Congratulations Minister Diab: And Why CPIEA’s Exit Strategy Is Now More Urgent Than Ever

Today, I’d like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to The Honourable Lena Metlege Diab on her appointment as Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship.

As someone who has spent over two decades contributing to Canada through education and business, I believe that her legal expertise, cultural understanding, and long-standing passion for education will allow her to bring the right balance, supporting both Canada’s values and its economy through thoughtful immigration leadership.

Minister Diab’s relationship with the education sector isn’t new. Back in 2015, she kindly attended the formerly named Premier Agency Business Awards, CPIEA, and later read an official statement in the Nova Scotia Legislature recognizing the importance of international education and the role of high-quality language schools and agencies in Canada’s growth.

Her gesture wasn’t just supportive, it lit a fire in me.

That moment helped inspire to grow CPIEA beyond an award platform, into a full accreditation system that recognizes award-winning agencies as top-quality contributors to international education. Today, we are proud to have built a community of over 100 agencies from more than 50 countries. And at the October 2025 CPIEA Summit, we are taking the next step by introducing the Exit Strategy, designed to help those agencies plan for long-term sustainability and succession.

This Isn’t Just About Exit, It’s About Immigration Leadership

As Canada continues to evolve its immigration priorities, this appointment couldn’t come at a more pivotal time. Public conversation is growing more complex, and international education is under heavier scrutiny.

There’s increasing confusion between long-term and short-term students, ethical and unethical institutions, and fair opportunity versus exploitation.

But we believe in Canada, and we believe in building policies that protect its reputation while upholding fairness and opportunity. That’s where leadership in immigration truly matters.

We hope Minister Diab will continue to be strategic, not only protecting system integrity, but recognizing the difference between problems and potential.

Language students, for example, come short-term, often from high-net-worth families. They live with Canadian hosts. They contribute quietly but significantly to the economy and to cultural exchange. They are not a housing crisis, they are a cultural bridge.

We don’t need to shut the door. We need to open it wisely.

Exit Strategy: Not About Leaving. About Leading.

In international education, we celebrate partnerships, accreditation, awards, and growth. But the true mark of leadership is planning for what comes next.

CPIEA’s Exit Strategy is not about closure. It’s about continuity. It’s about trust. And it’s about legacy.

It asks the hard questions:

• What happens if an agency owner can no longer lead?
• How can we protect students, families, and schools who rely on that agency?
• How can CPIEA support founders in preparing for responsible transitions, without losing quality?

This October, at the 2025 CPIEA Summit, we’ll open an honest and necessary conversation about these questions. Because whether an agency owner is twenty-eight or sixty-eight, exit strategy isn’t about leaving. It’s about leading, responsibly.

Our goal is to ensure that agencies don’t just thrive today, but that they can outlive their founders, with integrity. That students are never caught in the middle. That schools and partners know who they can trust.

Handled with care, succession isn’t the end of leadership. It’s the highest expression of it.

Why This Matters to Me

After 20 years of building schools, employing hundreds of Canadians, and creating pathways for students from over fifty countries, I’m more convinced than ever: leadership is not just what you build. It’s what endures when you step away.

That’s why CPIEA’s Exit Strategy is deeply personal, but also universal. It’s for any founder, leader, or partner who wants their mission to outlast their presence.

International students, especially those in language programs, are short-term visitors who make long-term contributions. They live with Canadian families, support local businesses, and return home as ambassadors for Canadian values.

They don’t drain the system. They strengthen it.

A Final Word

To Minister Diab, I wish you wisdom and success in your leadership. Your early support for quality in international education is remembered. And now, the CPIEA community is ready to move forward with you, not just to celebrate the present, but to protect the future.

This summit is more than a reflection.

It’s a design session for what comes next.

Some exits happen by chance. Others in crisis.

But the best ones?

They happen with intention.