Executive Team

Heidi Yang, P.Eng., FEC, FGC (Hon.)

Chief Executive Officer

As Chief Executive Officer, Heidi is accountable to the Board and oversees the delivery of the organization’s mandate under the Professional Governance Act, the implementation of the organization’s Strategic Plan, and the delivery of the Board work plan. She directs the implementation of Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s programs and services across all areas and ensures that budget and sustainable financial management plans are adhered to.

Heidi is a collaborative leader with a strong vision for the future of engineering and geoscience regulation in BC. Throughout her 26-year career, Heidi has provided strategic leadership that has enabled her teams to implement effective systems to support innovative and sustainable operations. Most recently, she led engineering operations for the largest privately-owned window and door manufacturer in Canada. Heidi has held several senior executive roles with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta (APEGA), including one year as their interim CEO, where she led a rigorous business planning process that enhanced APEGA’s ability to deliver on its regulatory mandate. Prior to her time with APEGA, Heidi spent 20 years at Weyerhaeuser, providing leadership for the quality management, customer strategies, and operations processes at the Grande Prairie, Alberta plant.

Heidi is committed to lifelong learning, with recent certifications through the Executive Program at the Smith School of Business at Queen’s University and Lean Six Sigma. Heidi is also a dedicated volunteer who has held several academic and community board roles, including with the Glenora Rotary Club—the first rotary club in North America to be chartered by professional women.

Liza Aboud, MBA, ABC, ICD.D

Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Liza oversees Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s operational functions including communications, programs and professional development, corporate governance and strategy, government relations, information systems, and privacy, as well as corporate business maturity efforts, business resilience functions, and monitoring drivers of business performance.

Liza is an accomplished executive with over 30 years of experience in the technology, utilities, transportation, energy, real estate, and public sectors. She is an agile leader with strong expertise in business transformation, strategic communications, change management, and customer experience initiatives and is a seasoned board director in the regulatory sector. Before joining Engineers and Geoscientists BC, Liza served as Vice President, Investor Relations & Communications at irlabs, a women-led investor relations agency. She also previously held the position of Vice President, Customer Experience and Communications at the Land Title and Survey Authority of BC.

Liza currently serves on the boards of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority and the Motor Vehicle Sales Authority of BC. She previously served as a director with the BC Real Estate Association, Society of Notaries Public of BC, the Notary Foundation of BC, and Trigon Terminals. She was a co-founding director of the BC Lymphedema Association.

Liza holds the ICD.D designation from the Institute of Corporate Directors and has earned the Accredited Business Communicator (ABC) designation from the International Association of Business Communicators.

Jennifer Cho, CPA, CGA, FEC (HON.), FGC (HON.)

Chief Financial and Administration Officer

As Chief Financial and Administration Officer, Jen plays a lead role in Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s annual audit, budgeting, annual renewal process, risk management, human resources, and a breadth of foundational administrative responsibilities.

Jen is a charted professional accountant with many years of accounting experience drawn from numerous positions at notable companies such as Aquilini Development and Construction Inc., Intrawest, and the City of Vancouver.

During her many years with Engineers and Geoscientists BC, Jen has championed several initiatives including the development of an enterprise-wide risk management plan, the modernization of financial systems and processes, and the management of several capital projects like building renovations. Jen is passionate about realizing Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s 2022-2027 Strategic Plan in the coming years. She is also keen to ensure that the organization remains one of BC’s Top Employers.

David Pavan, R.PH.

Chief Regulatory Officer

In the role of Chief Regulatory Officer and Registrar, David oversees the organization’s regulatory functions under the Professional Governance Act for both individual and firm registrants, including admissions, registration, practice standards, enforcement, legislation, and investigation and discipline. He develops and leads key strategic initiatives to achieve the goals within Engineers and Geoscientists BC’s 2022 – 2027 Strategic Plan, and builds collaborative relationships with other regulators to advance and address issues that impact professionals and professional regulation both provincially and nationally. As the organization’s Registrar, David also carries out the duties of that role as prescribed in legislation and oversees the development, implementation and execution of related policies and procedures.

David is a registered pharmacist with a strong background in professional regulation. He has extensive management experience in the pharmacy industry and has provided strategic leadership and oversight of regulatory functions in highly regulated organizations throughout his 28-year career. Prior to joining Engineers and Geoscientists BC, David served as the Deputy Registrar for the BC College of Pharmacists, where he was responsible for the organization’s registration, licensure, practice review, quality assurance, complaints, and investigation functions. He also served on several internal and external committees, including the Chair of the BC Provincial Prescription Monitoring Program and Vice Chair of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Prescription Review Panel as part of the Quality Assurance Committee. As the Deputy Registrar, David collaborated with other regulatory colleges, both provincially and nationally, the BC Ministry of Health, Health Canada, and other provincial and national organizations to better meet the regulatory requirements of the College of Pharmacists of BC.