As a veteran of the refugee and immigrant settlement sector for over 30 years,
Chris Friesen is a frequent speaker, media spokesperson and research
collaborator on immigration related policy and program areas.

Under his tenure with ISSofBC, Chris has been at the forefront as a key leader of
the shifting immigration and refugee resettlement changes in BC and Canada. As
new and emerging immigrant and refugee populations settle in Canada, Chris
has played key national roles within the settlement sector including redefining
refugee resettlement operations during COVID-19. Mr. Friesen was an
instrumental member of the concept and design of the ISSofBC Welcome Centre
facility in Vancouver – the first social purpose, mixed use built facility for
newcomer integration in the world.

Besides his role as Chief Operating Officer for ISSofBC, Mr. Friesen is presently
the Chair and a founding member of the Canadian Immigrant Settlement Sector
Alliance (CISSA-ACSEI). For several years, he has also co-chaired with IRCC,
the National Settlement and Integration Council (NSIC). In 2013 under Canada’s
leadership Chris co-chaired, as the NGO focal point, the UNHCR Annual
Consultation on Refugee Resettlement in Geneva, Switzerland.

Prior to ISSofBC, Mr. Friesen coordinated a British Educational Trust for
Refugees based in Nairobi, Kenya. As an undergraduate student at UBC in the
mid 1980’s, Chris successful led a referendum on campus to increase the
student fees in order to establish a permanent student refugee scholarship
program. This referendum concept (WUSC student refugee sponsorship
program) has now spread to over 60 post secondary institutions across Canada
and is currently held up as a global example of a complementary pathway for
refugee resettlement.