Executive Summit

Dr. Greg Fowler

Gregory W. Fowler, PhD, is president of University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC), Maryland’s largest provider of post-secondary education, the country’s most transfer-friendly university, and the premier learning partner of the U.S. military, both stateside and abroad.

A nationally recognized leader in developing innovative learning models and experiences for adult and nontraditional populations, Dr. Fowler is leading a transformation at UMGC that aligns the entire learning journey with the needs and expectations of nontraditional populations and the global workforce.

A two-time Fulbright Senior Scholar and a graduate of Morehouse College, Dr. Fowler holds master’s degrees from George Mason University and Western Governors University and a PhD from the State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo.

Joel Vargas

Joel Vargas is vice president of the Education practice at JFF, overseeing programs focused on improving learning systems and outcomes. He was previously vice president of programs and launched our West Coast office in 2015.

His skills and areas of expertise include:

• Designing and implementing research, systems changes, and state policy agendas for integrating high school, college, and career
• Creating policy frameworks, tools, and model legislation
• Providing technical assistance to state task forces and policy working groups

Before joining JFF, Vargas directed, initiated, and studied programs designed to help students from populations underrepresented in postsecondary education enter and complete college.

Educational background:

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, Boston University
• Master’s degree and EdD in education planning, administration, and social policy, Harvard Graduate School of Education

Dr. Neil Fassina

Dr. Neil Fassina became Okanagan College’s President in April 2021, drawn to the institution for its reputation for transforming lives and communities.

Fassina holds a PhD in Management from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto, a BSc in Psychology from the University of Calgary and is a chartered professional in human resources (CPHR), and a chartered director through the Institute of Chartered Directors (ICD.D). As an active researcher, he has authored or co-authored a number of refereed articles, a Canadian Human Resource Management text, and pursues research interests in negotiations, applied decision making, and the role of education in shaping societies.

Prior to joining OC, Fassina was the President of Athabasca University (2016-21). He served previously as Provost and Vice President Academic at the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) and the Dean of the JR Shaw School of Business and School of Hospitality and Culinary Arts. He has taught as part of his academic career at the University of Toronto, the University of Calgary, the University of Manitoba, and in executive environments.

Phoutsady Gunnell

Phoutsady has nearly 20 years of experience in L&D in the financial services, mining, and auto manufacturing industries. She currently leads Learning & Development for Magna International, globally. Magna is a mobility technology company with over 180,000 employees operating in 29 countries around the world.

In her role Phoutsady is accountable for the development and execution of the global learning strategy which includes the Magna global Leadership Development Framework, cross-group business and operational training, apprenticeship program, and learning technology. Phoutsady is passionate about leadership development and culture, and her main priority in any organization is to deliver learning experiences to all employees that are meaningful, practical, and free of obstacles.

Shingai Manjengwa

Shingai Manjengwa is the Head of AI Education and leads Solutions Engineering at ChainML. ChainML is a startup based in Toronto and San Francisco specializing in conversational analytics. This AI technology allows clients to interact with databases through a chat interface, receiving accurate, insightful responses in natural language. Shingai oversees all aspects of AI adoption with clients, from conceptualization to scalable, cost-effective deployment. ChainML has also developed an open-source platform for the rapid and responsible development of a variety of AI agents and generative AI tools: > pip install council-ai.

A seasoned data scientist, Shingai previously directed Technical Education at the Vector Institute for Artificial Intelligence, where she transformed complex AI research into practical educational programs. These initiatives promoted AI adoption and spurred innovation across industries and government. She is also the founder of Fireside Analytics Inc., a company dedicated to educating diverse audiences about AI literacy, data science, and issues of bias and fairness in AI. Her online courses on platforms like IBM’s CognitiveClass.ai and Coursera have engaged over 500,000 learners. Additionally, Shingai authored ‘The Computer and the Cancelled Music Lessons,’ a book that introduces data science concepts to children aged 5 to 12.

An acclaimed leader in the AI field, Shingai has been recognized with numerous awards and is a Public Policy Forum Fellow. Connect with Shingai on LinkedIn and Twitter/X at @Tjido.

Sotos Poulimenos

Sotos is a leader in workforce transformation and talent development. Currently leading Sun Life’s Global Talent Development function, Sotos is passionate about the intersection of business, human behavior, and the bottom-line.

Throughout his career, Sotos has held various roles. Most prominently, he has served at Sun Life as the Director of Learning and Practice Management in Canada, at Deloitte Consulting (US and Canada) as a leader of the Lifelong Learning practice, and at the National Bank of Greece as a Commercial Banking officer.

Sotos holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from The American College of Greece, a Master of Arts in Organizational Psychology from Columbia University, and a Master of Science in Project Management from Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. He is a certified practitioner in Collective Organizational Intelligence and Workplace Conflict Resolution and has been awarded for his academic achievements by the International Propeller Club and the Gerondelis Foundation.

Tom Andriola

Tom Andriola is UC Irvine’s Vice Chancellor for Information Technology and Data (ODIT) and Chief Digital Officer. His role is designed to ensure the strategic use of data and technology, drive interdisciplinary partnerships, and champion digital strategies that expand UC Irvine’s role as a leading research university, healthcare provider & community partner.

His office has developed and implemented a variety of thriving initiatives:

• The Collaboratories @ UCI leverage data ecosystem’s for meaningful insights to guide continuous organizational improvement, innovation and collaboration.
• The Experiential Learning Program (ELP) and The HUB, programs offer employees and students the opportunity to interact with emerging technologies that foster ideation and innovation using Web3 technologies and artificial intelligence.
• His podcast, Digital Squared, invites guests to discuss the trends that are shaping our interactions with technology in a digital world.

Andriola is a global business & technology leader with a broad array of experience in the public and private sector. Throughout his career, he has been an agent for change and disruptive innovation in the marketplace. During his tenure as Vice President & Chief Information Officer (CIO) for the University of California System, he created a platform to support the collaboration of 8,500 IT professionals across the University, launched a nationally-recognized IT Leadership Academy, and was integral in developing UC Health’s big data strategy, which led to the creation of the UC-wide clinical data warehouse representing 16 million patients.

Previous to his University experience, Andriola held technology and business executive roles with organizations such as Philips, Marconi PLC, Sapient and PriceWaterhouseCoopers. Eventually entering the healthcare industry and leading teams to develop solutions across the globe, including enabling the first national mammography program in Europe, introducing a virtual care solution for intensive care patients in India, and collaborating with Peking University and the China Association for Cardiologists to build its first clinical data repository of cardiology patients in China.

He remains active in the higher education and healthcare industries as an advocate for progress and equity utilizing technology and data, serving on the boards of OCHIN and Unizin. Andriola is also an advisor to various software startups, medical device, and life sciences companies, and maintains advisory relationships with UC Irvine’s Institute for Precision Health, UC Health’s Center for Data Driven Insights & Innovation, and with UC Davis’ Innovation Institute for Food and Health.

Andriola holds a bachelor’s degree from George Washington University, a master’s degree from the University of South Florida, and has completed the Stanford Executive MBA program.