Katherine Brien named third president and CEO in AUS history

Atlantic University Sport has entered a new era of leadership. On Aug. 21, Katherine Brien became president and chief executive officer of the organization

Brien replaces interim president and CEO John Keefe, who held the position for only one season, after Phil Currie retired in April 2025, 26 years into the role. 

The incoming president was born and raised in Halifax. She served as the head of sport performance at the University of Essex in England and was the associate director of sport compliance and student support at the University of Victoria. 

Brien was working in England when the president position became available. She says opportunities to work in her home city don’t come up often. 

“You kind of have to put your name in the hat,” she says.

For Brien, the opportunity to embrace the lifestyle of the position and moving back home with her family was an exciting chapter in her life.

“To pair [the job] with my personal experience of being able to come home and be with my family, both emotions were coming together all at once,” she says. 

Early on in her career, Brien served as the manager of community and sports partnerships for Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment in Toronto, the organization which owns the Toronto Raptors, Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto FC.

“I learned a lot about culture in terms of how employees are treated, the workplace [and] the experiences that they give to people,” says Brien. “I was immersed in that atmosphere at a perfect time in my life when I was ready to soak it all up early in my career.” 

 Brien played varsity basketball during her time at Mount Saint Vincent University. Mark Forward, long-time head coach for MSVU’s women’s basketball team, says Brien always stood out as a leader.

“[Brien] was really ahead of her time, from a leadership perspective,” says Forward. “She took good pride in being that person on that women’s basketball team when she had that opportunity.”

Her brother, Mark, agrees. “She’s always been a very determined individual, and she still is to this day. I think leadership for her comes as second nature,” he says. “I couldn’t be happier for her; I couldn’t be happier for AUS.”

“This is a great fit, and I’m really looking forward to seeing what she’s able to accomplish.”