Maliha Aqeel, SCMP, MC (She/Her)
Founder & CEO, The Ideas Collective Inc.
Maliha Aqeel helps B2B brands turn expertise into industry authority. As Founder & CEO of The Ideas Collective Inc., she leads an independent strategic consultancy that partners with organizations in financial and professional services to establish thought leadership, own their positioning, and create strategic communications that build lasting market authority.
Over two decades, Maliha has worked across in-house and agency environments—notably EY, APCO Worldwide and Institute of Corporate Directors—advising C-suite leaders on brand building, navigating complex strategic challenges, and building high-performing global teams. She brings equal weight to big-picture strategy and the practical work of making it land.
She is a regular speaker at industry events, webinars and podcasts, and has earned several international awards for her work in brand development, thought leadership and communications, including two IABC Gold Quill “Best of the Best” awards.
Her commitment to the profession runs deep. She served as Chair of IABC’s international executive board (2023–2024), as President of IABC/Toronto (2017–2018), and as a board member of the Global Alliance for Public Relations and Communication Management (2024-2026). In 2021, she was honored as IABC Canada’s 61st Master Communicator for her contributions to the field.
Maliha holds a Master of Business in Strategic Marketing from the University of Wollongong and is completing a Doctor in Business Administration at Royal Roads University, where her research explores how social purpose shapes customer engagement in sustainable brands.