Saher Fazilat is the Vice-President of Operations and Finance at McMaster University, where she oversees the stewardship of approximately $6.5 billion in financial assets, over $4 billion in physical assets and an annual operating budget of roughly $1.7 billion. Reporting to the President and Vice-Chancellor, her portfolio spans finance, technology, real estate, facilities and infrastructure, procurement, audit, ancillary operations, human resources, and enterprise risk management.
Saher is responsible for long-term financial planning, capital allocation, debt and liquidity management, and the governance of major, multi-year infrastructure and real estate initiatives, including public-private partnerships. Under her leadership, the university has advanced strategic investments and alternative revenue-generation initiatives designed to strengthen financial resilience and reduce reliance on traditional funding sources. She also supports the effective utilization of the university’s physical and human resources, including more than 10 million square feet of building space, 400 acres of land, and a workforce of over 11,000 staff and faculty.
A civil engineer by training, Saher brings a systems-based, analytical approach to decision-making, with a focus on risk-adjusted returns, strong governance, and long-term stewardship. She has guided the institution through periods of financial constraint by emphasizing early action, transparency, and alignment between strategy and capital.
Saher trained as an engineer in India, earning a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Aligarh University and a Master’s degree in Building Engineering and Management from the School of Planning and Architecture in New Delhi. She holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University and has completed executive training in finance, leadership, and change management at Harvard University.
Beyond McMaster, Saher is Chair of the Board of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce and serves on the boards of TRIUMF (Canada’s particle accelerator centre) and the Canadian Association of University Business Officers. She also serves on the board of McMaster Innovation Park.
Saher is the recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for her work in sustainability, has been recognized as one of the Top 75 Immigrants in Canada by RBC Canadian Immigrant, and has received the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Sustainable Communities Award.