Members and Board of Directors

Governance

The CFI was established as an independent, non-governmental organization with a Board of Directors which meets three to four times a year. An annual public meeting is held each year and is widely publicized in several newspapers.

Members

The Board of Directors reports to Members — a higher governing body similar to a company’s shareholders, but representing the Canadian public. Members are responsible for the appointment of seven of the 13 Board Directors. They receive audited financial statements, appoint external auditors, and approve the annual report.

Retired, Past President and CEO New Brunswick Community College 

Until her retirement in June 2018, Marilyn Luscombe was New Brunswick Community College’s (NBCC) inaugural president and chief executive officer. She was first appointed in 2010 and re-appointed for a second term in 2014. During this time, NBCC moved from a six-college structure to a new One College - One Team structure.  In addition to maintaining a strong reputation for high quality and relevant programs, NBCC also initiated a number of innovations under Ms. Luscombe’s leadership. These include the award-winning Robertson Institute for Community Leadership, a new entrepreneurial mentorship program, and an office of applied research and innovation.

A native of Newfoundland and Labrador, Ms. Luscombe has extensive experience in publicly-funded community colleges, having served in various capacities at the College of the North Atlantic for fifteen years and as President and CEO at Selkirk College in the West Kootenay Region of B.C. for over ten years, from 2000 to 2010.

Ms. Luscombe has been heavily involved in advancing Canada’s colleges as former Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Community Colleges Consortium, former Chair of the Canadian College Presidents’ Network Executive and three years as Chair of the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (now Colleges and Institutes Canada). She has also served on the President’s Advisory Committee on Science and Technology for Colleges and Institutes Canada as well as on the boards of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council, the Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada and the New Brunswick Social Policy Research Network.

Ms. Luscombe was named one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEOs by Atlantic Business Magazine in 2015, and received the 2018 Distinguished Service Award from Colleges and Institutes Canada. 

President, Université de Saint-Boniface

Dr. Sophie Bouffard is the President of the Université de Saint-Boniface in Winnipeg. She has worked in post-secondary education for close to 20 years, holding various leadership positions. She served as President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Sudbury, and held successive positions as Head of the Conservatory of Performing Arts, Assistant Director of the Centre for Continuing Education and founding Principal Director of La Cité universitaire francophone at the University of Regina.

Dr. Bouffard’s areas of expertise as a musicologist focus on Canadian music, the idea of North, issues of identity, as well as the role of arts and culture in community development, namely in Francophone and minority settings. 

Aside from her work as an administrator and musicologist, she has worked extensively as a professional soprano. A versatile singer, Bouffard’s repertoire ranges from baroque to new music, from recital to opera. Specializing in new music, she has premiered a number of works composed for her. She has performed extensively throughout Canada and internationally.

As a grant holder from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Saskatchewan Arts Board, the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec, Dr. Bouffard’s reputation is reflected in frequent invitations to adjudicate in national competitions.

Retired, Past Vice-President Research, University of Alberta

Lorne A. Babiuk was appointed Vice-President Research at the University of Alberta in 2007, where he served until his retirement in June 2017. He is a leader in Canadian vaccine research specializing in immunology, pathogenesis, virology, molecular virology and vaccinology. Prior to moving to the University of Alberta, he spent 34 years at the University of Saskatchewan where he was responsible for building the successful Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) research institute. Under Dr. Babiuk’s leadership, VIDO became internationally recognized as a leader in novel vaccine development. As Director of VIDO, Dr. Babiuk completed its $19.4 million expansion in 2005 and obtained funding for InterVac, its $140 million level-three biocontainment facility for work on infectious diseases, which opened in September, 2011.

Dr. Babiuk received his Ph.D. in 1972 from the University of British Columbia and has published over 500 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 100 essays and reviews, primarily in virology and immunology. His most recent focus has been on vaccine formulation and delivery. He is the principal investigator on a Bill & Melinda Gates Grand Challenge in Global Health grant to develop needle-free vaccines for infants and young children. He is a fellow of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, the Royal Society of Canada and the European Academy of Sciences, as well as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

President and CEO, Acadian Seaplants Limited

Jean-Paul Deveau is the President and CEO of Acadian Seaplants Limited, a biotech company and the largest independent manufacturer of marine plant products of its type in the world. It is engaged primarily in the sustainable harvesting of wild seaweeds and in the cultivation of unique marine plants for the development of products for people, animals and plants. Acadian Seaplants exports to over 80 countries, operates six processing facilities in Atlantic Canada, Ireland and Scotland, employs 400 people in 14 countries, including 36 scientists — 14 with PhDs. 

Acadian Seaplants has received significant government and industry recognition for its innovation, accomplishments in science & technology, management, environmental stewardship, business ethics, safety, export excellence and community service. His company It has been one of Canada’s Best Managed Companies for 18 consecutive years.

He is a past chair of BioNova (the Nova Scotia Life Sciences Industry Association) and a past member of the Board of the Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (Nova Scotia Chapter). He is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council, Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Agriculture. He was Chair of the 2011 Canada Winter Games in Halifax and served as a member of the OneNS Coalition. 

Jean-Paul Deveau was inducted into the Nova Scotia Business Hall of Fame, has received two honourary doctorate degrees, awarded the inaugural Spirit of Halifax Award from Destination Halifax and named the Halifax Chamber of Commerce Business Person of the Year. He was awarded the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award’s National Citation for Eco and Social Excellence and named an Atlantic Region’s Entrepreneur of the Year in the Health Sciences Sector.

General Partner and co-founder, AmorChem

Elizabeth Douville is General Partner and co-founder of AmorChem, a Québec-based seed venture fund dedicated to financing and commercializing university-based life sciences technologies. Launched in 2011 with a capital of $41.25 million, the AmorChem fund model uniquely combines access to financial resources with a virtual incubator structure that enables the rapid development and commercialization of life science technologies. Today, the fund has successfully built a portfolio of 24 technologies, has leveraged its initial capital to close to $76 million with non-dilutive sources, has transacted two pharma exits and has spun out a first biotech company.

Dr. Douville was General Partner of GeneChem, a leading North American life sciences venture capital fund manager. She joined the company in 1997, moving rapidly from manager to partner with the different funds under management. She was an active board member for many Canadian and American portfolio companies where she contributed to their development and exit strategies.

Today, she is an active board member of BioQuebec (the biotech industry association for the province), BioCanRx (a Network of Centres of Excellence for bio-therapeutics in oncology) and Genome Canada (a not-for-profit organisation for developing genomic-based technologies to create economic and social benefits for Canadians). Dr. Douville trained as a biochemist, obtaining her PhD from the University of Ottawa and was a post-doctoral fellow with the Imperial Cancer Research Fund in London, UK. In 2008, Elizabeth obtained a business certificate degree from the Centre interuniversitaire de recherche sur la première modernité (CIREM) in collaboration with Hautes Études Commerciales (HEC)/Université de Montréal.

Former Senior Vice-President, B.C. and Yukon Division, Personal and Commercial Banking, Bank of Montreal

Joanne Gassman joined the Bank of Montreal (BMO) in 1974 and worked in several markets both in British Columbia and Toronto, where she assumed increasingly more senior positions in both the corporate audit and personal and commercial banking departments. Her first executive appointment with BMO was in 2005 as Vice-President, Vancouver Island and in 2008 she was promoted to Vice-President Retail Banking for Greater Vancouver. In 2011, she was appointed to Senior Vice-President, B.C. and Yukon Division, Personal and Commercial Banking, a position she retired from in 2014.

Upon retirement, Ms. Gassman took on a new, one-year, national consulting role with BMO Financial Group, as Senior Vice-President, Women’s Market. In this capacity, Joanne promoted BMO’s focus on the needs of women entrepreneurs by improving the business and financial information available for women and by facilitating self-sufficiency and success for women business owners and managers. Ms. Gassman is a member of the Board of Advisors for GroYourBiz, an initiative developed for women entrepreneurs who want to take their business to the next level. She is also a member of both the Women’s Business Economic Advisory Board and the International Women’s Forum.

Ms. Gassman is currently chair of the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and of the Vancouver Council for CARE Canada. She is a Director for Streetohome and for the Bowen Island Community Foundation. She is a past Governor of BC Children’s Hospital Foundation, and a supporting member of Kidsafe Project Society. Ms. Gassman is on the University of Northern British Columbia Advisory Committee and was previously on the University of Victoria Board of Advisors. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and has an MBA from Dalhousie University.

In 2015, she was recognized by the Association of Women in Finance and received the Lifetime Achievement award. She was also recognized by The International Alliance for Women (TIAW) and was a recipient of the 2015 TIAW World of Difference Award.

Vice President Research, Research Institute of St. Joseph’s Healthcare, Distinguished University Professor, Pathology and Molecular Medicine, McMaster University

Dr. Jack Gauldie was appointed Vice President of Research and Director of the Research Institute of St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton in March 2015. He is Distinguished University Professor and Professor, Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster University, where he is a member of the McMaster Immunology Research Centre. He was chair of the Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine, encompassing both clinical laboratory medicine and basic biomedical research, from 1989 to 2004.

Dr. Gauldie completed his B.Sc. at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. and Ph.D. at University College London in the U.K. before returning to the new medical school at McMaster in 1970. He has conducted research in immunology, inflammation, infectious diseases and vaccine development for the past 40 years. Dr. Gauldie is recognized internationally for his work in defining the molecular regulation of acute and chronic inflammatory responses and is a world expert in the areas of cytokine biology, pulmonary fibrosis and mucosal immunity. He has published over 370 scientific articles and a number of book chapters.

Dr. Gauldie is chair of the advisory board of Ontario Research Fund (ORF), a member of the scientific advisory board of Health Canada and a member of the board of the Ontario Genomics Institute. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and the Royal College of Physicians (Edinburgh). He was a member of the advisory board of the Institute of Infection and Immunity of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and was co-chair of the Medical Review Panel of the Gairdner Foundation.

He has received awards from the Canadian Society for Immunology, the Canadian Medical Association and the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists, and is a frequent evaluator for granting agencies including CIHR, the National Institutes of Health (U.S.) and the Medical Research Council (U.K.).

Assistant Professor, Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health and Wellness, Assistant Professor, General Internal Medicine, University of Saskatchewan

Alexandra King is a member and citizen of the Nipissing First Nation (Ontario). She is an internal medicine specialist with a focus on HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV/HCV co-infections.

Dr. King had a successful career in web-based software engineering and management before pursuing her passion for medicine. She got her Doctor of Medicine at the University of Toronto in 2009, completed her core internal medicine residency at the University of Alberta and did a general internal medicine fellowship at the University of British Columbia. She taught courses in Indigenous health at Simon Fraser University, where she also mentored the Faculty of Health Sciences in the implementation of its response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action.

In October 2017, Dr. King moved to Saskatoon to become the inaugural Cameco Chair in Indigenous Health and Wellness at the University of Saskatchewan. Her position is endowed by the Royal University Hospital Foundation’s Royal Care Campaign and included a substantial gift from Cameco and generous support from the University of Saskatchewan, College of Medicine. She works with Indigenous communities and relevant stakeholders to understand the health and wellness needs of First Nations and Métis people in Saskatchewan and the structural changes required for improved Indigenous health outcomes. She brings leadership skills in culturally safe and responsive research and care, etuaptmumk (Two-eyed Seeing, or bringing together Indigenous and Western world views or forms of knowledge) and Ethical Space, which needs to be created when people with disparate world views are poised to engage with each other. Dr. King also contributes to the University of Saskatchewan’s decolonization, reconciliation and Indigenization.

Dr. King serves on many local, national and international initiatives. She has made longstanding contributions to the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), including the CIHR Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research Patient Engagement and Ethics Working Group, the CIHR HIV/AIDS Community-Based Research Steering Committee, the CIHR HIV/AIDS and STBBI Research Advisory Committee and the CIHR Institute Advisory Board for the Institute of Circulatory and Respiratory Health. She is also part of CIHR’s College of Reviewers. She has recognized expertise and provides leadership in infectious diseases, including to the Canadian Network on Hepatitis C and the Canadian Association for HIV Research as Treasurer, as well as in noncommunicable diseases. She serves on the International Group on Indigenous Health Measurement, the Canadian Indigenous Research Network Against Cancer and as co-lead of Mitewekan (meaning, in Cree, “the spirit behind the heartbeat”), which is the lead Indigenous partner of the Cardiovascular Network of Canada, the Canadian Heart Function Alliance and the Brain-Heart Interconnectome.

Provost and Vice-President (Academic), University of Lethbridge

Dr. Erasmus Okine was appointed Provost and Vice-President (Academic) of the University of Lethbridge for a three-year period beginning April 2020. Dr. Okine joined the University as Vice-President (Research) on July 1, 2015, coming from the University of Alberta (U of A) where he had served in a dual capacity as the Associate Vice-President (Research) and Associate Vice-President (Academic).

Dr. Okine completed his Bachelor of Science (1978) and Master of Science (1981) in animal science at the University of Ghana in Legon and was a lecturer there from 1983 to 1985 before completing his PhD in animal nutrition and digestive physiology at the University of Alberta in 1990. From 1990 to 1994, he was a sessional lecturer, research associate and postdoctoral fellow in what is now the U of A’s Department of Agricultural, Food and Nutritional Science (AFNS). Dr. Okine then served as a senior research scientist with Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development at the Lacombe Research Centre from 1994 to 2001. He joined the University of Alberta as an associate professor and Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development Chair in Ruminant Nutrition and Metabolism in AFNS in 2001. He was promoted to full professor in 2007 and served as Chair of the department from 2005 to 2014. Dr. Okine has published over 250 peer-reviewed manuscripts and reviews and has over 100 invited presentations provincially, nationally and internationally.

For his leadership in agricultural research, Dr. Okine has received a number of awards over the course of his career, including the Alberta Premier’s Silver Award for Excellence in Agricultural Research (2000). He was named a Fellow of the Canadian Society of Animal Science in 2009 and Fellow of the International College of Nutrition in 2006. From 2017 to 2020, Dr. Okine was a member of the Alberta Research and Innovation Advisory Committee, which provides strategic advice for research and innovation to the Government of Alberta.

Corporate Director, Therillia Development Company Inc.

Dr. Louise Proulx holds a Ph.D. in physiology from Université Laval and pursued postdoctoral studies at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden. She has close to 30 years of experience in research and development management. Over the years she has held scientific positions of increasing responsibilities, notably as Vice President, Scientific Affairs at Hoechst Marion Roussel Canada, Vice President, Therapeutic Product Development at BioChem Pharma Inc., Vice President, Business Development of Genome Quebec and Vice Principal Research at McGill University. Following her post at McGill, she returned to the pharmaceutical industry where she was Vice President, Product Development at ViroChem Pharma Inc. and then Vice President and Site Head at Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Canada) Inc. after the acquisition of ViroChem Pharma by Vertex Pharmaceuticals. She is now Corporate Director at Therillia Development Company Inc.

Dr. Proulx has been a member of several boards of directors and is currently a member of the board of directors of the Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Gestion Univalor, Verlyx Pharma and CQDM (formerly known as Quebec Consortium for Drug Discovery). Dr. Proulx is certified ICD.D by the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Past Chair of the Board for Public Health Ontario and former Senior Partner and Counsel with McMillan (Lang Michener)

Pierre Richard, Q.C., is a fluently bilingual lawyer. He served as Senior Partner and Counsel with Lang Michener's Ottawa office, with a focus on business law, acquisitions, advocacy and regulatory matters. Mr. Richard has been a member of Public Health Ontario’s Board since 2009, and Chair from 2014 to 2017. An active member of the Ottawa business community, he brings more than three decades of experience in government, health, post-secondary education and electricity generation and distribution. He is a skilled leader and communicator, who is well-recognized for his abilities in strategic planning, alliance-building and relationship management.

Mr. Richard has served on a number of boards including the Ottawa General Hospital, Hydro Ottawa Holding Inc., La Cité collégiale, the Association of Colleges of Applied Arts and Technology of Ontario (now Colleges Ontario), the National Capital Commission, the Ottawa Congress Centre, and the College Compensation and Appointments Council (Ontario). He was also a member of Departmental Audit Committees at Transport Canada, Infrastructure Canada and the RCMP. He earned his Master of Laws at Harvard University, and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Director of Centre de recherches mathématiques and Aisenstadt Professor of Physics, Université de Montréal

Dr. Luc Vinet has been Provost of McGill University and Rector of the Université de Montréal (U de M). He is well-known for his work in gauge theories and at the interface of integrable systems and algebraic combinatorics. His current research interests bear on mathematical physics, representation theory, orthogonal polynomials and quantum information. He often organizes various international meetings and is a sought-after speaker. As Director of the Centre de recherches mathématiques (CRM) at U de M, Dr. Vinet has spearheaded various initiatives — such as Mitacs, which is an organization to facilitate partnerships between industry and academia — that have shaped Canadian mathematical sciences. He is regularly part of expert panels and is a member of various boards and advisory committees. The Quebec Armand-Frappier prize and the Canadian Association of Physicists’ (CAP) CAP-CRM medal in theoretical and mathematical physics are among the recognitions he has received. In 2018, Dr. Vinet was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

David M.C. Walker is Professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine at the School of Medicine at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont., where he is cross-appointed to the School of Policy Studies. He is a member of the consultant staff at Kingston Health Sciences Centre (KHSC).

Born in England, Dr. Walker attended Harrow School then immigrated to Canada. He graduated with an MD from Queen’s and was certified in internal medicine. He was awarded Fellowship of the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada in 1975.

A career in academic emergency medicine at Queen’s and KHSC led to roles as department head, associate and vice-dean. From 1999 to 2010, he was Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, director of the university’s School of Medicine and CEO of the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO).

Dr. Walker has been President of the Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians, President of the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario and Chair of the Council of Ontario Faculties of Medicine. He has served government (by Order in Council) as Chair of the Expert Panel on SARS and Infectious Disease Control. He served as inaugural Board Chair of the Ontario Agency for Health Protection and Promotion (Public Health Ontario), and as an advisor to ministers of health on policy areas concerning public health and ageing, and more recently to the Auditor General of Ontario and Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission.

At Queen’s, Dr. Walker chaired the Principal’s Commission on Mental Health as well as the coordination and planning for the university’s 175th anniversary, served for three years as interim executive director of the School of Policy Studies and, most recently, was Special Advisor to Principal Patrick Deane on COVID-19.

He chairs the Frontenac, Lennox & Addington Ontario Health Team’s Transitional Leadership Collaborative and teaches in the schools of medicine and policy studies at Queen’s.

Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is made up of 13 individuals — six of whom are appointed by the Government of Canada — from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique perspective and understanding of the research world. The Directors are appointed for a three-year renewable term and bring with them expertise in the private, institutional, academic, research, and government sectors.

The Board of Directors makes final decisions on projects to receive CFI support and sets strategic objectives in the context of our funding and contribution agreements. It approves annual plans and objectives, and reviews our outcomes each year. It regularly reviews issues from a risk-assessment perspective — determining what risks are acceptable and ensuring that appropriate mitigation steps are in place. The Board also sets the CFI’s overall compensation policy, and specifically sets compensation for management.

Directors designated with a * are appointed Governor-in-Council (GIC) Directors and are considered public office holders by the Government of Canada. Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada determine these GIC appointments. Individuals who are interested in being considered for a GIC appointment should visit the Government of Canada’s appointment opportunities

Canada Research Chair in Molecular Environmental Science, University of Saskatchewan

Dr. Ingrid J. Pickering is a professor and Canada Research Chair in Molecular Environmental Science at the University of Saskatchewan. She received her undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge and her Ph.D. from Imperial College, University of London, based at the Royal Institution of Great Britain. She came to Canada from Stanford University. Her research uses and develops synchrotron X-ray techniques to study metals and other elements in biological systems of relevance to the environment and human health. She is closely associated with the Canadian Light Source — Canada’s first synchrotron — where she co-leads the development of three new experimental stations.

Dr. Pickering was ranked among the top three researchers in Canada in geology and earth sciences by h-index (Higher Education Strategy Associates (HESA) survey) in 2012. She receives funding from several sources including the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) and has served on a number of international advisory panels for synchrotron facilities. She currently leads the CIHR training program in Health Research Using Synchrotron Techniques at the University of Saskatchewan. In 2018, Dr. Pickering was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada.

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland

Dr. Cecilia Moloney has been a faculty member with Memorial University of Newfoundland since 1990. From 2004 to 2009, she held the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)/Petro-Canada Chair for Women in Science and Engineering, Atlantic Region. It is one of five regional NSERC Chairs for Women in Science and Engineering. In 2010, she started The MetaKettle Project, as a legacy project from the Chair, with the goal of increasing the diversity of students studying science and engineering, while enhancing the sustainability of the careers of graduates throughout their lives.

Dr. Moloney contributes to research in non-linear image processing methods and radar signal processing, as well as to collaborative multidisciplinary research on diversity and pedagogy in engineering. She has made numerous service contributions to the advancement of research, including serving on NSERC selection committees and as an interim Associate Dean of Engineering (Research) at Memorial University. She is a member of the Advisory Committee on Civic Engagement for the Leslie Harris Centre of Regional Policy and Development, a Fellow of Women in Science and Engineering Newfoundland and Labrador (WISE NL), and a former Chair of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) Newfoundland and Labrador Section.

CEO, Strategic Technology Leadership Corporation

A senior executive and CEO, Catherine Aczel Boivie has led the advancement of the strategic value of information technology as a business enabler at Vancity (Canada's largest Credit Union), Pacific Blue Cross and CAA British Columbia. She is the CEO of Strategic Technology Leadership Corporation (STLC) that specializes in advisory services on IT governance and the strategic use of technology. She recently completed six years as Executive in Residence at the Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University in Vancouver.

Dr. Boivie is a certified member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and is a Director/Chair on the boards of the Commissioner for Complaints for Telecom-television Services (CCTS), the Arts Club Theatre Company and the MedicAlert Foundation Canada. Catherine, as the Co-President on the Vancouver Women in Technology (VanWIT) board, is a strong advocate for encouraging women to enter, stay and thrive in technology field.

Catherine has a BMath degree from University of Waterloo, MEd and PhD from University of Toronto and has been publicly recognized for her contributions, including being named twice as one of WXN Canada's top 100 most powerful women in the "Trailblazers and Trendsetters" category, received the University of Waterloo Mathematics Alumni Achievement Medal as well as the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee medal for being a "catalyst for technology transformation".

She believes that one has to “put back into society what one takes out”. Hence she was instrumental in establishing various funds to assist others: YWCA of Vancouver, to provide high quality child care to support single mothers wishing to return to further their education; the Boivie Family Fund (BFF) at the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University to support women in technology; Arts Club Theatre Company to advance women in the theatre and University of Waterloo to provide financial assistance for graduate students in mathematics.

Founder and CEO, Curatio

Ms. Lynda Brown-Ganzert is the founder and CEO of Curatio, a patient matchmaking platform in a private mobile social network that helps patients find one another and the support they need. Widely regarded as a digital media expert who has played an active role in growing the sector across Canada, Ms. Brown-Ganzert served as Vice President at Nordicity, a leading consulting firm specializing in policy, strategy, and economic analysis in the media, creative and information and communications technology sectors from 2011 to 2013. She was instrumental in helping establish in 2007 the Master of Digital Media program as the first jointly credentialed academic program offered at the Centre for Digital Media, which is accredited by its four partner institutions, The University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, Emily Carr Institute of Art + Design and the British Columbia Institute of Technology.

Ms. Brown-Ganzert has won numerous awards as an entrepreneur, including Business in Vancouver’s Top Forty Under 40, Novartis Health 2.0 Global Challenge and Metabridge 2015 for the top 15 Canadian emerging tech startups. She has served on numerous boards, including the Canadian Interactive Alliance, Information Technology Association of Canada and Pacific Cinematheque, and she was most recently recognized as chair emerita at Simon Fraser University, where she had previously graduated with a Master’s of Education and a Bachelor’s of Arts (Communications) degrees.

CEO, KeliRo Company

Dr. John Kelly is CEO of KeliRo Company, a company that provides consultancy services to the life sciences sector. He is also President of DNAstack, a genomics bioinformatics company in Toronto and he is the Senior Innovation Advisor for Bioenterprise Corporation, focused on innovation in agri-technologies. He has a wealth of experience in the private and public sector and has held various executive and Board of Director positions with start-ups and multinational companies, including the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers’ Association, Life Sciences Ontario, Ontario South Coast Wineries and Growers Association, Ontario Genomics, Ontario Hazelnut Association, Ontario Lavender Association, MaRS Landing, Land O’Lakes, Ralston Purina, Rhone-Poulenc Canada Inc. and Aventis CropSciences Inc., as well as the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Dr. Kelly is also Adjunct Professor in the Department of Plant Agriculture and formerly in the Department of Animal Biosciences at the University of Guelph.

Dr. Kelly has an extensive background working with entrepreneurs and innovation in human health and life sciences, agriculture, food and bio-economy sectors in domestic and international markets. An extensive publisher, he has authored hundreds of research and extension publications throughout his career, attracted several million in investment and been a serial entrepreneur and investor. Throughout his career, he has been focused on innovation development and implementation, actively advancing products and technologies in agriculture, food, biotechnology, pharma and the bioeconomy sectors.

Dr. Kelly has a B.Sc. (Agr.) and Ph.D. from the University of Guelph and a Master of Science from the University of Alberta.

President and CEO, Tidal Pool Ventures Inc.

Dr. Ronald Layden is President and CEO of Tidal Pool Ventures Inc., a consulting company, specializing in research studies, valuations and northern research. Since 2001, he is also the Senior Advisor and VP Life Sciences for Venture Valuation AG (Zurich, CH), where he is involved in company and product valuations and assessments. His previous roles include CEO of a biotechnology company; venture capitalist and co-founder of several businesses; and a senior manager in the pharmaceutical industry, with assignments at Roche, Bayer and Eli Lilly. From 2005 to 2010, Dr. Layden was the Executive Director of Industry Liaison and Innovation at Dalhousie University, where he created a new department for commercializing academic research, carrying out applied research studies with the private sector and developing spinout companies.

Dr. Layden has research and laboratory experience in oil field chemistry, immunology, molecular biology, environmental studies and genetics. Most recently, he directed applied climate change and northern research studies at the Aurora Research Institute in Yellowknife. Research projects included studies on the hydrology of the Snare Hydro System, analysis of groundwater and drinking water in the community of Whati, landscape surveys for methane and other greenhouse gases in the Mackenzie-Beaufort Delta and the feasibility of using novel solid waste gasification systems in northern communities.

Dr. Layden was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, where he studied trans-splicing in African trypanosomes and the implications for host-immune responses. Dr. Layden also studied zebrafish brain development at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Layden earned his Ph.D. at Western University (the University of Western Ontario) and his B.Sc. from Dalhousie University, both in biochemistry.

Associate Professor of Psychology, Lakehead University
Associate Professor of Human Sciences, Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Christopher Mushquash, PhD, is a Certified (Registered) Psychologist and is Anishinawbe (Ojibway), and a member of Pawgwasheeng (Pays Plat First Nation). He is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University, and at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine University, and is a clinical psychologist at Dilico Anishinabek Family Care. He is Vice President Research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, and Chief Scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He is also Director of the Centre for Rural and Northern Health Research at Lakehead University.

Dr. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Mental Health and Addiction, with expertise in rural and northern clinical practice and the development of culturally appropriate interventions for mental health and addiction difficulties in First Nations children, adolescents and adults. He is a researcher, clinician and First Nation scholar who was born and raised in rural Northwestern Ontario.

Professor and Canada Research Chair in Antimicrobial Resistance, Université Laval

Dr. Marc Ouellette is a professor in the Department of Microbiology-Infectious Diseases and Immunology at the Université Laval School of Medicine. He holds a Canada Research Chair in antimicrobial resistance and is an investigator at the Infectious Diseases and Immunity Axis of the Research Centre of the CHU de Québec-Université Laval. His work focuses on antimicrobial resistance where he has made seminal discoveries on resistance mechanisms in protozoan parasites and in bacteria.

Dr. Ouellette obtained his Bachelor of Science (Honours) in Biochemistry at the University of Ottawa and received his PhD at Université Laval on antibiotic resistance in bacteria. He was the Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Infection and Immunity from 2010 to 2018. He has received numerous awards for his work including a New Investigator Award in Molecular Parasitology and a Scholar Award in Molecular Parasitology from the Burroughs Wellcome Fund, as well as a Scientist Award from the Medical Research Council of Canada. Dr. Ouellette is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. He has served on numerous panels or boards of national and international granting agencies and research organizations and is a strong supporter of scientific exchanges with developing countries.

Morag Park is a professor in the departments of oncology, biochemistry and medicine at McGill University. She was the director of the Molecular Oncology Group at the McGill University Hospital Centre (2006–08), scientific director of the Institute of Cancer Research for the CIHR (2008–13), co-chair of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (2008–10) and is now director of the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute (2013–present). She is a Distinguished James McGill Professor and holds the Diane and Sal Guerrera Chair in Cancer Genetics at McGill.

Dr. Park is a research leader in the field of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTK) and signal transduction, she established the Breast Cancer Functional Genomics Group at McGill and has pioneered studies of the breast tumour and immune microenvironment in triple negative breast cancer. She was the elected chair of the Tumour Microenvironment Network of the American Association for Cancer Research (2015–17).

Dr. Park completed a BSc with first class honors from the University of Glasgow, a PhD in viral carcinogenesis at the Medical Research Council Virology Institute in Scotland and postdoctoral training at the National Institutes for Cancer Research in Washington DC. She is a Knight of the Ordre national du Québec, Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada and Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. She is a recipient of the Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Research award from the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (2015) and also a recipient of the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences Arthur Wynne Gold Medal (2016) for having made major contributions to biochemistry, molecular and cell biology in Canada. Most recently she is a recipient of the Canadian Cancer Society Robert L. Noble Prize (2017).  

President, Technology Alberta

Gail Powley is a community-builder, championing the growth of the tech sector by supporting entrepreneurial advanced tech companies and raising their visibility, advising on policies and providing access to talent. She has worked in industry, government and academia for more than three decades.

Powley graduated with a chemical engineering degree from the University of Alberta. Over the next 20 years she took on technology development and process automation roles with companies including Microtel Pacific Research (B.C.), Procter & Gamble (Toronto), Aspen Technologies (Calgary), Matrikon (now Honeywell, Edmonton) and Willowglen Systems (Edmonton). As a practitioner, she applied advanced technology for the energy, pulp and paper, and transportation industries. Through this experience, she progressed through to executive management.

To pursue her interest in supporting a diverse workforce, she joined WISEST (Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science & Technology) where she helped found WISER (Women in Science, Engineering & Research), a group for graduate students and young professionals. Throughout the years, Powley’s volunteer leadership roles have included founding organizations like BESTT (Bridge for Engineering, Science, and Technology Talent) and MentorUP Alberta — groups that support underrepresented professionals in science and engineering in both industry and academia.

Her volunteer work with the Alberta Women’s Science Network earned her recognition as a Mentor of the Millennium. She was founding chair of the Women in APEGA advisory group, and led the development of “Managing Transitions Before, During and After Leave,” a best-practices guide for employees and employers that supports the retention of women STEM professionals after maternity leave; the document was adapted and jointly published by Engineers Canada and Geoscientists Canada. Powley’s work to build a more diverse, inclusive and innovative work force also earned her the Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion APEGA Summit Award in 2014.

In her role as President of Technology Alberta, Powley and her team collaborated with champions in industry and academia during the COVID-19 pandemic to mobilize tech companies across the province (with federal and provincial government support) to provide work opportunities for unemployed students and professionals. As a result, 500 work placement opportunities were created which will: grow advanced technology companies, provide valuable professional development, and build community.

Retired, Past President and Vice-Chancellor, York University

Dr. Mamdouh Shoukri was appointed the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of York University on July 1, 2007. He completed his decade-long tenure as President on June 30, 2017. A champion of innovation, Dr. Shoukri guided York’s transformation into a comprehensive and research-intensive university. As President, he established the Lassonde School of Engineering and initiated several major capital development projects.

Dr. Shoukri began his career in academia at McMaster University, where his scholarly work focused on the area of thermofluid sciences. He held several administrative leadership positions, including Department Chair, Dean of Engineering and Vice-President Research. In 2004, he was responsible for creating and implementing the vision for the McMaster Innovation Park, which has become a major innovation hub and catalyst for the region’s economic recovery. Prior to joining McMaster, Dr. Shoukri worked in research and development in the Canadian nuclear industry for seven years.

Dr. Shoukri served on the Board of Directors of a number of organizations including Cancer Care Ontario, Universities Canada, Loran Scholars Foundation, York Central Hospital, was a founding Board Member of the Ontario Centres of Excellence and was a member of the Ontario Research and Innovation Council.

Dr. Shoukri was named a Member of the Order of Canada and the Order of Ontario in 2013, and was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal. He is a Senior Fellow of Massey College and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering and the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering. Dr. Shoukri’s scholarly interests are in thermofluid science.

Assistant Professor, Management Accounting, University of Prince Edward Island

Bill Waterman is an Assistant Professor at the University of Prince Edward Island, teaching primarily in the management accounting area. In his more than three decades of experience, he has worked in many natural resource, manufacturing and service industries as well as public service organizations. In the past 11 years, he has also taught undergraduates at Mount Allison University and in the graduate program at the Université de Moncton.

Recently retired from the Board of Examiners for Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada, Waterman has spent the last decade and a half working on numerous committees to ensure the Canadian CPA remains the world’s preeminent accounting body. He has offered workshops in operations and supply chain management and continues to be a lifelong learner. He has overseen essential functions in private, publicly traded firms and government agencies. He is a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA CMA) and an holds a Master of Business Administration from the Université de Moncton. His current area of research is Indigenous business models for the community, business and governments.

Committees

As per its bylaws, the Board established three standing committees, specified their duties and delegated such powers and duties as it deemed advisable. All committee members are appointed by the Board from among the Directors and they hold office for terms of one year.

The Board of Directors oversees management’s responsibilities for financial reporting through its Audit and Finance Committee. This committee reviews the financial statements and recommends them to the Board of Directors for approval which are then received by the Members. The Board of Directors approves the CFI's financial controls and audits and is accountable to the Members. Other key responsibilities of this committee include reviewing the budgets, internal control procedures, and advising the Directors on auditing matters and financial reporting issues.

Current members:

  • William Waterman, Chair
  • Catherine Boivie
  • John Kelly
  • Ronald Layden
  • Ingrid Pickering

The Investment Committee oversees all matters related to the investment management of amounts received from the federal government in accordance with the Funding and Contribution Agreements. This committee establishes an investment strategy and an investment policy which are reviewed annually.

Current members:

  • William Waterman, Chair
  • Catherine Boivie
  • John Kelly
  • Ronald Layden
  • Ingrid Pickering

The Governance and Nominating Committee ensures that the proper framework is in place for the CFI to operate in the most efficient and accountable manner. Among other things, this committee is responsible for amendments to by-laws, human resources policies, succession planning, the annual performance evaluation of the President, and the code of conduct that governs the Board of Directors, CFI employees, and reviewers.

The committee regularly reviews Board effectiveness and establishes procedures to follow when filling vacancies on the Board and for Members.

Directors and Members are nominated, and then appointed for a three-year term for Directors, and for a five-year term for Members. The Board has chosen to use the guidelines established by the Government of Canada entitled, “Remuneration Guidelines for Part-Time Governor in Council Appointees in Crown Corporations.”  Directors who opt to receive remuneration from the CFI are entitled to an annual retainer of $5,000, while committee chairs receive $7,500 and the Board Chair $10,000. They are also entitled to receive a per-meeting fee of $750 for attending Board or committee meetings, and a $500 fee for attending a committee meeting associated with a Board meeting. Members are not entitled to any remuneration. However, they may be reimbursed for any reasonable out-of-pocket expenses they incur while performing their duties or attending CFI Member meetings.

Current members:

  • Cecilia Moloney, Chair
  • Lynda Brown-Ganzert
  • Christopher Mushquash 
  • Marc Ouellette
  • Morag Park
  • Gail Powley
  • Ingrid Pickering
  • Mamdouh Shoukri
  • Jack Gauldie, Chair
  • Lorne Babiuk
  • Joanne Gassman
  • Pierre Richard