Dr. Gail Murphy
President & CEO
Gail took up her role as President & CEO in October 2026, having previously served on the Science World Board. She is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and brings a wealth of scientific, business and government relations leadership experience, including from her recently concluded nine-year tenure as UBC's Vice-President, Research and Innovation.
She spent much of her career as a researcher in software engineering, creating tools to help software developers manage large codebases and work more productively. Gail co-founded Tasktop Technologies, a UBC spin-out providing enterprise software solutions, raising USD$100M in seed funding before being acquired by Planview in 2022. Gail is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Association of Computing Machinery (ACM), and has served on several Boards including for Canada’s Digital Technology Supercluster, Digital Research Alliance of Canada, Greater Vancouver Board of Trade, Innovate BC and Science World (2019-2026).
Brian Radburn, CPA, CA
Chief Operating Officer
Brian is a Chartered Professional Accountant with over thirty years of financial experience. A retired partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, he's served as the CFO of a number of private companies in the technology sector. Brian has considerable governance experience, serving on Boards of various healthcare-related institutions, charities and not-for-profit organizations.
As Chief Operating Officer, Brian plans and directs corporate operations that support the capabilities of the Science World team to deliver on its strategic priorities. As well, he oversees the financial operations and financial planning at Science World. Through analysis, discipline and organization, Brian ensures that each of these areas best supports and serves the mission and priorities of the organization.
Nancy Roper
Chief People & Development Officer
Nancy joined the Science World team in July 2018 as Vice President, Development and Government Relations and in January 2025 became the Chief People and Development Officer. As Chief People and Development Officer, Nancy leads a critical team dedicated to philanthropy and corporate partnerships, and well as employee engagement and human resources, all critical to the success of a not-for-profit organization. Indeed, Nancy is committed to the success of each of her colleagues and staff to ensure that the organization thrives for years to come.
Prior to joining Science World, Nancy was the VP Philanthropy and Corporate Partnerships at JDRF, where she worked with staff, organizations and volunteers across Canada to drive a major gifts campaign and develop successful corporate partnerships. Previously she acted as Executive Director of the Arthritis Society, BC & Yukon Division, and has held roles with BC Special Olympics and the Aberdeen Cyrenians.
Heather Schwalm
Vice President, Finance
A Chartered Professional Accountant with over 25 years of financial leadership and strategic planning experience, Heather has led across high-growth industries including specialized, project-based manufacturing, software development, cancer research, oil recycling, and construction. She has provided independent consultation on business process transformation and internal audit programs. As Vice President of Finance, Heather leads and supports the financial strategy, planning and operations at Science World. She is passionate about driving value and transformation across the organization through analysis, understanding, and control.
Heather enjoys cycling and gardening in her downtime. She has participated in the Ride to Conquer Cancer, the Inside Ride BC, and MS Bike - Fraser Valley.
Fiona Cole-Hamilton
Vice President, Experience & Products
For over 15 years, Fiona has led the development of cutting-edge visitor experience projects around the world. Partnering with skilled team members and industry experts, Fiona’s projects have aimed to change the way people interact with culture, science, and our natural world.
Prior to joining Science World in 2024, Fiona spent 7 years as Principal at cultural consultancy Barker Langham, where she oversaw the company’s team and growth in North America and shaped museums and science centres in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Before moving to consultancy, Fiona spent 8 years delivering exhibitions and visitor experience projects at the UK’s Natural History Museum.
As VP, Experience and Products, Fiona works with her teams to empower the next generation of scientists and planetary advocates – together they create imaginative experiences that encourage repeat visitation, support revenue growth, and foster meaningful engagement with our communities.