Asifa Samji, MBA, B.Sc., B.Tech.  

EVP, Chief Human Resources Officer, Stantec

Asifa Samji is a recognizable leader both within our industry, and across the broader business community in British Columbia and beyond.

While many leaders in the industry follow a traditional path, Asifa’s journey has been notably different. In a 2024 interview, she reflected that “the business of HR found me” when she took on leadership of Stantec’s Human Resources practices in 2020.

Her career began in the environmental sciences. After completing a Bachelor of Science degree in 1992, Asifa returned to school in 1998 to earn a Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Engineering from British Columbia Institute of Technology.

She later joined Jacques Whitford as a Project Manager, where over the next decade she helped build an environmental services practice grounded in strong technical foundations, practical leadership, and a culture that enabled team members to thrive throughout their careers.

Following Stantec’s acquisition of Jacques Whitford in 2009, Asifa joined the company as a Managing Principal. Over the next 10 years, she continued expanding her team and responsibilities, advancing to Senior Vice President, Environmental Services by 2018. By that time, she had already been recognized as one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women, completed a term on the ACEC-BC Board of Directors, and been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board for the Business Council of British Columbia.

When selecting Asifa for this award, the jury reflected on her wide-reaching impact and longstanding commitment to developing excellent people. This commitment didn’t start when she took on her role as EVP and Chief Human Resources Officer in 2020. It was informed and fostered over her entire career, and a recognition of her approach to consulting engineering as a human-centred business.

Beyond her work, Asifa has uplifted and advanced the business of consulting engineering through her community leadership with the Business Council and BCIT, as well as through a lifetime of service in the Ismaili community.

From ACEC-BCs perspective, recognizing Asifa demonstrates how her approach moves the needle on our purpose to advance the business of consulting engineering in BC, and sends a clear message about what we believe it means to be a future-focused, progressive, and successful leader in our industry.

About the Award

Our industry boasts outstanding leaders who raise the profile of consulting engineering through their incredible technical, personal, and community leadership. For over 25 years, our Association has recognized the contribution of individuals who set an example of performance for all consulting engineers.

The Meritorious Achievement Award recognizes an individual for outstanding contributions to the consulting engineering profession, the industry, and the community.

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