R-LABS_I&T_Salima Rawji
Industry Partners

Salima Rawji

President and CEO, York University Development Corporation

Background

Salima Rawji is an accomplished city builder with a passion for purpose-driven solutions. As the former Senior Vice President of Development for CreateTO (the City of Toronto’s Real Estate Agency), she led the development team, managing a pipeline of over 200 sites, in addition to key portfolios such as the City of Toronto’s Housing Now Initiative, which leverages city-owned lands to build affordable housing for mixed-use and mixed income communities.
 
Salima’s commitment to city building extends beyond her professional role. Throughout her career, she has served on several non-profit boards committed to inclusive and resilient cities. Currently, she is a member of the ULI Toronto Advisory Board and the R-LABS Industry Issue + Transformation Council. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the YMCA GTA, as well as the Toronto Foundation, where she chairs the Social Impact Investment Committee.  
 
Salima holds an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and is valedictorian of her undergraduate class at the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia.

Certifications & Credentials:

  • Master of Business Administration in Real Estate from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto
  • Bachelor of Commerce from the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia

Giles Gherson

President & Chief Executive Officer of the Toronto Region Board of Trade (TRBOT)

Sean Keenan

Director General, Economic Analysis and Results at Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

Tony Irwin

President & CEO Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario