The Alberta Real Estate Foundation Retained Leaders International to Find New Leader

January 17, 2025 – Leaders International, an executive search firm with eight offices across Canada, has been selected by the Alberta Real Estate Foundation to lead its search for a new executive director. Patti Morris has announced that she is retiring in June. Leading the assignment for the Toronto-based search firm are partner Anurag Shourie and search associate Deepthi Koshy. Reporting to the board of governors, the executive director is accountable for the overall management of the foundation and provides strategic leadership and direction to the staff. This executive coordinates foundation activities with outside entities and provides highly responsible and complex administrative support to the board of governors. The executive director represents the AREF (Alberta Real Estate Foundation) brand and strives to ensure that the organization’s strategic mission and vision are implemented and successfully executed.

The ideal candidate will have an appropriate undergraduate degree in business, management, and/or leadership, with graduate credentials being preferred. They will have a strong track record of success working with not-for-profit boards, effectively leading projects and/or programs with a provincial scope. Effective financial management experience is required, coupled with an understanding of granting, fund development, and community investment management. The incumbent will ideally have a background and deep understanding of the real estate sector in Alberta.

Leadership International layouts out just a few of the skills and attributes they are looking for in candidates:

  • Strategic Leadership – Ability to look at the “big picture” while still attending to details; proven success in strategic thinking and planning; ability to translate Operational Priorities into action and lead change; ability to coach direct reports; a credible leader; leads by example.
  • Visionary – Ability to formulate and articulate a detailed vision for the organization and communicate vision and expectations.
  • Politically Astute – Know and understand legislative and regulatory processes and have an intuitive ability to read the political implications of recommendations and actions. Guide the board with solid and informed recommendations.
  • Problem Solving & Judgment – Ability to assess options and implications to identify problems and solutions. Ability to make decisions and provide direction on complex and emerging issues with political, community, or administrative implications.

Related: Predicting Talent Acquisition Trends for 2025

Created in 1991 under the Real Estate Act, the Alberta Real Estate Foundation is a non-profit grantmaking organization that supports and strengthens Alberta’s real estate industry and benefits Albertans. Through strategic investments, they fund projects across a diverse range of initiatives designed to bolster the work of the industry, government, and our land and built environments. The foundation invests in projects with revenue generated from real estate transactions both sales and rentals across the province.

Serving Canada

Leaders International Executive Search was formed in 2018, bringing together Davies Park Executive Search (established in 1989), Higgins Executive Search (established in 1999) and Leaders International (established in 2008). Its leadership team is represented across the firm’s offices in Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Calgary, Edmonton, and Vancouver. The firm’s services include executive recruitment, board of directors, and leadership succession.


Executive Search in 2024: Challenges, Trends, and Hopes for a Hiring Resurgence in 2025

For many search firms in almost all industry segments, 2024 has been a tough year. There are many reasons for the recent downturn, and some firms have experienced a dip in revenues for even longer, according to Tim Tolan, founder, chairman, and managing partner of The Tolan Group. “Lots of changes are on the horizon for 2025 on the hiring front, and search firms are waiting with bated breath while hiring decisions are on hold, and draft fee agreements are (still) sitting in DocuSign waiting to be signed,” he said. “Decisions are dragging, as are active search engagements, as hiring managers and leaders struggle to make hiring decisions in the environment, we are all trying to navigate.”

In the Hunt Scanlon 2024 Executive Recruiting State of the Industry Report, the numbers reflected a double-digit downturn in demand for executive recruiting, with the private equity sector being the most affected. “We’ve seen and experienced that firsthand, but we feel positive changes are on the horizon,” Mr. Tolan said.


Mr. Shourie is an integral part of the Leaders International leadership team. A strategic thinker, he has been keenly involved in the firm’s growth since 1997 and has recruited entire executive teams for multiple client organizations. He has also worked closely with numerous boards of directors from government, industry, and the not-for-profit sector to identify and recruit key board members. In 1994, Mr. Shourie entered the field of human resources and management consulting. His experience includes executive recruiting, career counselling and coaching. He is highly knowledgeable in contract development and alternate compensation strategies and has consulted in change management.

A former entrepreneur, Ms. Koshy has a focus on building solidified internal and external stakeholder relationships. She is also a small business support and solutions professional and a strong community advocate. Ms. Koshy has led and established various global Bollywood driven business initiatives in Canada.

Related: 2025 Talent Trend: New Leaders Focusing on Team Alignment and Impact

Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief and Dale M. Zupsansky, Executive Editor  – Hunt Scanlon Media

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