes that are coming to the entire economy, and prepare the great breadth of students that are graduating for that," he said.
"Change as best you can, even though nobody knows exactly what that change will look like. Be honest with them."
When positioning the college, students, and graduates globally, Smith said it's time to boost Canadian pride.
"There's so much opportunity now. We're great traders, good hard workers, and very honest," he said. "If we give our students the confidence to get out there and be proudly Canadian, you'll do fine. And I believe you'll do fine forever, no matter how the world changes."
