As Associate Vice President at the College – and proud two-time Centennial graduate – Andrew Petrou is widely recognized as a strategic leader and relationship builder. He is known for cultivating innovative partnerships and identifying opportunities to enhance Centennial’s services and strengthen its reputation as a leader in post-secondary education.
With a strong business advisory foundation from his experience as a former business owner, Andrew brought his passion for entrepreneurship and community development to the College, beginning his career as a Professor in the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts.
Deeply rooted in the Scarborough community, he later co-founded and led the Scarborough Business Association, serving as its President from July 2015 to September 2016, and as Vice President from March 2014 to June 2015. His leadership helped connect local businesses, community organizations, and institutions to foster economic opportunity and regional collaboration.
Within Centennial, Andrew has led transformative initiatives across government relations, capital projects, and business development. He streamlined the College’s government relations framework and is now spearheading key strategic shifts to optimize industry-facing services and advance major projects such as the Environmental and Related Technologies Hub (EaRTH), that have a college-wide scope and measurable benefits to stakeholders across the institution.
In his previous role as the Executive Director of Downsview Aerospace Innovation & Research (DAIR), Andrew led the creation of the DAIR Consortium. During this time, he secured both public and private funding to support DAIR activities and infrastructure, leading to the milestone development of The Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation at Centennial’s Downsview Campus.
Working Within Community
Andrew’s commitment to community building has been a hallmark throughout his career.
From his early days at the College as an instructor, Andrew has sought to extend the College’s reach through employer engagement, program innovation, and local workforce development. These contributions have continued throughout his career and expanded to national and international scales.
Today, Andrew continues to mentor emerging leaders, as a speaker and contributor to CivicAction, Urban Land Institute and Future Skills dialogues. He also serves as an advisor to municipal and regional policy roundtables on education, workforce development and civic engagement. Across all this work, Andrew’s approach remains rooted in collaboration, care, and equity – values that define his leadership and lasting impact.