Sandy Beyko, MSc, MBA

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandy-beyko-msc-mba/

PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY

With over 18 years of experience in creating a strong workplace environment, developing high-performance teams, and forming strategic partnerships, I am a seasoned professional known for empowering diverse groups of stakeholders to collaborate on Canadian policy, regulations, trade, and international business priorities. My unique blend of skills and experience in psychology, neuroscience, business management, policy development, regulatory affairs coupled with specialized trade expertise in international business expansion, planning export strategies, foreign direct investment promotion, free trade agreements negotiations, and resolving market access issues, making me an asset to any organization.

KEY AREAS of EXPERTISE

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS

An 18-year track record of expertly managing strategic relationship, fostering authentic partnerships and achieving winning outcomes for Canadian businesses.
Proven ability to effectively lead and mentor diverse teams, including cross-functional, geographically dispersed resources, and mentor complex projects such as multi-phase regulatory, trade, international business and investment initiatives.
Established reputation as a highly effective collaborator and influencer, adept at engaging with all levels of government, diverse groups of stakeholders across various disciplines and industry sectors, and Canadian embassies.
Developed innovative business strategies and solutions to tackle complex challenges by defining scope and requirements, producing project plans, forecasting global trends, managing execution and risk, and delivering long-term and timely results.
Deliver win-win solutions by combining targeted data, analytics, and evidence with strategic, intuitive, and inclusive thinking.
Connected Canadian businesses to international opportunities and successfully attracted investment in key sectors such as Agri-Food, Life Sciences, Aerospace, and Defense.
Created guidance, investment intelligence and tools for Senior Investment Advisors in 45 countries to more effectively promote Canada as the destination of choice to foreign investors.
Expertise in strategic account management, including the negotiation of Canada’s free trade agreements and market access, international business and investment attraction.
Delivered compelling in-person and virtual presentations and training to various audiences in Canada and Globally.
Skillful at coaching productivity and mindfulness neuroscience-based practices. Proven bias-free workplace culture by creating professional women groups for developing leadership skills.

——————————————————————————————————————–

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

GLOBAL AFFAIRS CANADA April 2008 – present

Strategic Policy Branch

Head of Business Intelligence Unit, ADM’s office Sept. 2020 – Present

Leads the Branch’s business intelligence unit to deliver on corporate, business, and HR planning and performance priorities set by the department and central agencies, providing insightful and actionable reports to the Senior Management team.
Develop the annual HR Strategic Plan in collaboration with Senior Management, track and report on progress, ensuring the plan integrates diversity and inclusion principles, expected results, and priority actions to build strong and productive teams.
Directs a skilled business analysis team that drive strategic direction and informed decision making by delivering decision support tools, responsive frameworks, and dashboards.
Creates and delivers hybrid onboarding sessions for new recruits biannually to ensure a smooth transition to the organization.
Created and led on the Branch 2021 Data Plan, enhancing employee data usage and data analysis for informed decision making, tracking and reporting progress.
Expertly managed return to work pandemic and business continuity planning, using Power BI and Excel for data visualization to track and report on workforce productivity and capacity.
Received Leadership award in Wellness (2021).

TRADE COMMISSIONER SERVCE Sept. 2014 – Aug. 2020

Account Executive/Senior Investment Officer, Investor Services, Ottawa 2018- 2020

Built collaborative partnerships with Canada’s global foreign direct investment (FDI) networks and all levels of government to promote foreign investment in Canada, and to produce customized solutions for foreign investors’ needs.
Created FDI action plans, targeted business plans, investment cases, and value propositions highlighting the strengths and opportunities in Canada’s mining, oil and gas industries.
Innovatively designed, executed, and facilitated a 3-day training course (2020) for attendees from 40+ countries on best practices for FDI success, business intelligence methods for generating leads, and expanding global collaboration with key relationships for the network.
Skillfully designed and planned ‘Invest in Canada’ events for foreign investors, providing valuable insights on investing in Canada.

Prairies Regional Lead/Trade Commissioner for Aerospace, Defence & Security, and Life Sciences, Winnipeg, Manitoba 2016 –2018

Built a strong network of over 100 clients, contributed to 30% of the Prairie’s office success rate and achieving outstanding Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) in both quality and quantity.
Cultivated a network of collaborative partnerships with government (all levels) and key stakeholder relationships with clients to provide optimal business and trade advice.
Expertly assessed client needs, determined risk solutions, and provided market intelligence to enhance export plans, market entry strategies, client and partnership connections, value propositions, differentiators, and sourcing relevant funding programs.
Skilled public speaker on the benefits of expanding into new markets and trade agreements.
Trusted advisor to ministerial and senior-level executive outreach programs, accompanying them to enhance their understanding of the market and the services provided.

Life Sciences Business Advisor/Trade Commissioner, Trade Sectors 2014 –2016

Built a strong network of collaborative partnerships with OGDs, trade commissioners, associations, academia, investors and financial institutions to identify business opportunities and showcase and expand Canadian products and services into international markets.
Secured a major achievement by successfully attracting a Brazilian BioPharma R&D center to Mississauga, providing assistance with access to funding and facilitating essential connections such as government, academics, clinical sites.
Advised over 100 Canadian life sciences companies on their export plans, market entry strategies, value propositions, client connections, and cultural and regulatory considerations.
Developed and implemented B2B programs, including a pitch session for Canadian biotech companies for foreign MNE strategic alliance opportunities at BIO 2016 San Francisco
Created and delivered on international pharma/biotech project with our Embassies, developed and implemented pharma/biotech Strategic Guidance document for the Trade Commissioner Service, and designed marketing strategies for Canada’s clinical trials services.
Produced marketing materials and conducted economic analysis on Canada’s strengths and capabilities in cancer and genetic therapeutics, clinical trials, immunology, and vaccines.

TRADE POLICY AND NEGOTIATIONS

Senior Trade Policy (Agri-Food and Biotechnology) Advisor April 2008 –August 2014

Led diverse teams of Government at all levels, Canadian Missions, foreign government officials, trade lawyers, and industry stakeholders.
Advised senior management on multi-tiered advocacy strategies for influencing market access and trade policy positions with the European Union and Asian countries. Supervised colleagues on trade policy and trade negotiation analysis, and WTO processes.
Canadian delegate for various international food standard setting organizations and bilateral committees (e.g., Canada-EU Trade, Investment and Veterinary Agreement Committees).
Canada’s trade representative for genetically modified foods and Canada’s beef hormones WTO court dispute against the EU, and negotiations for Canada’s high-quality beef quota.
Core negotiator team member, negotiated and advanced biotechnology and SPS provisions for the Canada-EU Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.

CANADIAN FOOD INSPECTION AGENCY

Senior Advisor, International Affairs Policy February 2007 – March 2008

Advanced Canada’s agriculture trade interests at bilateral foreign country engagements and international multilateral standard-setting committees (e.g., Codex Alimentarius), and advised on implementation of international agreements into Canada’s regulatory regime.

HEALTH CANADA

Veterinary Drugs Directorate (VDD), Strategic Planning May 2004 – Feb. 2007

Scientific Advisor, Regulatory Affairs and Stakeholder Relations

Established VDD’s regulatory affairs office and its operating processes. Accountable for product solutions and publishing regulatory amendments. Focused strategic partnerships around federal health policy and regulations with lobbying strategists, lawyers, drug and food manufacturers and all levels of government, resulting in VDD’s 10-year prioritization plan. Led industry consultations and interdepartmental groups producing analysis, proposals, recommendations and risk management plans to strengthen the Food and Drug Act and its regulations. Directed consultants and colleagues on project design for legislative renewal and progressive licensing initiatives on veterinary drug issues. Promoted into this role from the Clinical Evaluations Division, worked on drug manufacturers compliance guidance measures.

ADDITIONAL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE

Scientific reports, presentations, publications, grant proposals and referred papers (1999-2004).
Freelance course content creation for seminars for senior executives.
Teacher Assistant, University of Ottawa, Faculty of Medicine: Trained third year biochemistry students on laboratory productivity and methodologies practices, and statistical data analyses for ensuring valid results on biomedical research projects. Graded students’ performance.

Fluent in English with Intermediate French. Government Secret Clearance.

EDUCATION

Master’s Degree in Business Administration, Telfer School of Business Management, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada 2010

Masters of Science, Biochemistry, University of Ottawa, Neural Regeneration Laboratory, Ottawa, Canada 2001

Bachelor of Science Honours, Neuroscience, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada1999

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

International Trade Diploma, Forum for International Trade Training (FITT)

Mindset, Mindfulness and Strategic Intervention Coaching Certifications