We invite you to meet the Innovation Park leadership team. Each member brings with them a unique background and a passion for innovation. Together, our leadership team embodies the very model of dynamic synergy we intend to foster – a productive collaboration that engages some of the brightest minds from academia, industry, government and the community, in a common focus on transforming discoveries and supporting them along their various pathways to market.
Management
The Innovation Park management team combines seasoned research, business, commercialization and entrepreneurial expertise, with deep knowledge of what it takes to make innovation succeed. Under their direction and stewardship, Innovation Park is becoming the facility of choice where innovative companies and leading edge researchers work side-by-side and benefit from access to the resources and support systems to transform their discoveries and realize commercial success.
Janice Mady, DirectorJanice Mady comes to Innovation Park from her role as Director of the $50 million BIOCAP Canada Foundation. Prior to this, she enjoyed a 17-year career with Procter & Gamble Inc. in a variety of roles with Canadian, North American and global responsibilities.
Through her unique combination of industry and not-for-profit experience, Janice has demonstrated the ability to lead change, attract resources, enroll stakeholders, build teams, and remove barriers; unique skills that will be key to building a successful Innovation Park.
Janice has delivered proven results across management disciplines in operations and finance, customer service, marketing, human resource development, as well as project and change management – including cultural, philosophical and physical change. Building partnerships, leading teams and inspiring people to meet challenging goals are the hallmarks of Janice's success and will continue to be vital assets in her role as Director of Innovation Park.
Rick Boswell, Assistant DirectorRick Boswell brings deep research and development experience from his previous role as the laboratory manager for the Queen's University Department of Chemistry for 12 years. He was one of the innovative forces behind the successful Chernoff Hall Chemistry building development at Queen's, which was the recipient of the 2003 High Honours Laboratory of the Year award from R&D Magazine.
In addition to his work at Queen's, he has worked as a private Laboratory Consultant, focusing on non-traditional solutions to common problems in laboratory planning. Rick specializes in integrating environmental health and safety into laboratory planning strategies for a seamless approach in this often overlooked area. He has assisted numerous institutions and companies across Canada in meeting their design and budget goals in this complex environment.
Advisory Board
Innovation Park's Advisory Board oversees the broad strategic objectives and outreach programming for the Park in a manner that is consistent with its vision and mission. Board members include a diverse and experienced line-up of high profile stakeholder representatives, each contributing a wealth of insight and access to a wide range of invaluable resources.
Larry BarrettMr. Barrett is past Chair of the Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME). He served on the board of Electro-Federation from 1999 to 2001. In 2001 he assumed the chair of the Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers Association of Canada, which subsequently merged with CME. Mr. Barrett served as chair of CME's Ontario board until he was elected vice chair of the national board in 2004 and chair in 2006. CME is the largest manufacturing organization in Canada with 2,500 members located in all provinces.
He began his career with General Electric in Montreal and after several years with G.E. rotated through a number of industries including banking, retail and pulp and paper. He joined Emerson Electric Canada Limited in 1980 and progressed through numerous business units until he was appointed President in November 1992. Emerson Canada, a subsidiary of Emerson Electric Co. (St. Louis, Missouri), has approximately 3,000 employees in 12 principal locations, mainly in Southern Ontario and Alberta. Product platforms include process management solutions, motors and appliance components, network power, tools, storage solutions and climate technologies. Although Larry retired from Emerson in 2007, he continues to consult to the corporation.
Mr. Barrett received a B.Com. from Concordia University, Montreal and earned a MBA from the Schulich School of Business at York University, Toronto.
Bradley FoxDr. Bradley Fox is Director, Technology Transfer Networks and leader of the Centre for Materials and Manufacturing at the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to innovation in and for Ontario and Canada. OCE partners with industry universities, colleges, research hospitals and the Government of Ontario, and has been providing the bridge between academic research and the marketplace since 1987. Dr. Fox is responsible for the direction of OCE’s Technology Transfer Partnerships Program, which is part of Ontario’s Industry Academic Partnership Program. The direction and management of university/industrial relations and the associated intellectual property (IP) and commercialization of that IP is an essential part of this work.
Dr. Fox's career has spanned over 25 years in research, and project and intellectual property management. Prior to joining the Ontario Centers of Excellence in 1998, Bradley directed and managed research programs and outcomes in the aerospace, contract research and consulting industrial sectors and within universities in Canada, the UK and the United States.
Dr. Fox received a Ph.D. from Leeds University in Materials Engineering, and a B. Sc. from Southampton University in Honours Physics.
Jeff Garrah
Chief Executive Officer, Kingston Economic Development Corporation
A graduate of Queen's University, Jeff began his career with the federal government in 1997 working as a Constituency Assistant to the Honourable Peter Milliken, Speaker of the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Kingston and the Islands. Garrah served as Special Assistant and then Senior Political Advisor to Mr. Milliken and in 2002, he was appointed Chief of Staff.
Garrah returned to his hometown in 2004 to join the Kingston Economic Development Corporation's senior management team as Director of Government Relations. In this position, he liaised with municipal, provincial, and federal governments to develop relationships and initiate funding support for Kingston businesses and capital development projects. In 2005, Garrah assumed the role of Interim President and in 2007, was appointed the Corporation's Chief Executive Officer. As CEO, Garrah oversees a team of 18 staff in the Business Development and Tourism Marketing divisions. He has advanced initiatives which have seen over $1billion invested in capital projects in the community; taken a lead role in the servicing and sale of the municipality's industrial and business parkland; supported the growth of a knowledge-based cluster with specific focus on green and alternative technologies; and advanced the Corporation's vision to be the premier service provider for local business growth and investment. Garrah serves as an advisor to the Mayor of Kingston on designated files.
He has been actively involved in all aspects of the community working to support social, economic and environmental advancements for Kingston.
Garrah has served on the Board of Directors for Correctional Services of Canada's Penitentiary Museum; as an Executive Member of the Downtown Kingston! Febfest Committee to support the Boys and Girls Club of Kingston; a Board Member for Volunteer and Information Kingston; a member of the City of Kingston's sub-committee for the Recruitment, Recognition, and Retention of Family Physicians; and, served on the Planning and Resources Committee for the Kingston General Hospital.
Currently, he serves as a Governor of the Kingston General Hospital; a Board Member of the Kingston Technology Exchange Centre; and a member of the Innovation Park at Queen's University Advisory Board.
Mr. Girvin is President of Stantive Technologies Group. He has built innovative relationships by using a collaborative approach to leveraging the best of private and public sectors.
In 1992, Sun Microsystems of Canada asked Mr. Girvin to establish a Sun presence in Eastern Ontario. Through his company, he represented Sun directly, giving him access to all of Sun's resources as he sat in Sun's organizational structure, yet he remained an independent business. Based on his success, Sun asked Doug to establish a similar presence in Ottawa to serve the research, municipal and hi tech communities in the National Capital Region. This operation grew from $2 million to over $30 million in sales within 3 years. In March of 2007, Mr. Girvin divested the Ottawa business to focus on opportunities, both within Sun, the Southeastern Ontario region, and beyond.
Mr. Girvin's passion for innovation in public/private partnerships has culminated in his success as the private sector lead in the research partnership of High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory (HPCVL), based at Queen's University. Over the past 9 years this public/private partnership has grown to be one of Canada's most successful with approximately $150 million (audited) invested by all parties, including Stantive Technologies Group, Sun Microsystems, CFI (Canadian Foundation for Innovation), ORDCF (Ontario Research Development Challenge Fund), ORF (Ontario Research Foundation), OIT (Ontario Innovation Trust), NSERC (National Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada), Entrust and others. There are currently 6 institutional partners, including the founding members, Queen's, Royal Military College of Canada, University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
Mr. Girvin's volunteer work has included membership on the Boards of the Kingston Economic Development Corporation, The Ontario Research and Development Challenge Fund ($1B research granting agency), the President's Advisory Council of the Royal Society of Canada, the OCRI (Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation), Research Management Board and others. As well, he has served as a guide and mentor to numerous early-stage companies on product, sales and infrastructure strategies. In 2000 he was named 'Business Person of the Year' by the Kingston Chamber of Commerce. Currently, Mr. Girvin is a member of the Imagine Kingston Round Table, a group of institutional, business and community leaders dedicated to the advancement of Kingston. He is also a member of the Industry Canada Roundtable on Canada's Science and Technology Strategy. As well, he is a Governor of the Kingston General Hospital.
Mr. Girvin was born into the family of one of Canada's leading Research Health Scientists. The son of a neurosurgeon and an emergency nurse he grew up immersed in academic language and thought and while he studied economics at the University of Waterloo and consequently developed his career in business, he retained an ongoing fascination for academic and health care research and innovation.
Tony RockinghamTony Rockingham is the Assistant Deputy Minister, Innovation and Commercialization, at the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.
Tony has over 20 years’ experience with energy policies and programs and technology development. He also worked for seven years with the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, where he was the Director for Air Policy and Climate Change.
Tony studied Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto and earned a Ph.D in Mechanical Engineering from the Imperial College of Science and Technology in London, England.
Tony lives in Toronto and is married with one child.
Brad RossBradley N. Ross is a private investor and business consultant specializing in new venture creation. After completing studies in Mathematics and Engineering at Queen's University (B.Sc.'80, M.Sc. '82), Mr. Ross worked at Bell-Northern Research in software development and R&D management. In 1988, Mr. Ross won a Nortel scholarship to study management science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (S.M. '90). With this foundation in technology, business and team leadership, Mr. Ross co-founded Entrust in 1993, Nortel's most successful intrapreneurial start-up, growing the business through to spin-out and eventual IPO, finally serving as the President of Entrust Technologies Europe. To foster entrepreneurial activity in Kingston, Mr. Ross established a local network of angel investors and a business plan competition (www.firstcapitalchallenge.com) that is now the First Capital Community Business Loan Fund. He also served as chairman and interim CEO for Pathogen Detection Systems.
Charlie Reid
Charlie Reid P.Eng is a senior strategic advisor to Private Equity and Venture Capital investors, public and private Boards, and senior executive teams of mature and emerging manufacturing enterprises. His primary role is to assess operational strategies for the companies these clients have an interest in as well as to provide guidance on projections of likely costs to operate and the capital requirements to sustain growth. His key strength is being able to put complex operational content into business strategy context.
His background spans almost three decades of direct industry experience, including Board positions, senior line executive roles, and front line manager jobs in both the manufacturing and consulting sectors. Prior to entering private practice Charlie was a senior Partner at Ernst &Young, where he was considered one of the firms top global subject matter experts in Supply Chain Operational Execution. In industry he worked in virtually all major operational disciplines.
While he works principally with client groups he has also acted in advisory roles to Federal and Provincial Ministers, Industry and Professional associations, and Educational Institutions. He is sought out for the breadth of his insight and practical understanding of the complex issues that face today's manufacturing sector, from the tactical to the strategic.
He has held both public and private board positions. He regularly teaches and lectures in the areas of operations management, organizational dynamics, advanced operational performance measurement, and new product development/launch. He is an accomplished keynote speaker and media spokesperson.
Kerry Rowe (Chair)
Dr. Rowe is Vice-Principal (Research) at Queens University. In leading the promotion and development of research programs at Queens University, he is responsible for strategic research planning, research policy, technology transfer and the administration of research grants and contracts. He is the Chair of the Board of PARTEQ Innovations Inc., which has been highly successful in the commercialization of research conducted at Queen's University. Dr. Rowe also serves on the Boards of Directors of the Canadian Microelectronics Corporation, the Ontario Health Research Alliance, the High Performance Computing Virtual Laboratory, the Southern Africa Research Centre, the Sudbury Neutrino Observatory Institute and is Chair of the Advisory Board for Innovation Park at Queen's University.
Dr. Rowe is a former NSERC Steacie Fellow and is a fellow of both the Royal Society of Canada and the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Dr. Rowe is President of the Engineering Institute of Canada, a past president of the Canadian Geotechnical Society and the International Geosynthetics Society, and editor of the journal Geotextiles and Geomembranes. Kerry has been twice honoured for outstanding teaching, receiving the Ontario Confederation of University Faculty Associations Excellence in Teaching Award and the University of Western Ontario's Edward G. Pleva Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Dr. Rowe is author of more than 400 publications. He has extensive research and consulting experience in the geotechnical and geo-environmental engineering field. His research has been recognized by numerous awards, including the Killam Prize in Engineering.
Dr. Rowe has four degrees, including his PhD and his Doctorate in Engineering, from the University of Sydney.
Mike ThomasResponsible for the Novelis Global Technology Organization, as well as group R&D, Mr. Thomas has over 25 years of industrial and research experience.
His career has included a variety of roles with US Government laboratories, as well as extensive research leadership and management within Alcan and Novelis laboratories in the UK and Canada.
Mr. Thomas led Alcan Group Technology in recycling at Alcan headquarters from 1991 to 1996. Mike also led technology and subsequently manufacturing supply chain operations for Alcan automotive sheet through 2000. He was Business Development Director for Alcan, which then became Novelis Specialty Business through 2004. Mr. Thomas has been the head of Novelis' technology organization since July 2005.
Caroline DavisCaroline Davis joined Queen’s University as Vice-Principal (Finance and Administration) in January 2010, after a successful and wide-ranging career in the federal public service. Her last position in the government was Assistant Deputy Minister, Resolution and Individual Affairs at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), where she oversaw the implementation of the $1.9B Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. She previously served as INAC's chief financial officer for five years, and also worked on First Nations land management and on comprehensive land claims in the north and the west of Canada. She also occupied in a variety of other positions in the federal government, primarily in the field of financial management.
In the spring of 2009, as an adjunct professor in Queen’s University’s School of Policy Studies, she taught a course in the Masters of Public Administration program.
Ms Davis was recently elected Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario. This is the Institute's highest designation, awarded for outstanding career achievements and service to the community and the accountancy profession.
She holds a Bachelor of Science degree with Honours in chemistry from the University of Wales.
