HESA In-House
Solutions
Access Strategic Support When You Need It
HESA Executive Advising offers a practical and accessible way for presidents, vice-presidents, deans, and senior leaders to draw on the experience and insight of Alex Usher and the HESA team, as trusted partners who understand both the institutional realities and the national landscape of Canadian post-secondary education.
A New Way to Engage with HESA
This offering is designed for leaders who value timely, confidential, and candid advice without the formality of a full consulting engagement. Whether you are navigating an institutional challenge or opportunity, preparing for a Board or Senate discussion, exploring a strategic shift, or seeking sectoral context for a new initiative, you can now bring HESA In-House—direct contact within reach when you need it.
Over time, these relationships can also expand into strategic partnerships, executive reflection and coaching, or targeted professional learning, as well as offering support and expanded capacity for you and your institution as priorities evolve.
Clients begin with a complimentary 30-minute conversation, followed by flexible access through either:
- Hourly Rates for direct strategic counsel with Alex Usher and the HESA Team, or
- Custom retainer packages, with flexible pricing to provide adaptable access.
Each relationship can grow organically: some remain focused on ongoing executive dialogue and counsel, while others naturally evolve into collaborative research, facilitation, or full consulting engagements with the broader HESA team.
Why Now?
The sector’s financial and strategic pressures have never been more complex. HESA Executive Advisory was created to meet that reality: flexible, responsive, and grounded in both real, reliable data and experience. It offers institutions a way to embed external perspective into leadership practice by bringing Alex and the HESA team “In-House” as thought partners to help leaders think clearly, act strategically, and stay ahead of change.
How Leaders Use HESA In-House Counsel
- Shaping institutional strategy and direction
- Facilitating exploration of new institutional models and strategic realignments
- Policy shifts and sectoral briefings
- Leadership transitions and team alignment
- Reputational positioning and institutional identity
- Planning for the future
- Enrolment and program mix discussions
- Fostering partnerships and external relations
- Government and stakeholder relations
- Future of work and workforce alignment
- Data interpretation and evidence-based decision-making
- Supporting reports or presentations when internal capacity is stretched
- Culture, morale, and trust
- Personalized executive coaching and leadership reflection
- Providing a trusted external space for difficult conversations
- Facilitating team dialogue and leadership retreats
- Short-term assistance to carry forward strategic files or key initiatives
- Thought partnership to refine ideas, frameworks, or institutional messaging
- Facilitating writing, planning, or analysis alongside your team when timelines are tight
- Ensuring continuity of progress when roles or resources are temporarily stretched
- Curated briefings on emerging policy trends and sector shifts
- Facilitated executive retreats to align leadership and set strategic priorities
- Scenario discussions to test assumptions and identify strategic responses
Who It’s For
- Presidents, vice-presidents, deans, and senior executive leaders
- New or transitioning leaders seeking a trusted space to think, test ideas, and clarify direction
- Institutions preparing for major internal or external conversations (Boards, governments, donors, partners)
- Teams seeking confidential, on-demand support without the structure or cost of a full project
- Individuals investing professional development budgets in reflective, sector-informed leadership growth
HESA is uniquely positioned in the Canadian post-secondary landscape, as both a trusted advisor and a national thought leader. Our work spans governance, strategy, enrolment, finance, and policy, all of which is grounded in data, experience, and candour.
Alex Usher, HESA’s President, brings decades of experience advising institutions and governments across Canada and abroad. His insight bridges strategy, policy, and institutional practice that help leaders navigate complexity, test assumptions, and frame clear paths forward.
Alongside Alex, HESA’s team of researchers bring deep expertise across the post-secondary system, offering contextual analysis, strategic support, and sector intelligence tailored to your institution’s priorities.
Beyond advisory insight, these conversations offer a rare opportunity for leadership reflection and professional growth, strengthening communication, alignment, and confidence in complex decision-making environments.
How It Works
- Start with a free conversation to identify current issues or opportunities
- Activate your retainer or hourly arrangement to secure access as needed
- Use time for advice, planning, reflection, facilitation, or briefing support, as the situation demands
- Extend, renew, or convert the relationship to a more extended project, as your institutional and leadership needs evolve
Getting Started
Book a call
Book your complimentary 30-minute conversation to explore whether HESA Executive Advisory is right for you
Choose your access model
Choose between:
- Hourly Rates for direct strategic counsel with Alex Usher and/or the HESA Team, or
- Flexibly priced Retainer Packages for adaptable access.
Tailor your hours
Use your hours in a tailored way for confidential counsel, document review, policy briefings, facilitation prep, or leadership discussion and reflection
Monthly summaries
Receive monthly summaries of hours used and remaining
Extend or convert
Retainers remain active for six months and can be extended or converted into a larger consulting engagement at any time.