CALGARY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2023 – The Board of Directors of Pro Bono Law Alberta (PBLA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Hyder Hassan, ICD.D, as Executive Director, effective September 11, 2023. Hyder’s appointment follows a comprehensive Executive Director recruitment process conducted by the Pro Bono Law Alberta board over several months.

Hyder holds the Institute of Corporate Directors Director (ICD.D) designation and brings over a decade of leadership experience from various sectors, including for-profit, government, and non-profit organizations. He was a Financial Services Executive with Leading Banks & Credit unions. Previously, he held the position of Chief Executive Officer at Immigrant Services Calgary, which, under his leadership, received the United Way of Calgary Agency of The Year Award. Hyder played an instrumental role in Immigrant Services Calgary’s transformation, growing annual revenue, while developing and launching the Gateway initiative (https://gatewayconnects.ca/) to unleash the economic, social, and civic potential of newcomers to Alberta.

Hyder serves the community via various Boards, including as an Expert Adviser at Innovate Calgary and as the Founder & Board Chair of Soul Strategic Ventures (UPcomer Capital Ventures, SEI Consulting, Fire-X3). He is also a Co-founder of www.fullsoul.ca and Fiber Optics startup. In addition, he is part of the AMA Regional Board and serves on the AMA advocacy and Investment committees, and is a member of the Rotary Club of Calgary Fish Creek, where he serves as the District Chair for Community Assessments & Partnerships.

Furthermore, he was a member of the Innovation Committee for Alberta Health Services, served as the Charter President of the Rotaract Club, and, together with his wife Christina, received recognition with Calgary’s Top 40 Under 40 Award. Hyder has also been appointed to the Premier’s Council for Charities and Civil Society and the Anti-Racism Advisory Council. In September 2022, Hyder was awarded the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal for his significant contributions. He holds two financial designations and an MSc. Innovation & Entrepreneurship HEC Paris and Public Leadership Credential from Kennedy School of Government at Harvard.

The PBLA Board is confident that Hyder’s experience, leadership skills, and visionary strategy, position him seamlessly to lead our organization in this new chapter.