British Columbia Innovation Council

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Board of Directors

Greg Aasen, Chair

Mr. Aasen was the Founder and the Chief Strategy Officer at PMC-Sierra up to June 2007. Previously he was Vice President, General Manager of the Communications Products Division, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer. Bringing over 20 years of experience to the semiconductor industry, Mr. Aasen began his career at Mitel where he held both product and design engineering positions.

In 1984, he started his first startup called Aptron. In 1986, he joined MPR Teltech and later established the Pacific Microelectronic Centre (PMC), MPR Teltech's first business division. In 1992, Mr. Aasen's vision was realized when PMC-Sierra was spun-out from MPR Teltech through an investment from Sierra Semiconductor.

In addition to BCIC, Mr. Aasen currently serves on the Board of Directors for Sierra Wireless and the Alacrity Foundation. In June 2000, Mr. Aasen was named "Person of the Year" by the BC Technology Industries Association and was awarded "Entrepreneur of the Year" in BC from Ernst & Young in 1996.
 

Jonathan Burke

Mr. Burke is the Vice President of Corporate Development at Westport Innovations Inc. Westport is a BC-based global supplier of proprietary solutions that allow engines to operate on clean-burning fuels such as compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), hydrogen and biofuels such as landfill gas. Mr. Burke has over ten years experience in corporate and investor communications and business development for both private and public technology companies. Prior to Westport, he was Director of Business Development and Investor Relations at MIGENIX Inc., a biotechnology company developing drugs for the treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. Prior to that, he held investor relations and corporate communications roles in the biotechnology, medical device, and venture capital fields. Mr. Burke is a Director of the BC Chapter of the Canadian Investor Relations Institute. He holds a Masters of Business Administration from Athabasca University.
 

Gurval Caer

Mr. Caer brings extensive management skills combined with industry and technical knowledge to his role as Chief Executive Officer and President at Blast Radius. Prior to founding Blast Radius in 1996, he graduated from the Ecole Superieure de Commerce de Dijon with a business degree and worked for Ernst &Young in France. Pursuing his passion for technology and the Internet, Mr. Caer moved to Canada to study new media at the Vancouver Film School, where he later became a well-respected teacher. As one of the original founders of Blast Radius, he has led the company to numerous awards including two consecutive Interactive Gold Clio Awards for Brand Building (2000-2001) and recognition as one of Canada's 50 best privately managed companies. His leadership was also instrumental in establishing Blast Radius' long-term relationships with companies such as Nike, Nintendo, Electronic Arts, BMW, Philips and Whirlpool. Mr. Caer has also been named one of Business in Vancouver magazine's 40 Under 40 corporate leaders and a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Canada.
 

Robin Ciceri

Robin Ciceri is the President of The Research Universities’ Council of British Columbia. She joined the Council in November 2009 after a long and distinguished career in the BC government where she held a number of leadership positions.

Ms. Ciceri was Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources, and of the Ministry of Small Business and Revenue. Prior to joining the Council, she was the Deputy Minister of Advanced Education and Labour Market Development and also the CEO of the Public Sector Employers' Council Secretariat. Ms. Ciceri’s experience also includes senior positions in health, economic development and intergovernmental relations.

Ms. Ciceri holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in history, a Professional Certificate in Secondary Education, and a Master’s of Public Administration degree.
 

Richard Glickman

Mr. Glickman was the co-founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation. Prior to establishing Aspreva, he was the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stressgen Biotechnologies Corporation. Since 2000, he has served as the Chairman of the board of Vigil Health Solutions Inc., a healthcare services company. Mr. Glickman was also the founder and director of Ontario Molecular Diagnostics, a diagnostic facility that evolved into the largest molecular diagnostic laboratory in Canada. He co-founded Probtec Corporation, a rational drug design and molecular genetics firm, where he established and introduced the first licensed DNA-based forensic and paternity testing services in Canada. He has served on numerous biotechnology boards including roles as Chairman of Life Sciences British Columbia (formerly the British Columbia Biotechnology Alliance), Director of the Canadian Genetic Disease Network and as a member of the federal government's National Biotechnology Advisory Committee. Mr. Glickman received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2004 Award for the Pacific Region Life Sciences Group and has received both Canada's and British Columbia's Top 40 Under 40 Award for Entrepreneurs.
 

Doug Horswill

Mr. Horswill is Senior Vice-President of Environment and Corporate Affairs at Teck Cominco Limited. Prior positions include Deputy Minister of Finance and Corporate Relations and Deputy Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources with the Province of British Columbia. Before entering public service, he was employed at Utah International (BHP) and at INCO. Mr. Horswill earned a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in Mineral Engineering, and a Master of Arts degree in Economics at the University of British Columbia. He is Chairman of the Management Committee of the Red Dog Mine. He is also a past chair of the Mining Association of BC, a Director and member of the Executive Committee of both the Mining Association of Canada and the Business Council for British Columbia, and Chair of the International Zinc Association Environmental Committee.
 

Greg Kerfoot

Mr. Kerfoot is the Chairman of the Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club. Born and raised in Burnaby, B.C., he graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Computer Science and has spent the majority of his career in the software industry. As President, CEO and Chairman of Vancouver-based Business Objects (formerly known as Crystal Decisions), he grew the software company from five people to 2,000 worldwide with 1,000 employees based in Vancouver and over $500 million in revenue. The company was regularly voted one of the top five employers in B.C. and Canada. Mr. Kerfoot has been a member of Premier Campbell's Technology Advisory Council since its inception where he is currently championing measures to improve commercialization of core research.
 

Jill Leversage

Ms. Leversage is the Managing Director of Investment Banking at TD Securities Inc. She has over twenty years experience in the securities industries, including nine years at RBC Capital Markets and seven years with Burns Fry Limited. She has successfully executed numerous debt and equity financings, and merger and acquisition advisory assignments for many large companies based in B.C. Currently Ms. Leversage is a Director of the BC Progress Board, the VGH and UBC Hospital Foundation, the Mr. and Mrs. P. A. Woodward's Foundation and Treasurer for the Southlands Foundation. Her other previous volunteer work includes Campaign Cabinet for Covenant House, Campaign Cabinet for the United Way Campaign, Board Member of the Breast Cancer Foundation and the RBC Foundation. In addition, Ms. Leversage was previously Chair of the Policy Advisory Committee for the British Columbia Securities Commission and was recently honoured as a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia. Ms. Leversage is also a Chartered Business Valuator of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Business Valuators.
 

Dr. Martha Salcudean

Dr. Salcudean is a professor and Weyerhaeuser Chair emerita at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She is a renowned researcher in fluid mechanics and heat transfer and has held various roles in the science and technology community, which included teaching as a professor at the University of Ottawa before being appointed Head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Associate Vice-President of Research at UBC. Prior to this, Dr. Salcudean gained many years of industrial and design experience. She continues to lead numerous industrial collaborations and volunteers her expertise to a variety of government and academic advisory committees. In recognition of her accomplishments and initiatives, Dr. Salcudean is the recipient of a long list of awards and acclaim including induction to the Order of British Columbia in 1998 and being named Officer of the Order of Canada in 2004.
 

Cheryl Slusarchuk


Cheryl Slusarchuk is a partner in the law firm McCarthy Tétrault LLP, the leader of the Vancouver Technology Group and co-Chair of the national Clean Tech Group. Ms. Slusarchuk has been consistently ranked among Canada's top technology lawyers. For example, 2010 The Best Lawyers in Canada in the area of information technology law and 2010 International Who's Who of Internet and E-Commerce Lawyers. Ms. Slusarchuk has served as the Chair of a Green Energy Advisory Taskforce, Chair of the BC Climate Action Team and past President of the BC Premier's Technology Council. She is also on the board of the British Columbia Technology Industry Association. Ms. Slusarchuk regularly speaks at conferences on cross-border acquisitions and clean technology. Ms. Slusarchuk received her LLB from McGill University and her U.S. law degree (J.D.) from Chicago Kent-College of Law (Order of the Coif). Ms. Slusarchuk was initially admitted in New South Wales, Australia and then admitted in Colorado, Illinois and British Columbia. She is licensed to practice law in Colorado, Illinois and British Columbia.

 

Morgan Sturdy

Mr. Sturdy is a high-tech entrepreneur and executive with an impressive 20 year track record. He was the Founder and President of Dees Communications Engineering, a market leader in call center solutions, until its acquisition by Nice Systems in 1997. Following this, he served as Executive VP and COO of Nice Systems North America until 2000. Mr. Sturdy is active in B.C.’s technology community and has served as a director for companies like CREO, which was sold to Kodak for $1 billion, and Hothaus Technologies when it was acquired by Broadcom for one of the highest amounts ever paid for a private technology company in B.C. He continues as a director of Lighthaus Logic, Teraspan Networks, and ResponseTek. With a growing list of recognitions and awards, Mr. Sturdy, a founding director and past chair of the Vancouver Enterprise Forum, continues his involvement with ACETECH (Academy for Technology CEOs), TELUS World of Science BC, and the Premier’s Technology Council. In 2001, he became ACETECH’s first “Fellow” for his distinguished service to the Vancouver technology community and was also recognized with the BCTIA Bill Thompson Life Time Achievement Award in 2004.
 

Board Advisor: Danny Robinson

Mr. Robinson has been starting and advising early-stage technology companies for over 15 years. He was co-founder of Bootup Labs, an Internet seed accelerator, which invested and mentored eight new Internet companies in two years. In that short time, one of those companies was sold, several raised angel and VC rounds of financing, and combined they have generated about more than 50 jobs to date.

Along with his wife, Maura Rodgers, Mr. Robinson also co-founded the Bootup Entrepreneurial Society, a non-profit, community and mentor driven organization that was formed to inspire entrepreneurship and help Internet startups take their idea from concept to commercialization.

Prior to Bootup Labs, Mr. Robinson was co-founder and CEO of Strutta, a platform for publishers, marketers and agencies to easily and cost effectively develop and manage interactive contests and promotions. Mr. Robinson was also the co-founder and CEO of Peerflix, a DVD swapping service, and Spinway, a free dial-up ISP.

Mr. Robinson's time at tech centres including San Francisco, Palo Alto, Sunnyvale, Boulder, Seattle, Waterloo and Calgary have helped him understand the best practices necessary to strengthen BC's technology ecosystem. He has also studied the tech infrastructure of Finland, Israel, Chile and Singapore.

As an experienced entrepreneur, Mr. Robinson works to promote BC as the technology center he believes it can be by connecting local entrepreneurs with Silicon Valley-based investors and mentors, co-organizing the popular tech mixer, Launch Party Vancouver, speaking at local and international tech events and serving on the Science World Equity Committee. Mr. Robinson is a member of the Board of Directors for Strutta, OpsKwan and Suite101.
 

Past Chair: Hector MacKay-Dunn, Q.C.

Mr. MacKay-Dunn is a partner at Farris, Vaughan, Wills & Murphy. He has over 25 years of practice experience in advising senior public and early stage private companies in a broad range of industry sectors on corporate and general matters, complex domestic and cross-border public and private securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions and international partnering transactions. He is recognized with the highest ranking (AV) for professional excellence by Martindale-Hubbell (an international peer-based rating organization for lawyers and law firms). He is also recognized by LEXPERT and American Lawyer Media (2005) as one of Canada's Top 100 Leading Lawyers in Canada-US Cross-Border Transactions, and is the only B.C. lawyer recognized by LEXPERT and American Lawyer Media as one of Canada's Leading Lawyers in the field of Technology and Biotechnology. Mr. MacKay-Dunn has held numerous voluntary positions and served as director for a number of public and private companies including Aspreva Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Genome BC, the University of British Columbia Industry Liaison (UILO) Advisory Council, the UBC Faculty of Science Dean's Advisory Council and the Simon Fraser University Biotech Advisory Council. He was appointed Queen's Counsel by the (B.C.) Cabinet in 2003.