Notable Concordian

Gina Cody

MEng 81, PhD 89

Awards & Distinctions

Great Concordian Chancellor's Builder Alumnus/Alumna of the Year

Faculty

Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science

The best way for a woman, or anyone, to succeed is through higher education.

Gina Cody, MEng 81, PhD 89, is the first woman ever to be awarded a PhD in building engineering at Concordia.

On September 24, 2018, Cody made a $15 million gift to Concordia's Faculty of Engineering and Computer Science. In recognition of her generosity and tremendous professional accomplishments, the faculty was renamed the Gina Cody School of Engineering and Computer Science.

It became the first engineering faculty in Canada named after a woman and one of the first of its kind in the world.

Gina Cody became Chancellor of Concordia University on January 1, 2025 after serving as co-chancellor since May 1, 2024.

Prior to her appointment as Chancellor, Gina served on the Board of Governors starting in 2014. She is a past member of the Board’s Governance and Ethics Committee and a past chair of the Board’s Real Estate Planning Committee.

After earning a BSc in structural engineering at Iran’s Aryamehr University of Technology, she moved to Montreal to complete her masters and doctoral studies at Concordia, focusing her thesis work on earthquake engineering.

Cody was the executive chair and principal shareholder of CCI Group Inc., a Toronto-based engineering consulting firm. Named one of Canada’s best-managed companies in 2013, CCI also ranked the ninth-most profitable woman-owned company on Profit magazine’s 2010 list. She retired and sold her shares in 2016.

In an interview with the Financial Post, Cody described her company as a “big firm with a small-company approach that facilitates personalized service.”

She has often been recognized for her work. Her accolades include an Award of Merit from the Canadian Standards Association, a Volunteer Service Award from the Government of Ontario and the Professional Engineers of Ontario (PEO) 2010 Order of Honour at the Officer level.

Gina Cody is the former executive chair and principal shareholder of CCI Group Inc., a Toronto-based engineering consulting firm. She retired and sold her shares in 2016.