Members and board of directors

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.

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.

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.

Martha Crago is Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders at McGill University since 1988.

Her professional experience also includes positions as Vice President of Research and Innovation at McGill University from 2017 to 2024; Vice President of Research at Dalhousie University from 2008 to 2017; Vice Rector of International Relations at the Université de Montréal from 2005 to 2008; Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies at McGill University from 1997 to 2005.

Her involvement in governance brought her to take on the roles of member of the Board of Trustees of the Canadian Museum of Nature since 2025; chair of the Board of Directors of Canadian Light Source since 2025; vice chair of the Board of Directors of the Fonds de Recherche du Québec since 2024; and expert advisor for Innovitech since 2024.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• Cross of the Order of Merit (Germany, 2022)
• Honorary Doctor of Science from The University of British Columbia (2020)
• Member of the Order of Canada (2017)
• Knight of the Order of Palmes Académiques (France, 2009)

Martha Crago holds a PhD and a master's degree in communication sciences and disorders, as well as a bachelor's degree in sociology and anthropology from McGill University.

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.

Janet L. Ecker was the founding CEO of the Toronto Financial Services Alliance, a concept she turned into an influential public-private partnership dedicated to building Toronto as an international financial services centre. With government and industry support, she established the Global Risk Institute in Financial Services to leverage the sector’s global reputation for stability, as well as the Centre of Excellence in Financial Services Education to capitalize on the region’s talent advantages. The World Economic Forum recognized the centre as a best practice in collaborative public–private partnerships. 

A former minister of finance for Ontario, and the first woman to deliver a budget in the province, Janet Ecker also brought significant public policy reforms during her political career as minister of education, minister of community and social services, and government house leader. 

Before entering public life, she was the director of policy for the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the first non-physician in the role. During that time, the college launched major reforms to prevent sexual abuse of patients, obtain patient consent to treatment and adapt to the new Regulated Health Professions Act. Janet Ecker now serves as the first non-physician director on the board of the Canadian Medical Association. 

A frequent public speaker and media commentator, she sits on a wide range of public and private sector boards, agencies and government advisory committees; she is also a senior fellow of the C.D. Howe Institute, is a member of its national council and was co-chair of its Digital Economy Task Force. She was the founding vice-chair of the Greater Toronto Area investment attraction agency, Toronto Global, and served on the founding board of the Ontario government’s new agency, Invest Ontario. 

Among other leadership awards, in 2016 she received the Order of Canada for her public service contributions. Janet Ecker is also one of the founders of Equal Voice, a national, multi-partisan organization working to elect more women, and The Prosperity Project, a national advocacy group working to minimize the negative economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on women.

Feridun Hamdullahpur (Waterloo, Ontario) is President Emeritus of the University of Waterloo since 2021. 

His professional experience includes positions as Chancellor of the International Business University since 2021 and Adjunct Professor of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Waterloo since 2023. 

His involvement in governance brought him to take on the roles of chair of the Board of Directors of the Digital Research Alliance of Canada since 2024; member of the Board of Directors of the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation since 2023; member of the Board of Governors of Yeditepe University (Republic of Türkiye) since 2021; chair and independent director of the Board of Directors of AMTD Group and AMTD IDEA (France) in 2019; member and treasurer of the Board of Trustees of World Education Services (WES, United-States) since 2019; member of the Canadian Advisory Board of ApplyBoard Inc. since 2018; and member of the International Advisory Board of King Abdulaziz University (Saudi Arabia) since 2015. 

Some notable distinctions in his career include: 

• Member of the Order of Canada (2022)
• Knight of the Order of Palmes Académiques (2019, France)
• Lifetime Achievement Award from the Southern African Society for Co-operative Education (2019)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2018)
• Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2014)
• Member of the Order of Merit (2014, Republic of Türkiye)
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013) 

Feridun Hamdullahpur holds a PhD in chemical engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia at Dalhousie University as well as a master's degree and a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Istanbul (Republic of Türkiye). 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Nancy Déziel (Shawinigan, Quebec) is Director General at the National Center in Environmental technology and Electrochemistry (CNETE) since 1993. She is also City Councillor for Shawinigan’s Rivière district since 2013.

Her professional experience includes being currently involved in the founding of the Centre d’innovation inter-ordre sur les batteries et l’électrification des transports and of laboratories at the Centre Technologique des Résidus Industriels from 2004 to 2008. She was a technical advisor for the agriculture, food and biotechnology industries for the Synchronex CCTT Network (a network of college centres for the transfer of technologies) in 2008.

Her involvement in governance includes serving as a member representing businesses on the Mauricie Regional Council of Labour Market Partners of Québec’s Ministère de l'Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale from 2023 to 2025; member of the Governance Committee of Médicament Québec from 2022 to present; member of the Board of Directors of the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec from 2011 to 2022 and chair from 2022 to present; vice chair of the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Nature et technologie from 2012 to 2019; both member and chair of the Board of Directors of the Synchronex CCTT Network between 2010 and present; and secretary-treasurer of the Board of Directors of Économie du Savoir Mauricie from 2010 to 2024.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• Diversity and Inclusion Award from the Shawinigan Chamber of Commerce and Industry received on behalf the CNETE (2020)
• Women in Business Award from the Shawinigan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (2018)

Nancy Déziel holds a college diploma in analytical chemistry with a specialization in electrochemistry from Cégep de Shawinigan.

William Waterman (Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island) is Assistant Professor of Management Accounting at the University of Prince Edward Island since 2017.

His professional experience includes positions as Finance Manager at Aurora College from 2016 to 2017; Professor at Université de Moncton from 2010 to 2016; Assistant Professor at Mount Allison University from 2005 to 2015 and Head of the Commerce Department from 2014 to 2015; and various other positions in accounting, audit and control of finances since 1989.

His involvement in governance includes serving as member of the Board of Governors at the University of Prince Edward Island from 2023 to 2025; member of Senate from 2021 to 2025; member of the Board of Examiners of Chartered Professional Accountants (CPA) Canada from 2013 to 2020; member of the Board of Examiners of Certified Managerial Accountants (CMA) Canada from 2007 to 2015, as well as holding the vice chair position from 2010 to 2015.

William Waterman holds a master’s degree in business administration from the Université de Moncton. He is a CPA CMA with membership in Prince Edward Island and New Brunswick.

Bruce Archibald (Guelph, Ontario) is President of Archibald Innovations Inc., a consulting company specializing in science evaluation, management and policy, since 2017 and Strategic Advisor to McMaster University since 2022.

His professional experience includes positions as Executive Director of Ontario Global 100 from 2017 to 2022 and Associate Director from 2022 to 2024; President of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from 2013 to 2016; inaugural President of the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario from 2009 to 2013; Ontario Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Growth from 2008 to 2009; and Ontario Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs from 2005 to 2008.

His involvement in governance includes serving as both chair and member of the Board of Directors of Let’s Talk Science from 2017 to present and chair of the Deputy Ministers Committee on Science and Technology from 2014 to 2016.

Some notable distinctions in his career include:

• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)
• Biotechnology Initiative Public Service Award (2009)

Bruce Archibald holds a PhD in environmental toxicology, as well as a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in agriculture from the University of Guelph. He also holds an honorary PhD from McMaster University.

Pierre Bilodeau (Chelsea, Quebec) is President and Chief Executive Officer of ArcticNet since 2025.

His professional experience includes positions as Vice President of Strategy and Stakeholder Engagement and then of Standardization Services at the Standards Council of Canada from 2021 to 2025; Senior Director and subsequently Executive Director of the Plant Health Science Division at the Canadian Food Inspection Agency from 2016 to 2021; Vice President of Operations and then Chief Operating Officer at International Science and Technology Partnership Canada from 2011 to 2015; Director of Scholarships and Fellowships and then of Bio-Industries at the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada from 2005 to 2011; and various positions at Medicago Inc. from 2001 to 2005.

His involvement in governance includes serving as member of the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change Advisory Committee for the Municipality of Chelsea (Quebec) from 2022 to present; president of the Hollow Glen Resident Association from 2021 to present; and director of the Fondation Forêt Boucher from 2016 to 2018.

Some notable distinctions in his career include:

• President’s National Award for Exceptional Service Delivery for advancing genomic tools to strengthen Canada’s forest pest and pathogen detection and response capabilities from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (2017)
• Architect of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council’s Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program initially launched in 2009
• Champion of the Statement of Principles on Key Professional Skills Requirements for New Researchers developed by the three federal research funding agencies in 2008
• Award for leadership in establishing new public-private partnerships from the Crop and Plant Business Unit of the Alberta Research Council (2000)
• Commonwealth Scholarship from the Australian Department of Employment, Education and Training (1993)

Pierre Bilodeau was a postdoctoral fellow at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, Plant Industry in Canberra, Australia. He holds a PhD in plant sciences from the Australian National University, as well as a master’s degree and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from the Université Laval.

Richard Florizone (Waterloo, Ontario) is President of Florizone Consulting since 2023; Special Advisor to the President of the University of Waterloo since 2025; Senior Advisor for Canadian Power-to-X Partners since 2024; and President Emeritus of Dalhousie University since 2019.

His professional experience includes positions as Chief Executive Officer of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) from 2020 to 2023; President of Dalhousie University from 2013 to 2019; Senior Adviser of Public-Private Partnership Transaction Advisory Services for the International Finance Corporation in 2012; Vice President of Finance and Resources at the University of Saskatchewan from 2005 to 2012; Director of Strategic Initiatives for Bombardier Aerospace from 2004 to 2005; Consultant from 1999 to 2002 and Project Leader from 2003 to 2004 for the Boston Consulting Group.

His involvement in governance includes serving on a range of non-profit, Crown corporation and corporate boards over the last two decades, including the Canadian Light Source, Universities Canada and MDA Space. He obtained the designation of Chartered Director in 2013.

Some notable distinctions in his career include:

• Fellow of the Balsillie School of International Affairs (2021 to present)
• Senior Executive Fellow of Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Energy (2019 to 2023)
• Top 50 CEO by the Atlantic Business Magazine (2016)
• Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2015)
• Gil Bennett Gold Standard Award from the Directors College at McMaster University (2013)

Richard Florizone holds a PhD in physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and both a master’s degree in physics and a bachelor’s degree in engineering physics from the University of Saskatchewan.

Joelle Foster (Winnipeg, Manitoba) co-founded North Forge, a tech incubator and fabrication lab, in 2016. She is the President and Chief Executive Officer of North Forge since 2020. She is also Managing Partner and co-founder of the Women’s Equity Lab since 2021.

Her professional experience includes positions as inaugural Executive Director of the University of Calgary’s Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking from 2018 to 2020; Director for Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nunavut and the Northwest Territories at Futurpreneur Canada from 2010 to 2018; and Program Manager at the accounting firm MNP from 2008 to 2010.

Her involvement in governance includes serving as member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada Synergy Awards for Innovation Committee from 2023 to 2025; member of the University of Manitoba Lab2Market Steering Committee from 2022 to present; member of Research Manitoba’s College of Reviewers from 2019 to 2025; and member of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Council of Small Business and Entrepreneurship from 2018 to 2022.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• Diversity and Inclusion Innovation Award from the Technology Councils of North America (2024)
• Spirit of Winnipeg CODE (Commitment to Opportunity, Diversity & Equity) Award from the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce (2024)

Joelle Foster completed the Advanced Program in Management, Leadership and Strategy at the University of Manitoba’s Asper School of Business. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Manitoba, as well as an advanced certificate in business administration and a diploma in business administration from Red River College Polytech.

François Gros-Louis (Québec City, Quebec) is Full Professor of Surgery at Université Laval’s Faculty of Medicine since 2021. He is also Director of Québec’s induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) production platform, which operates out of CHU de Québec-Université Laval (Hôpital de l’Enfant–Jésus) since 2019.

His professional experience includes the position of researcher at the CHU de Québec–Université Laval (Hôpital de l’Enfant-Jésus) since 2011.

His involvement in governance includes serving as member of the Institute of Genetics Advisory Board of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from 2025 to present; member of the Scientific and Medical Advisory Council of the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Society of Canada from 2016 to 2022; member of the Advisory Committee for The Tissue Engineering Laboratory (LOEX) at Université Laval from 2012 to 2022.

Some notable distinctions in his career include:

• Canada Research Chair in Tissue Engineering and 3D Modelling of Brain Disease, Tier 1 (2023 to present)
• Chaire de recherche sur les organes reconstruits en laboratoire et leurs applications cliniques (research chair in lab-grown organs and their clinical applications), Tier 2 (2012 to 2022)

François Gros-Louis holds a PhD in human genetics from McGill University, a master’s degree in experimental medicine from the Université Laval and a bachelor’s degree in medical biology from the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. He also holds a certificate in bioinformatics from The University of British Columbia.

Josette-Renée Landry (Ottawa, Ontario) is President and Chief Executive Officer of Génome Québec since 2023; Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of Ottawa since 2022; Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at Université de Montréal since 2017; and co-founder and President of Streamline Genomics since 2017.

Her professional experience also includes positions as Chief Executive Officer of the Institut du Savoir Montfort from 2020 to 2023; Vice President of Education and Research at Montfort Hospital from 2020 to 2023; Innovator in Residence at CHU Sainte-Justine from 2019 to 2020; Vice President of Business Development at Mitacs from 2010 to 2018; and Senior Genomics Advisor at the Université de Montréal from 2008 to 2010.

Her involvement in governance includes serving as member of the Board of Directors of Health Data Research Network Canada from 2022 to present; member of the Governing Council of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from 2018 to 2025; and member of the Advisory Committee of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada from 2016 to 2018.

While Streamline Genomics was awarded one of ten “Inventions of the Year” by Québec Science (2019), some notable distinctions in her career also include:

• Governor General's Canadian Leadership Conference participant (2017)
• Fellow of McGill University’s AI for Social Good Lab from the Montréal Founder Institute (2017)

Josette-Renée Landry completed postdoctoral training at the University of Cambridge. She holds a PhD in genetics from The University of British Columbia, a master’s degree in business administration from HEC Montréal and a bachelor’s degree in biology from McGill University.

Ronald Layden (Halifax, Nova Scotia) is President and Chief Executive Officer of Tidal Pool Ventures Inc., a consulting company specializing in research studies, valuations and northern research, since 2006. He is also the Senior Advisor and Vice President Life Sciences for Venture Valuation AG (Zurich, Switzerland) since 2001 and Digital Literacy Trainer for the South Shore Public Libraries since 2023.

His professional experience also includes positions as Manager of the North Slave Research Centre at Aurora Research Institute from 2016 to 2018; Executive Director at Dalhousie University from 2005 to 2010; President and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide Ventures Inc. from 2000 to 2005; President and Chief Executive Officer of Viron Therapeutics Inc. from 1997 to 2000; and many other positions in the pharmaceutical industry at Ciba-Geigy, Roche, Bayer and Eli Lilly between 1989 and 1997.

His involvement in governance includes serving as member of the boards of directors of: BioNova from 2007 to 2009; Alliance for Commercialization of Canadian Technology from 2006 to 2010; Matthews Hall School (London, Ontario) from 2002 to 2004. He was also a member of the Management and Scientific Advisory Board of Canadian Medical Discoveries Fund from 1997 to 1999.

Ronald Layden studied zebrafish brain development at the Friedrich Miescher Institute for Biomedical Research in Basel, Switzerland. He was a postdoctoral fellow at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, Washington, United-States. He holds a PhD in biochemistry from Western University and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Dalhousie University.

Cathy McIntyre (Victoria, British Columbia) is a Chartered Director since 2012; and Principal at Strategic Initiatives Inc. since 1998.

Her involvement in governance includes serving on the Boards of Directors of Technical Safety BC from 2024 to present; Engineers and Geoscientists BC from 2023 to present; First West Credit Union from 2017 to present; Consumer Protection BC from 2017 to 2023; Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health (now called Canada’s Drug Agency) from 2016 to 2023; and the Board of Governors of the University of Victoria from 2015 to 2021.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• Chartered Professional Accountant Award from Camosun College School of Business (2017)
• University of Victoria's Alumni Who Made a Difference (2013)
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2012)

Cathy McIntyre holds a master’s degree in entrepreneurship from the University of Victoria and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Queen’s University. She also holds a post-degree diploma in accounting from Camosun College, a Corporate Director Certificate from Harvard Business School and is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.

Morag Park (Montréal, Quebec) is the McGill University Diane and Sal Guerrera Chair in Cancer Genetics since 2003 and Professor of Oncology, Biochemistry and Medicine at McGill University since 1992.

Her professional experience includes positions as Director of the Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute 2013 to 2025; Scientific Director of the Institute of Cancer Research for the Canadian Institutes of Health Research from 2008 to 2013; Director of the Molecular Oncology Group at the McGill University Hospital Centre from 2006 to 2008; and founder of the Breast Cancer Functional Genomics Group at McGill University in 2000.

Her involvement in governance includes serving as chair of the Tumour Microenvironment Network of the American Association for Cancer Research from 2015 to 2017 and co-chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance from 2008 to 2010.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• Research and Innovation Laureate, Foundation Y des Femmes, Women of Distinction Awards (2022)
• Knight of the Ordre National du Québec (2021)
• Prix Armand-Frappier, Les Prix du Québec (2021)
• Prix Michel-Sarrazin, Club de Recherches Cliniques du Québec (2021)
• Grand Prix Scientifique, Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation (2019)
• Distinguished James McGill Professor Award (2019)
• Robert L. Noble Prize from the Canadian Cancer Society (2017)
• Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2017)
• Arthur Wynne Gold Medal from the Canadian Society for Molecular Biosciences (2016)
• Exceptional Leadership in Cancer Research Award from the Canadian Cancer Research Alliance (2015)
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada (2007)

Morag Park completed postdoctoral training at the National Institutes for Cancer Research in Washington D.C. (United-States). She holds a PhD in viral carcinogenesis from the Medical Research Council Virology Institute in Scotland and a bachelor’s degree with first class honours from the University of Glasgow.

Gail Powley (Edmonton, Alberta) is Executive Director of ASTech Awards since 2022 and President of Technology Alberta since 2016.

Her professional experience includes positions as Vice President of Corporate Development at Willowglen Systems Inc. from 2011 to 2016; Vice President of Automation and Corporate Marketing at KemeX Ltd. from 2009 to 2011; Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Matrikon from 1999 to 2006; and Senior Consultant for Aspen Technologies from 1986 to 1999.

Her involvement in governance includes serving as vice chair of Women in Scholarship, Engineering, Science and Technology (WISEST) where she helped co-found Women in Science, Engineering and Research (WISER) and subsequently launch two programs: Bridge for Engineering, Science and Technology Talent, and MentorUP. She was also the founding chair of the Women in APEGA Advisory Group at the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.

Some notable distinctions in her career include:

• StartUP Champion of the Year (2023)
• Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (2022)
• Women in Engineering and Geoscience Champion Award from APEGA (2014)

Gail Powley is a Professional Engineer and holds a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering from the University of Alberta.

Mamdouh Shoukri (Toronto, Ontario) is President Emeritus of York University since 2017.

His professional experience includes positions as seventh President and Vice Chancellor of York University from 2007 to 2017; founder of the Lassonde School of Engineering in 2011; Vice President of Research and International Affairs at McMaster University from 2001 to 2007; Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at McMaster University from 1994 to 2001; and several positions in research and development in the Canadian nuclear industry for seven years.

His involvement in governance includes serving as member of the boards of directors of: Universities Canada from 2015 to 2017; Loran Scholars Foundation from 2010 to 2018; Cancer Care Ontario from 2008 to 2015; the Ontario Research and Innovation Council from 2006 to 2008. He was also a founding member of the Board of Directors of Ontario Centres of Excellence from 2004 to 2012.

Some notable distinctions in his career include:

• Honorary Doctor of Science, McMaster University (2014)
• Member of the Order of Canada (2013)
• Member of the Order of Ontario (2013)
• Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)
• Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (2001)

Mamdouh Shoukri holds a PhD and a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from McMaster University and a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Cairo University.

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
• Nancy Déziel
• Josette-Renée Landry
• Ronald Layden
• Cathy McIntyre

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
• Nancy Déziel
• Josette-Renée Landry
• Ronald Layden
• Cathy McIntyre

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:

• Mamdouh Shoukri, Chair
• Bruce Archibald
• Pierre Bilodeau
• Nancy Déziel
• François Gros-Louis
• Morag Park
• Gail Powley

• Lorne Babiuk, Chair
• Jean-Paul Deveau
• Alexandra King
• Erasmus Okine
• Pierre Richard