For nearly 30 years John Shalagan worked in the area of higher education for provincial governments in Manitoba and Ontario. In Ontario, he played an active role in the development and promotion of Ontario’s international postsecondary education strategy. He represented Ontario on the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Consultative Committee on Education Related International Activity at the Council of Minister of Education, Canada and co-chaired the Federal-Provincial/Territorial Canada Brand Working Group from 2011-2014.

John worked as a senior communications officer writing speeches for Liberal, NDP and Conservative ministers and for ministry senior staff. As a senior policy advisor he worked on issues relating to board governance, access relating to first generation students, campus safety and other student service related issues. From 2003-2005, he secured a secondment from the ministry to take up the role as Executive Assistant to the President at Centennial College.

In 2015 he founded JTS International Higher Education Consultancy with a core mandate of advancing knowledge and opportunity through innovative partnerships and student mobility. JTS works with international educators and their institutions in Canada and abroad to create opportunities for students to further their education and gain international experience and with administrators and faculty to create potential collaborative research ventures. JTS also works with clients in furthering activities in the areas of government relations and strategic planning.