Ashley Lawrence

(BASC 2000 Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering)
COO, Kijiji Canada

Ashley is a technology executive with deep experience across finance, operations, analytics, and strategy.  His experience spans generalist on-line marketplaces, as well as extensive knowledge of the on-line Automotive and Real Estate sectors. 

Ashley is the COO of Kijiji, Canada’s leading on-line classifieds marketplace and a top Canadian brand.  Ashley oversees the operations, analytics, customer success, Salesforce, and strategy functions.  Previously, Ashley was CFO of Kijiji, and for select global markets as the CFO for Adevinta’s International Market Segment.  Adevinta acquired Kijiji from eBay in 2021, and Ashley played a key role in the integration, divestment, and strategic review of assets across these markets.

Prior to becoming CFO, Ashley headed Kijiji’s Analytics and Strategy team and held various roles at eBay.  He also worked for one of Canada’s largest private equity firms on their venture team, and MMV Financial, a leader in venture debt lending. Ashley began his career with IBM as a market analyst, and then as a consultant with their Global Services division in their Emerging Technologies practice. 

Ashley is an active University of Toronto volunteer and through the years has helped with high school outreach, guest lecturing, panels, and mentoring.  Currently he serves on the Board of Advisors for ISTEP - Institute for Studies in Transdisciplinary Engineering Education and Practice. He received an Arbor Award in 2019 in recognition of his volunteerism with the Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering.  The University of Toronto is a large part of Ashley’s family; his wife and sister are also graduates.  

Along with his undergraduate in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto, Ashley earned his MBA from the Kellogg School of Management from Northwestern University.  He also completed all three levels of the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) program.

In addition to being an avid marathoner over the past two decades, Ashley is now a competitive indoor masters rower.  Ashley lives in Toronto with his wife, and two children.