Industry and academic leaders appointed to Mitacs’ board of directors

Vancouver, BC — Mitacs, a national not-for-profit research and training organization, is pleased to welcome two new members to its board of directors. Mitacs’ board oversees the direction of the organization in its vision of promoting innovation in Canada. The new members contribute extensive knowledge from their unique areas of expertise.

Dr. Amiee Chan has been the President and CEO of Norsat since in 2006. Chan has over 15 years of experience in executive management and research and development in the telecommunications industry and offers a blend of technical and corporate strengths. As an accomplished engineer, Dr. Chan has been published over a dozen times, holds three US patents, and has been involved in high-level research teams, such as the NASA ACTS Terminal Program. She is also a member of the UBC Engineering Advisory Council and serves on the Dean’s External Advisory Board for the Beedie School of Business at Simon Fraser University.

Dr. Chan holds an Executive MBA from SFU where she majored in strategy and new ventures and a PhD in Satellite Communications from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Patrick Deane is the President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University, positions he has held since 2010. As President, Dr. Deane is focused on promoting and supporting research, and strengthening the connections between the University and local and global communities. He is also a professor in the Department of English and Culture Studies, and has published two books and a number of articles.

Born and raised in South Africa, Dr. Deane immigrated to Canada in 1978 where he completed his MA and PhD in English Literature at Western University.

The two leaders join current Mitacs Board of Directors members:

• Diane Gray (Chair), President and CEO, CentrePort Canada
• Marie Rajic (Vice-Chair); Senior Vice-President and General Manager, Prairie Region; Hill+Knowlton Strategies
• Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs
• Jacques Beauvais; Dean, Faculty of Engineering; University of Ottawa
• Sarah Bevan; Managing Director, President and CEO; UBS Bank (Canada)
• Karen Chad, Vice-President Research, University of Saskatchewan
• Philippe Gervais, Principle, Navigator
• Iain Klugman, CEO, Communitech
• John Milloy; Former Minister of Research and Innovation and former Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities; Government of Ontario
• Gilbert Nolasco, Consultant, Cohérence RH and Partner, Camiré & Associés
• Santa Ono, President and Vice Chancellor, University of British Columbia
• Anita Punamiya, Management Consultant

Quote:

Alejandro Adem, CEO and Scientific Director, Mitacs

“We are honoured and grateful to have Drs. Amiee Chan and Patrick Deane join Mitacs’ board of directors. Their experience in the fields of business and social sciences will complement our already diverse team of leaders. They will both bring invaluable contributions to our organization as we move forward with the implementation of our five-year strategic plan.”

Learn more:

• For information about Mitacs and our programs, see mitacs.ca/newsroom.
• To read the other Mitacs’ Board of Directors’ bios, visit: www.mitacs.ca/en/about-mitacs/leadership.

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