Snjezana Cekrlija

Snjezana Cekrlija is a research finance leader with nearly two decades of experience supporting complex research portfolios in the Canadian university sector. As Director of Research Finance at the University of Waterloo, she oversees more than $250 million in annual research funding, leads a multidisciplinary team of professionals, and serves as the institution’s senior financial liaison to major research sponsors and external auditors. She is recognized for her expertise in research financial management, compliance, internal controls, and institutional risk frameworks. Snjezana has played a central role in advancing national best practices, presenting regularly at CARA conferences and leading sector-wide discussions on compliance, financial stewardship, and research administration. Throughout her career, she has championed process improvements, strengthened institutional governance, and built training and capacity-building programs for researchers and administrators. A CPA and experi