Naz Ali named Esri Canada’s GIS Professional of the Year

October 28, 2026

CBRE senior manager recognized for advancing the use of location intelligence in commercial real estate operations, and mentoring and championing the geospatial community

Key points

Naz Ali has been named Esri Canada’s GIS Professional of the Year for advancing GIS innovation, leadership and advocacy in Canada.
At CBRE Canada, she helped evolve GIS from basic mapping into a national location intelligence platform supporting commercial real estate decisions.
Through mentoring, teaching and community leadership, Naz is helping inspire and support the next generation of GIS professionals.

TORONTO—October 28, 2026—Esri Canada congratulates Naz Ali, senior manager, location intelligence at CBRE Limited, for being named the recipient of the Esri Canada GIS Professional of the Year Award at the 2026 Esri Canada User Conference held on October 21-22 in Toronto. The award celebrates individuals who are advancing the use of geographic information system (GIS) solutions in Canada and inspiring others through innovation, leadership, advocacy and community engagement.

Naz has helped transform GIS at CBRE from a basic mapping function into a national location intelligence platform supporting commercial real estate decisions. She developed an internal map library with demographic and market data, delivered commute analysis tools and applied human movement analytics to help clients understand travel times, customer behaviour, visitation patterns and trade areas. Her work has made complex location data easier for brokers and business users to apply to retail site selection, office planning and industrial real estate analysis, while advancing emerging technologies such as 3D GIS, geospatial artificial intelligence and AI-enabled workflows.

“Naz has demonstrated how GIS can drive tremendous business value in a commercial real estate environment,” said Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “She has built innovative location intelligence capabilities that is helping her organization and businesses across the country make smarter decisions about markets, customers and operations while also serving as a tireless advocate, mentor and educator for the geospatial profession. Her leadership, innovation and dedication to the GIS community make her an outstanding recipient of the GIS Professional of the Year Award.”

"Naz has set the pace for GIS adoption and innovation in the commercial real estate industry for nearly two decades," said CBRE Canada president and CEO Jon Ramscar. "Her leadership and skillset are differentiators for our business, a competitive advantage for our clients, and a driver of better commercial real estate outcomes across Canada."

Naz is a passionate advocate for the GIS profession and a dedicated leader within the geospatial community. She serves on the board of GeoConnect, hosts Vancouver GIS Users Group meetings and sits on its steering committee. Naz also contributes to the Program Advisory Committee for the British Columbia Institute of Technology's GIS program and teaches GIS courses at BCIT. Through her mentorship, teaching and community leadership, Naz continues to inspire and support the next generation of GIS professionals.

“I am deeply honoured to receive this award,” said Naz Ali, senior manager, location intelligence, CBRE. “GIS has given me the opportunity to combine technology, creativity and problem-solving to help people make better decisions. What makes this recognition especially meaningful is that it celebrates not only the work I have done, but also the incredible GIS community that has supported me throughout my career. I am passionate about helping others discover the possibilities of GIS and contribute to the growth of our profession.”

Growing up in Fiji, Naz discovered GIS while studying geography and environmental sciences at university. Fascinated by the power of maps and spatial data to transform complex information into actionable insights, she pursued a career in GIS and developed expertise in cartography and data visualization. After holding a few GIS roles across different industries, she joined CBRE Canada, where she helped establish and grow location intelligence as a strategic business capability. Her interests in photography, graphic design and art have influenced her approach to GIS visualization. “GIS is not just about creating maps; it’s about helping people understand data,” added Naz.

Learn how GIS delivers business value at esri.ca/gis

About Esri Canada
Founded in 1984, Esri Canada provides geographic information system (GIS) solutions that empower people in business, government, and education to make informed and timely decisions by leveraging the power of mapping and spatial analytics. These solutions enable organizations to better manage their resources, plan their future and collaborate within and beyond their organization. Esri Canada’s products and services help advance successful digital transformation. The company serves more than 14,000 organizations from 14 offices across Canada and is based in Toronto. Esri Canada has been recognized as one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 14 consecutive years. More information can be found at esri.ca. Follow Esri Canada on X (Twitter), Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.

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