Introducing the Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy

The University of Toronto’s Infrastructure Institute (at the School of Cities) and Rotman School of Management have launched the Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy, an executive training program for leaders of major infrastructure projects in Canada.

Canada is entering an era of significant infrastructure investment. The multi-billion-dollar transportation, energy, water, military and information technology projects now being planned and delivered will shape communities and the country for years to come. Leading these projects requires more than technical expertise. It requires the ability to navigate complex organizations, changing financial and political environments, competing interests and the many challenges that arise over the course of major project delivery.

The Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy was created to help meet that need.

Developing the leaders behind major projects
The six-month program is designed for experienced public and private sector project leaders who are now aiming to take the next step in their career to lead the largest projects in their organization.

It combines world-class research with practical experience in major project delivery, bringing together leading University of Toronto professors and experienced practitioners from across the infrastructure sector.

The program is highly interactive and case study based, giving participants the opportunity to examine real-world infrastructure challenges, develop leadership and technical expertise, and learn from peers working across asset classes and sectors.

Participants will strengthen capabilities across the core dimensions of major project leadership, including:

• Adaptive leadership and systems thinking
• Commercial leadership, procurement and governance
• Innovation, digital transformation and artificial intelligence
• Negotiation, conflict resolution and crisis leadership
• Political acumen and public communication

Participants will also work on a real issue they are facing in their own professional context, with support from mentors throughout the program.

A national network of infrastructure leaders
Major infrastructure projects bring together leaders and organizations across sectors, disciplines and levels of government. The Academy creates an opportunity for senior leaders from across Canada’s infrastructure community to learn together and build relationships that extend beyond the program.

By joining the inaugural cohort, participants will become part of a national network of infrastructure leaders in the public and private sectors, alongside an executive education experience from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management and School of Cities.
The Academy also provides an opportunity for organizations to invest in the leadership capacity of the people responsible for delivering major infrastructure projects across Canada.

Applications for the inaugural cohort are now open.

For more information about the Canadian Infrastructure Leadership Academy, visit the program website.