VIU welcomes new Chief Information Officer

Vancouver Island University (VIU) is pleased to announce Omair Quraishi has been appointed Chief Information Officer. Quraishi will report to the Chief Financial Officer and VP Administration and will provide the vision and leadership for developing and implementing strategic information technology initiatives. He will be responsible for directing the planning and implementation of enterprise-wide IT systems in support of institutional operations in order to improve cost effectiveness, service quality, and institutional development. Quraishi will lead the IT Department in supporting the commitments of the Strategic Plan, People, Place, Potential, which will help ensure secure and quality technology solutions for students and employees.

“I believe VIU will greatly benefit from Omair’s experience and leadership both in handling the evermore challenging cyber security environment, and in building and supporting innovative solutions to improve our operational effectiveness,” reports Marlene Kowalski, Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President, Administration.

Omair Quraishi brings valuable technical leadership experience to this role, most recently serving as Associate Vice-President of Information Technology Services at Saskatchewan Polytechnic from 2019. In this capacity he reorganized the IT team, the establishment of an IT Governance Model and led the organization through a significant cybersecurity attack.

He shares, "I am humbled and honored by the warm and welcome reception at VIU.  It is my hope to serve the institution with integrity and honor while respecting the culture and values that make VIU a great place to work and learn. My family and I are grateful to have become a part of the VIU family and the larger community on Vancouver Island."

Quraishi has built his career in the higher education and public sector environments, making his knowledge base uniquely positioned to take on the CIO role. Before his time at Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Quraishi held the role of Executive Director of the Portfolio Management Office and Office of the Chief Information Officer at the Government of Saskatchewan Ministry of Central Services (2017) and Chief Information Officer at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (2012).

Quraishi holds an MBA from Queen’s University (2008) and a BSc (Computer Science) from the University of Calgary. He has additional specialized training to develop the necessary competencies required to operate in the digital domain.

When he's is not fending off cyber-pirates and bullies, he spends time with his wife and two school-age children doing arts, crafts, and woodworking. Quraishi is also an avid science fiction and fantasy fan and enjoys the likes of Dungeons and Dragons, Star Trek and Star Wars.

Omair Quraishi assumed his new role on October 11, 2022.