BU appoints Christine Cnossen as new president

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Brandon University has a new president and vice-chancellor. Christine Cnossen is expected to begin her term in September.

Board of governors chair Kevan Sumner announced the appointment on Thursday.

“Brandon University is fortunate to be welcoming a leader of Dr. Cnossen’s calibre and vision,” Sumner said in a news release.

“Her track record of compassionate, strategic and community-centred leadership makes her exceptionally well suited to guide BU into the future. I know that students, faculty, staff, and community members alike will find in her a thoughtful and inspiring president.”

The incoming president is an accomplished academic and senior university executive with more than 25 years of experience in higher education leadership across Canada and the United Kingdom, Sumner said.

In a statement, Cnossen said she is “deeply honoured to be entrusted with the privilege and responsibility” to lead the university.

“Brandon University is an anchor institution for Westman, and an important part of Manitoba’s and Canada’s post-secondary ecosystem,” she said. “I will continue our work with all BU community and partner groups, including First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities, as we build on the shared foundations of our first 125 years.

“My family and I are very much looking forward to moving to Brandon and becoming a part of the Brandon — and Bobcat — community.”

Cnossen is originally from Canada and is a dual citizen of Canada and the Netherlands. She holds degrees from McMaster University, Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Hull, where she completed her PhD in sociology and social anthropology.

She served as provost and deputy vice-chancellor at the University of East Anglia in Norwich, UK. In that role, she was responsible for all academic operations, strategic planning and resource allocation, overseeing more than 400 staff and a budget of £22 million. She also served there as acting vice-chancellor during a key transition period.

Previously, she held several senior leadership roles at Canadian institutions, including provost and vice-president academic and research at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, B.C. (where she also served as interim president) and vice-president academic at OCAD University in Toronto.

Sumner said the appointment follows a thorough and inclusive search process led by the presidential search committee and search consultant KBRS.

Campus feedback following Cnossen’s visit and presentation in April was very positive, reinforcing the search committee’s impressions and guiding them in their final deliberations, Sumner said.

Both the community and the search committee were impressed by Cnossen’s knowledge and understanding of the university, her “pragmatic and action-oriented approach to challenges,” her sincerity, and her commitment to transparency and community, he added.

The appointment begins several months earlier than the originally anticipated start time in January 2026.

Current president David Docherty agreed to step away from the position slightly earlier than planned and will be taking his administrative leave starting in September.

The board lauded Docherty for his dedicated service to BU and wished him well in his ongoing recovery.

“Dr. Cnossen’s accelerated appointment reflects both her strong readiness to lead and her eagerness to engage with the BU community as soon as possible,” Sumner said.

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