Trustee Focus: Heather Black
As a Trustee of Canadian Print Scholarships, Heather Black brings a practical, people-first perspective to the work of supporting students and strengthening career pathways across the printing industry.
Celebrating Heather’s Leadership
Heather has spent more than three decades working at the intersection of print, packaging, marketing, business development, and recruitment, and that breadth shows in how she leads. She grew up around print, and over time built a career rooted in relationship-building and a clear understanding of what both employers and candidates need to thrive. Today, as Founder and Managing Director of Freely Connect Recruitment, she partners with print and packaging companies across Canada to find talent for roles spanning production, operations, sales, management, and executive leadership.
What sets Heather apart is the way she looks beyond a job title to the full story. She is known for asking thoughtful questions, listening carefully, and helping hiring teams sharpen how they present roles and culture. On the candidate side, she supports job seekers as they clarify their strengths, strengthen resumes and LinkedIn profiles, and build a professional brand that reflects where they are headed. Alongside her recruitment work, she contributes to the industry as a Director with the Ontario Printing and Imaging Association, a member of the Girls Who Print Canada Advisory Board, and a mentor to students in TMU’s Graphic Communications Management program.
In Their Own Words
Print has given many of us meaningful careers, but we can’t assume students will find the industry on their own. We need to show them what print and packaging looks like today: technical, creative, fast-moving, and very much a technology-driven industry. When students understand the range of opportunities available, building a career here starts to look a lot more interesting.
Supporting the Next Generation
Heather’s commitment to scholarships connects naturally to what she sees every day. Employers need curious, capable people who can understand the technical realities of production and the business decisions that shape customer success. Scholarships help students step into that world with encouragement and visibility, and they strengthen the bridge between education and employment. Through her Board service, she helps keep conversations grounded in what students need to enter the workforce with confidence, and what companies can do to welcome and develop early-career talent.
Inspiring Industry Involvement
Heather’s leadership is also a reminder that talent pipelines do not build themselves. They grow when companies, educators, and community partners choose to invest time, mentorship, and resources into student success. By sharing her network, market insight, and candid perspective on hiring realities, she helps donors and industry peers see the long-term value of supporting Canadian Print Scholarships, and the impact that support can have on the future of print and packaging across Canada.
Support Students with Leaders Like Heather
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Image by Heather Black
“The mission of Canadian Print Scholarships is to attract the brightest and best students available to the graphic communications industry by providing financial assistance to enroll and continue in a post-secondary management or technical program at an approved institution.”
