Dr. Mark Selman is the director of the Executive MBA cohort for Aboriginal Business and Leadership. He is also responsible for directing other customized versions of the EMBA, including a long-running program with Teck Resources. Mark began his professional life as an entrepreneur involved in both construction and manufacturing. In his mid thirties, he returned to university to complete his undergraduate degree and doctorate, both at UBC.

He was hired at SFU to provide leadership to credit programs at the then new downtown campus. This led to the development of an innovative degree completion program, in partnership with CPRail and BC Hydro. Mark also began to work with Cominco, Alcan and other companies on graduate business programs, offered in sites close to resource operations around the province. As a result of the growth of customized graduate programs, Mark joined the Faculty of Business Administration full-time in 2000, where he founded the Learning Strategies Group. Because Mark was working with Alcan, he was asked by Milton Wong, then Chancellor of SFU, to assist the Haisla First Nation to develop a community learning plan that would complement their economic development initiatives. This led to a multi-year relationship involving planning, implementation and leadership development as well as to several other major projects with First Nations including courses on the use of real estate development as an economic development strategy, planning and coordination of education and economic development strategies with Turning Point, and a leadership role with Ahp-cii-uk ("going the right way" in Nuu-chah-nulth), a leadership initiative with three Nuu-chah-nulth communities.

Dr. Michelle Corfield is an independent consultant specializing in process design, facilitation, research, and personal, community, and organizational development. Until recently, she held the position of Vice-President for the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council. Over the years she has served as a board member for various organizations and societies. Currently she is a board member of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia. She is one of the founding partners and designers of the BC Multi-Sectoral Leadership Initiative (weavingrelationships.org).

Michelle holds a Doctorate in Organizational Leadership Management, Masters of Conflict Analysis and Management, and B.A. in First Nations Studies. She is also a successful independent businessperson, operating a Seafood Harvesting company for the past thirteen years, adding to her 17 years of entrepreneurial experience.

Michelle has proven herself to be an innovative facilitator, mediator, and process designer. She has spent many years working towards developing ways to move First Nations people and communities forward using a balanced, holistic approach.

Michelle is from the Ucluelet First Nation, and she has 2 children.

Lerato Chondoma, Associate

Lerato Chondoma is a recent MBA graduate from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University and has interests in community development and Aboriginal business. Prior to moving to Vancouver, Lerato practiced as an attorney in South Africa, specializing in Labour Law and Employment Equity and has several years experience in stakeholder management and legal consulting. She has worked with several multi-national corporations across a wide range of industries including professional services, mining, telecoms, construction, financial services and government.

Lerato currently works as the Community Liaison for Ahp-cii-uk Community Society. Ahp-cii-uk (Nuu-chah-nulth for “going the right way”) is a multi-sectoral leadership initiative involving partners from First Nations communities, government agencies, philanthropies, corporations, businesses and academic institutions. Simon Fraser University, represented by Dr. Mark Selman, is one of the founding partners of the Ahp-cii-uk Initiative. The initiative is a consensus-based, community-driven approach that works with community members to raise the level of capacity, economic opportunity and hope in these communities, with a view to improve the quality of life in partner First Nation communities. 

Lerato has a B.Com and an LLB from Rhodes University in Grahamstown, South Africa and an MBA from the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University. She enjoys working with Aboriginal Youth around British Columbia, encouraging their interests in slam poetry, spoken word and the writing and recording of rap music.

Valerie Zuccolo, Coordinator

Valerie is a believer that the most important learning is what we learn from each other and what we learn through problem solving. Valerie has been managing the complexities of adult education for over 8 years in the Beedie School of Business where daily she has had the opportunity to learn from her peers and is always faced with the challenge of solving new and complex problems. She enjoys the challenges of tailoring learning to fit the needs of the learner as each learner has unique and individual needs. Her interests include program design and evaluation, in particular, creating new programs from the ground up from the smallest to highest level of detail.

Valerie graduated from SFU with a Bachelor of Arts in 2001. She later completed the Graduate Diploma in Business Administration in 2009 and is nearing completion of an MEd in Educational Design and Learning Technology from SFU.

Advisory Board

(Satsan) Herb George

Satsan is a Wet’suwet’en Hereditary Chief of the Frog Clan. He has been a long-time Speaker for the Wet’suwet’en Nation and previously served as Speaker for both the Gitxsan and the Wet’suwet’en Nations. He was also Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Public Administration at the University of Victoria, and taught for several years in the University’s Administration of Aboriginal Governments Program. 

Satsan has considerable experience with Aboriginal rights and title as well as Aboriginal self-government and education. He was a key figure and strategist in the Delgamuukw-Gisday Wa case, which was the subject of a successful judgment before the Supreme Court of Canada in December 1997. Satsan has offered advice and assistance to First Nations across British Columbia and Canada on the affirmation and recognition of Aboriginal rights, title and Treaty rights. He most recently served two – three year terms as the elected BC Regional Chief for the Assembly of First Nations. As a member of the AFN National Executive, he had the responsibility for Delgamuukw and headed up the Delgamuukw/Gisday’wa National Process, an extensive community-based process of research, public education and organizing.  He also held the Executive Portfolio for Fiscal Relations.

Wendy Grant-John

Wendy Grant-John is a Senior Aboriginal Advisor at Deloitte. She is a sitting member of Chief and Council for the Musqueam Indian Band, which is a part of the Coast Salish Nation. She has spent most of her adult life working for her community as well as representing First Nations across this country in many different forums.

Mrs. Grant-John served three terms as Chief of the Musqueam and was the first woman elected Regional Chief to the Assembly of First Nations. As Musqueam Chief, she helped to negotiate one of the first Aboriginal commercial fisheries in Canada, and was a part of her community’s two landmark Supreme Court cases that have helped to define Aboriginal rights. She has previously worked at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada as Associate Regional Director General of British Columbia and has served as a lay bencher of the Law Society of British Columbia and as a Board Member with Canada Lands Company Limited. She has also served as a Commissioner on the Pacific Salmon Commission. She was a founding member and director of the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and a founder of the Musqueam Weavers. Most recently Mrs. Grant-John was the official Representative for the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada on the issue of Matrimonial Real Property on Reserve.

Over the years Mrs. Grant-John has been involved in various projects and sat on many

Boards and committees both provincially and federally including the Aboriginal Economic Development Board.

Mrs. Grant-John has an honorary doctorate of Law from Royal Roads University and has won many distinctions and awards, including the YWCA Woman of Distinction Award for Social Action. At the 2006 National Aboriginal Achievement Awards, she was recognized for her career in advancing Aboriginal culture, social and political advancement in Canada and for diversifying the economic base of the Musqueam.

Mark Podlasly

Mark Podlasly is the founder of Brookmere Management Group, a consulting practice focused on corporate strategy, strategic partnerships, and global markets related to energy and mining sectors.  Based on his over 20 years of experience and innovative ideas, Mark is a frequently invited speaker on sustainable partnerships, strategic community engagement, and socio-economic best practices.

A graduate of Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Mark is also a Senior Associate at the Harvard Asia Energy and Sustainability Initiative, an integral component of the Asia business and government programs at the university. Mark’s contribution to the Harvard Initiative focuses on the intersection of energy, environment and sustainable development business and public policy.

Prior to Brookmere and the Initiative, Mark ran a successful executive education and consulting practice in Asia, USA and Europe for 10 years. During this period he designed and delivered corporate strategy, leadership, globalization programs for a client list that includes GE, Unilever, General Mills, Clorox, Goldman Sachs, and Praxair.  As well, he served as the strategic advisor and Vice President in charge of developing two $120 million international education campuses for Gale International LLC in New Songdo City, a $24 billion international business city located 60km from Seoul, Korea.

Mark is a member of the Nlaka’pamux First Nation and lives in Vancouver, Canada with his wife and two young children.