[Skip to Content]
Ontario Arts Council (OAC)
Grants Advanced Search
Grants Advanced Search

Sandra Cruickshanks

Interim CEO

 

January 10, 2022

Photo of Sandra CruickshanksSandra is an experienced leader in developing and delivering communications, corporate affairs, governance and human resources strategies. Her professional and volunteer work spans several industries and sectors including charities, foundations, social impact organizations, telecommunications, ‎healthcare, and government agencies. 

She and her husband Tom McCauley operate their own firm, IL Consulting. IL Consulting offers corporate services that help charities, family foundations and social impact organizations better manage change and prepare for future success including governance and policy, internal and external communications, strategy planning and implementation, fundraising and philanthropic projects, stakeholder and volunteer engagement initiatives, and reputation and issues management strategies.

As VP,  Engagement at the Ontario Trillium Foundation, a granting agency focused on supporting community-building across the province, Sandra led the combined Human Resources, Volunteer Relations, Communications and Public Affairs teams and supported communications with the Foundation’s government funder. She has first-hand experience implementing programs that reflect the critical role that communications, employee, volunteer and stakeholder engagement play in building strong, dynamic and resilient organizational cultures.

In her various private and public sector roles she has worked with provincial, national and global teams to ensure communications were aligned and supported corporate strategy. Sandra’s experience as a communications consultant included developing strategies and delivering programs and projects for corporate clients including pharmaceutical companies, healthcare and patient-oriented organizations, associations and provincial government ministries.

In addition, Sandra is an actively engaged community volunteer. She is currently a Governor of McMaster University (Chair of the University Advancement Committee; member of the Executive and Governance Committee; Vice-Chair of the Remunerations Committee). She has served on the Board of West Neighbourhood House (formerly St. Christopher House) as Secretary of the Governance Committee and Chair (now a member) of the Fund Development Committee. She is a past president of the McMaster Alumni Association, a past chair of the Casey House Hospice and Foundation, and a a past director of the McMaster University Foundation. She is a member of the McMaster Alumni Gallery (inducted May 2012) and has received the McMaster Students Union Alumni Association Lifetime Achievement Award (2014). Sandra is a volunteer consultant with Management Advisory Services (MAS) in Toronto. 

Sandra has completed the NFP Corporate Governance Essentials course offered by the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) and the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto (February 2017) as well as the ICD Board Oversight of Culture short course (2019).