Matthew McKean is BHER's Chief R&D Officer. He leads BHER with Val and Jenn and oversees the organization's diverse and growing member-driven research and programming agendas. Areas of focus include work-integrated learning (WIL), upskilling/reskilling, international talent recruitment, training, and retention, accessibility and EDI, the transition to net zero, and navigating the AI revolution.

Prior to joining BHER, he was Director of Education & Skills and a member of the Senior Leadership Team at the Conference Board of Canada. He led a multi-year Skills and Post-Secondary Education (SPSE) research and convening initiative and the Council of University Executives (CUE), a pan-Canadian network of Provosts and Vice-Presidents. He was a founding member of the consortium team that was selected to set up and run the Future Skills Centre (FSC), a multi-year initiative funded by the Government of Canada’s Future Skills program.

Matthew has authored, co-authored, and directed hundreds of research deliverables, from infographics, briefings, and door-stop reports to podcasts, presentations, and op-eds. He writes, speaks publicly, and is a regular commentator and contributor to media, mostly on skills, talent, and education topics. His writing has appeared in The Globe & Mail, The Toronto Star, The National Post, The Ottawa Citizen, The Hill Times, The Conversation (Canada), This Magazine, Exclaim!, and elsewhere. 

Matthew holds a PhD in History from Queen's University, Kingston, and is an Adjunct Research Professor in the Department of History at Carleton University, where he taught for many years. He was a board member of the Ottawa International Writers Festival; a member of the National Advisory Committee for the Prime Minister's Awards for Excellence in Education; and the National Advisory Committee for People for Education.