The Tech Futures Board is comprised of research, innovation and business leaders who share their expertise, insight and connections to encourage the development of new partnerships and empower people to find solutions to some of society's greatest challenges.
Ron Triffo, Chair
Chair Emeritus, Stantec Inc.
Dr. Triffo is the Chair Emeritus of Stantec Inc., an engineering and international professional services company where he has served in various executive management positions for more than 30 years. He is a member of several professional associations and has held responsible committee and board positions with a variety of technical and business groups. He is currently a Director of TELUS Corporation. He is the immediate past-Chair of ATB Financial, as well as the Alberta Economic Development Authority. He also serves on the board of Alberta's Promise, the Advisory Council of the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta, and the Board of Governors of Junior Achievement of Northern Alberta. He was inducted into the Alberta Business Hall of Fame in 2005.
Gerard (Gerry) Protti, Vice-Chair
Chairman, Flint-Transfield Services
Mr. Protti is Chairman of the Board of Flint Transfield Services. He has over 35 years of experience in the energy industry. He has 15 years of experience as an executive officer in EnCana and one of its predecessor companies PanCanadian Energy. These roles included marketing, business development, operations, new ventures, corporate relations and international. Mr. Protti was also the inauguaral President of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers. His extensive experience includes roles as Assistant Deputy Minister with the Government of Alberta's Energy Department, and senior positions with the Alberta Treasury department and the Canadian Energy Research Institute. He is currently a member of a number of boards including Petromanas Energy, Sub-One Technology, the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research and the Energy Policy Institute of Canada. He serves as an advisor to Zurich based Emerald Technology Ventures and Utah based Purestream Technology.
Tom Corr
President and Chief Executive Officer, Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) Inc.
Dr. Corr is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE). OCE drives the commercialization of research across key market sectors in Ontario including ICT & Digital Media, Energy and Environment, Advanced Manufacturing, and Advanced Healthcare. OCE is funded by the Government of Ontario, and through its Federally funded Centre for Commercialization of Research, also acts as a catalyst for innovative businesses to grow and achieve sustainable, commercial success and global competitiveness. He has over 30 years of entrepreneurial experience in the IT and venture capital sectors and is on the board of a number of organizations including the Waterloo Research and Technology Park - Accelerator Centre.
Scott Fawcett
Global Commercialization Advisor
Scott Fawcett offers small and medium sized businesses strategic expertise on how to successfully expand into the global marketplace. In this capacity, he helps Alberta companies accelerate successful customer field trials, raise capital, expand into the global marketplace and prepare for optimal exit valuations. He has globally commercialized over 20 products and solutions in 21 years. His core focus has been working with various technology companies and standards bodies to deliver technology solutions that meet the unique needs of specific vertical industries and the public sector. Some of his past roles include: Global Energy Industry Manager for Microsoft, Global B2B Strategy Manager Microsoft, and Director, Energy Industry & Smart Grid for Cisco Systems. He is also active in the Western Canada VC and angel investor community.
J. Douglas Gilpin
Retired Partner, KPMG LLP
Mr. Gilpin is a Chartered Accountant who retired from the partnership of KPMG LLP in 1999. In 2008, he received a Life Time Achievement Award from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta in recognition of 40 years experience in delivering professional services to business and the community. During his 18 years tenure in Advisory Services at KPMG, he served as audit engagement partner for both private and public sector organizations. He continues to consult on corporate governance, including compliance with Sarbanes Oxley Act 404 reporting for issuers listed on the New York, American and NASDAQ stock exchanges, and NI- 52-109 reporting for issuers listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. He is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors and serves on several private and public boards of directors.
Greg Luoma
President, Luoma Tech Inc.
Dr. Luoma is the President of Luoma Tech Inc. He is a technology leader with over 25 years experience in the defense and security industry, combining broad technical expertise with strong business acumen to produce world leading solutions. From 2004-2008, he was Chief Technology Officer at General Dynamics Canada, a Canadian defense company, where he restructured the technology development program. He is a member of several boards, including the Quantum Works NSERC Centre of Excellence, Waterloo, and the University of Calgary Institute for Quantum Information Science.
Kenneth (Ken) McKinnon
Vice President and General Counsel, Critical Mass Inc.
Mr. McKinnon is Vice President and General Counsel for Critical Mass Inc. He is a senior executive skilled at providing finance, strategic and legal services in the public and private market place. He has successfully worked with small management teams and entrepreneurs to grow organizations into significant businesses, and he provides a well-rounded business solution approach to problem solving. As a director, his skills in corporate governance, business strategy and financial insight have assisted various management teams in substantial high growth environments. He serves on various boards including Petrobank Energy and Resources Ltd., PetroBakken Energy Ltd., Petrominerales Ltd. and the Board of Governors of the University of Calgary. He is the recipient of the 2007 Management Alumni Excellence (MAX) Award from the University of Calgary - Haskayne School of Business.
Amit Monga
President and CEO, Northcore Technologies Inc.
Dr. Amit Monga is an active angel investor who has previously worked as an investment banker, venture capitalist and has successfully founded and sold a US based on-demand software company. He is the President & CEO of Northcore Technologies Inc. a leading provider of capital asset management and social commerce solutions. He has extensive corporate governance experience and has previously served on the boards of numerous venture funds and private companies. In addition to AITF, he serves on the board of Poynt Corporation (TSX:PYN), Northcore Technologies (TSX:NTI) and is a member of Dean’s Business Advisory Council at the Alberta School of Business. Dr. Monga holds an Executive Professor of Finance appointment at the Alberta School of Business, where he has endowed two MBA scholarships to support excellence in capital markets and venture capital. Dr. Monga is a sought after speaker on the topics of venture capital, private equity and M&A. He received his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a major in Engineering Management from the University of Alberta, where his research focused on solving complex reliability based design problems using genetic algorithms. Dr. Monga’s research has been published in top peer reviewed academic journals.
Jozef Straus
Chief Executive Officer, Adarsan Holdings Ltd.
Dr. Straus is the Chief Executive Officer of Adarsan Holdings Limited, a personal investment company. Activities throughout his career relate to pioneering development of fiber optic technology culminating in a leadership position at JDS Uniphase Corporation as Co-Chairman and CEO. In 2003, he retired as Founder Emeritus of JDS Uniphase Corporation. He holds Honorary Doctorates from the University of Alberta, University of Ottawa, Carleton University, and from Touro College in New York. He currently serves on several high tech related company boards. He is a past board member of numerous private and public sector organizations including a term as Co-Chairman of the Ottawa Hospital’s Legacy Campaign. He has numerous patents, publication and invited presentations to his credit.
Sheila Weatherill
Special Advisor, Executive in Residence, University of Alberta
Ms. Weatherill is currently Senior Advisor, Executive in Residence, at the University of Alberta. In January 2009, Prime Minister Stephen Harper named her as the Independent Investigator for the 2008 Listeriosis Outbreak. She is the past President and Chief Executive Officer of Capital Health in Edmonton, a position held from 1996 to 2008. She has extensive experience in the delivery and administration of health systems. Her track record reflects success in identifying creative strategies and implementing initiatives to meet the challenges of a complex and changing health environment, including the Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, Western Canada's first heart institute and netCARE, Alberta's first electronic health record. She serves on the boards of EPCOR and Shaw Communications and as a member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Committee on the Public Service. In 2006, she was appointed as a Member of the Order of Canada and in 2008 received the degree of Doctor of Laws honoris causa from the University of Lethbridge. In 2011 she was appointed to the Alberta Health Services Board.
Alan Winter
President and Chief Executive Officer, Genome British Columbia
Dr. Winter is the President and CEO of Genome British Columbia. Genome BC is a not-for-profit research organization established in Vancouver to enable British Columbia to become a world leader in selected areas of genomics research and development, and to develop a vibrant life sciences cluster in the province. He has wide experience at senior levels in the technology industry and in government over the past 25 years, including roles such as the President of the ComDev Space Group in Ontario, and the President and CEO of MPR Teltech in Vancouver. During his tenure as President, several companies were spun out of MPR, including PMC-Sierra and Sierra Wireless Inc. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering (FCAE) and a Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (FCASI).