In an era where software licensing complexities are rapidly evolving, higher education members face growing challenges in managing costs, compliance, and optimization of software portfolios. This panel is designed to explore the transformative value of engaging external expertise to navigate these challenges.

Through real-world examples and insights, panelists will discuss how external perspectives help members navigate vendor negotiations, optimize licensing models, and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. Attendees will gain an understanding of the cost-saving opportunities, risk mitigation strategies, and operational efficiencies that a consultant can provide.

Key topics include leveraging external expertise to support budgeting in a constrained fiscal environment, aligning licensing strategies with organizational goals, and fostering partnerships that deliver long-term value. This discussion is designed for IT leaders, procurement professionals, and decision-makers looking to maximize the ROI on software investments while staying ahead in an increasingly complex licensing landscape.

Brian Stewart

Brian Stewart

CIO, Simon Fraser University

Brian is the CIO at Simon Fraser University, Canada. His role is to provide strategic leadership, vision, and direction for information services and technology and to lead organisational transformation through digitally led innovation. Brian’s background is in strategic, operational, and technology management in the printing and higher education sectors, and he has written and spoken widely on these topics. Brian has an M.A. in Economics from University College Cork and a MBA from Athabasca University. Brian has published a number of papers and presented at conferences on the topic of digital leadership. He has also co-edited Phantom ex Machina: Digital Disruption’s Role in Business Model Transformation which was published by Springer.

Summit Speaker

Omair Quraishi

Associate Vice President, Digital Transformation and Chief Information Officer, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Having worked at the University of Calgary, NOSM University, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, Provincial Government (Saskatchewan), Vancouver Island University, and most recently at BCIT, Omair Quraishi brings a wealth of experience having grown his career to the CIO level at many institutions.  People, Culture, Governance, and Transparency have been his main areas of focus over the years.  He takes pride in the fact that the contribution of the teams he leads help shape the future; by being part of the transformative journey of students in Higher Education.

Omair obtained his BSc. in Computer Science from the University of Calgary; later earned his MBA from the Queen’s School of Business in Kingston, ON.  He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and Change Management Professional. Omair has been passionate about information technology from as early as High School where he won several programming competitions and managed to short out the first computer he tried to build himself.  Luckily, warranties were way better back then!  In his free time, he builds indoor forts with his two little children and enjoys long drives with his wife.

Dennis Silva

Dennis Silva

Chief Procurement Officer, BCNET

Since 2016, Dennis has led the development of procurement strategies for BCNET’s higher education members, where he has doubled service adoption and participating spend. He directs a wide array of collaborative agreements across multiple categories, manages supplier relationships and leads all procurement activities for the organization. Dennis has years of leadership in procurement and extensive buyer experience prior to joining BCNET. He was the director of payment and procurement services at the University of British Columbia, as well he advanced through a number of leadership roles at Best Buy.

Technology Track