Neelam is a seasoned senior executive in the social impact sector with 20+ years of leadership experience of which 13 years have been honed in a C-suite capacity. Her award-winning work in creating social and economic impact through developing public-private partnerships and innovative business models to maximize collective impact has been widely recognized and for which she garnered the BC Business Non-Profit Leader of the Year (2022) award.
With prior experience in provincial government and the private sector, Neelam joined DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society as the Chief Executive Officer in 2013 and has enjoyed a fulfilling and rewarding career leading the organization through significant growth to become one of the largest employers in the South Fraser. As a racialized female leader, she uses her voice and champions the advancement of women of all diverse backgrounds using her intersectionality lens to ensure equitable pathways to leadership roles. Neelam has been appointed to the Fellowship of the Chartered Professional Accountants of British Columbia (FCPA, FCGA) in recognition of her outstanding work of connecting financial strategies to create social impact. Neelam has also earned the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors from the Rotman School of Business and is an alumna of Simon Fraser University.
Community leadership is a critical component of Neelam’s leadership story. Neelam is a Board Governor of Simon Fraser University where she has served as Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. She is the Co-Chair of the Surrey Local Immigration Partnership, the Treasurer for the Immigrant Employment Council of BC Benefits Corporation, a Director for the Association of Canadian Studies, an Advisory Board Member of Roger’s Sports and Media’s OMNI TV and an Advisory Board Member for Solid State Industries. Neelam also serves as an advisor to the City of Vancouver on diversity and racial equity issues. Neelam has garnered numerous awards for her leadership on both sides of the boardroom table – as a Chief Executive Officer and as Board Chair. She is also a sought-after speaker on a number of issues including gender equality and advancement, leadership through a BIPOC lens, financial empowerment and economic justice. She has co-chaired national summits, delivered keynotes, plenary and plenary sessions at national, international and regional events.
As a first generation Canadian settler, she has grown up with the challenges inherent with newcomer families and continues to use her voice and platform to advocate and improve the vitality of our communities through a deep commitment to truth and reconciliation.