Keith J. Connell — Full Profile

Strategic leadership.
Academic rigour.
Thirty years of practice.

Strategic communications and organizational leadership professional with more than 30 years of experience advising leadership teams, guiding strategic initiatives, and strengthening organizational visibility across corporate, academic, entrepreneurial, and public-facing environments.

30+
Years of Leadership Experience
PhD
ABD — University of Windsor
MBA
Leadership & Innovation
8+
Years of Mentorship Experience
Professor & Program Co-ordinator Georgian College
Founder — The College Prof Canada
Contract Lecturer — Lakehead University
Core Competencies
01
Strategic Planning & Coordination
Leadership

Evidence-informed organizational planning, KPI development, reporting, and performance measurement across complex institutional and corporate environments.

02
Brand Stewardship & Reputation
Communications

Brand governance, reputation management, strategic communications, and public-facing engagement across multi-channel organizational environments.

03
Stakeholder & Partnership Development
Engagement

Community engagement, strategic partnership cultivation, cross-functional leadership, and stakeholder collaboration at the institutional and executive level.

04
Data-Informed Decision Making
Analytics

Analytics strategy, dashboard development, audience segmentation, CRM-informed communication workflows, and engagement reporting across digital ecosystems.

05
Team Mentorship & Coaching
People Leadership

Collaborative leadership, team mentorship, individual coaching, and the development of organizational capacity through people-centred leadership practice.

06
Digital Ecosystems & Accessibility
Technology

Digital communication ecosystems, accessibility strategy, SEO, AEO, GEO and SXO, marketing automation, and CMS platform development for institutional and corporate contexts.

Professional Journey
2018 — Present
Professor and Program Co-ordinator
Georgian College — Barrie, Ontario

Providing leadership across interdisciplinary programs related to marketing, entrepreneurship, digital communications, business strategy, and audience engagement while advising academic and operational leadership on communication effectiveness, learner engagement, accessibility, and program visibility initiatives within a large post-secondary environment. Leading and co-ordinating strategic communication and engagement initiatives supporting institutional priorities related to accessibility, digital transformation, student retention, multicultural engagement, and future workforce readiness. Current doctoral research examining international student persistence and engagement behaviour informs evidence-based approaches to institutional trust, culturally responsive communication, and community engagement strategies.

Program Growth
50%+ year-over-year program application growth contributed
Scope
Multi-disciplinary departments supported through cross-functional engagement
Research
Ongoing doctoral research on international student persistence
2025 — Present
Founder and Strategic Engagement Lead
The College Prof Canada — thecollegeprof.ca

Founded and leading a scalable digital engagement and communication ecosystem supporting audience engagement, accessibility, learner support, and strategic communication initiatives across post-secondary environments. Directing organizational strategy, digital communications, branding, engagement planning, analytics, and platform development while guiding integrated initiatives focused on communication effectiveness, accessibility, audience retention, and long-term organizational sustainability.

Engagement
Strategic communication initiatives supporting effectiveness and retention
Branding
Integrated multi-channel communication strategies and organizational visibility
Analytics
Analytics-informed engagement workflows, dashboards, and reporting
November 2014 — May 2022
Principal
Turtleback Canada Inc.

Led strategic marketing, communications, and audience engagement initiatives supporting organizations across Ontario within the electrical, lighting, and electronic security sectors while advising leadership teams on organizational communication, audience development, stakeholder engagement, and strategic growth initiatives.

Web Engagement
53% average client website engagement increase across campaigns
Revenue Growth
8% average revenue growth through integrated communications
Audience
12% sustained audience engagement growth average
Additional Professional Roles

Marketing leadership across industries and markets

Prior to independent practice, Keith held progressive marketing management roles across multi-location corporate environments and international markets, building the strategic and operational foundations that inform both his consulting work and his classroom instruction today.

Across every role, the through line has been the same: building the communications and engagement infrastructure that allows organizations to grow with purpose, operate with clarity, and connect meaningfully with the audiences that matter most to their mission.

NEDCO — Marketing Manager
May 2011 to October 2014 — Directed branding, communications, and promotional initiatives across 39 locations. Contributed to more than $8 million in direct sales growth and increased customer loyalty and engagement by 12%.
Visioneering — Marketing Manager
September 2007 to April 2011 — Directed international marketing and global brand positioning across six international markets. Managed $500K+ in annual communication budgets and achieved $40K in operational savings through strategic redesign.
Lakehead University — Contract Lecturer
2022 to Present — Delivering university-level instruction in Business Communications and Marketing in a synchronous online environment across domestic and international student populations.
York University — Instructor
2021 to 2022 — Delivered Integrated Marketing and Digital Marketing Communications within the post-graduate certificate program, supporting domestic and international learner success.
Academic Credentials
Doctoral
Doctor of Philosophy — ABD
Educational Leadership and Policy
University of Windsor
2022 — 2026 (anticipated)
Graduate
Master of Business Administration
Leadership and Innovation
University of Fredericton
2018 — 2021
Undergraduate
Bachelor of Arts
English
York University
1991 — 1994
Diploma
Computer Programming
Software Development
Georgian College
2016 — 2018
Diploma
Advertising and Marketing Communications
Marketing Strategy
Georgian College
2017 — 2018
Certificate
Teaching and Training Adults
Adult Education and Instructional Design
Georgian College
2018 — 2019
Research, Publications & Presentations
2026
Book Chapter — In Press
Canada’s International Student Surge and Decline
Connell, K., & Connell, S.
Chapter manuscript in preparation, 2026.
2024
Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentation
Understanding why students quit and why they don’t: A look at Tinto’s Student Integration Model and Bean’s Student Attrition Model
Connell, K.
Graduate Education Research Conference, University of Windsor.
2023
Refereed Journal Article
The intersection of SEM and equity: A systematized literature review
Connell, K., & Smith, C.
Strategic Enrollment Management Quarterly, Special Edition, 3–23.
2023
Conference Presentation
The impact of the international student experience on persistence in higher education
Connell, K.
Research Innovation Scholarship and Entrepreneurship Symposium (RISE).
2023
Peer-Reviewed Conference Presentation
The impact of international students transitioning from home to host academic culture on persistence and withdrawal decision-making
Connell, K.
Graduate Education Research Conference, University of Windsor.