Dean's Advisory Board
The Dean’s Advisory Board is comprised of McMaster Engineering alumni and friends selected to offer input and guidance on choosing future directions, facing complex challenges, setting priorities, and garnering the additional resources necessary to maintain and enhance the Faculty’s excellence. Members act as sounding boards and expert advisors in their individual fields.
Membership
Michael Pley
Chair, McMaster Engineering Dean's Advisory Board
President, Pley Consulting Inc.
Former CEO. Com Dev International
Michael Pley
Michael Pley
President, Pley Consulting Inc.
Michael Pley retired as CEO of COM DEV International in 2016 after a 30-year career, and is currently supporting technology SMEs and space companies through his management consulting company. COM DEV was one of the leading suppliers to satellite manufacturers and space agencies around the world, having supplied equipment to over 80% of all communication satellites ever launched and many international science and exploration missions.
Michael graduated Summa Cum Laude from McMaster University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Electrical Engineering and Management in 1983. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
In 2006, he was the inaugural recipient of McMaster's Les W. Shemilt Distinguished Engineering Alumni award. In addition to being a member of the Advisory Board to the Dean of Engineering at McMaster since 2002, he is involved in a number of charitable and volunteer organizations. In 2011, he was appointed to the Ontario Manufacturing Council for a two-year term by the Minister of Economic Development and Trade for the province. He is an Executive Committee member of the Board of Directors of the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada and chairs its Space Committee.
Michael has been a registered member of Professional Engineers Ontario (PEO) since 1987. He obtained the Chartered Director (C.Dir.) designation from the Directors College (a joint venture of McMaster University and the Conference Board of Canada) in 2011.
Saud Adi
Saud Adi
Chief Operating Officer, Adi Development Group Inc
Acting as COO, Saud is actively involved in key operations across the company with a specialized focus in construction, engineering and construction operations. With a Construction Engineering Technology designation from George Brown, and Bachelors in Technology and Civil engineering from the University of McMaster, Saud brings a wealth of knowledge to the construction process including building science and design, value engineering, bid procurement, subcontractor trade relations, scheduling, construction logistics, site engineering, and general construction management. Saud sat on the HHHBA board of directors for two consecutive years and continues an active role with the association.
Saud is an active member of the community and has shown continuous support and sponsored local causes and events like Burlington’s Candle Lit Stroll in the downtown, City of Burlington’s Rotary Ribfest, City of Burlington’s Downtown Business Association. As a company Adi has supported and raised funds for various charities and associations including the Canadian Diabetes Association for continued assistance in research, Halton women’s place, Ronald McDonald House, SickKids Hospital, and Frances Rose Foundation.
Doug H. Barber
Gennum Corporation
(retired)
Doug H. Barber
Doug H. Barber (Former Dean's Advisory Board Chair)
Gennum Corporation (retired)
Doug Barber is the founder of Gennum Corporation (1987). The Burlington-based company designs and manufactures integrated circuits.
Barber was President and CEO of Gennum until he retired in 2000. Dr. Barber has been involved with McMaster Engineering since 1968, where he was a part-time Engineering Physics Professor until 1994. After retiring from Gennum, he was appointed Distinguished Professor in-Residence at McMaster in 2001. In addition to being on the Dean’s Advisory Board (since 1995), Dr. Barber is also Chair of the McMaster University Commercialization of Research Results Task Force and is a Board member of the McMaster Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization.
Barber has authored 29-refereed papers and holds several patents on semiconductor devices. Throughout his career he has played an active role in the microelectronics industry in Canada. Dr. Barber is a past Director of the Strategic. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering
Microelectronics Consortium, the Canadian Advanced Technology Association, the Hearing Industries Association and the Alberta Microelectronics Corp. He was a member of the Sectoral Skills Council, the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the National Innovation Strategy, the Ontario Postsecondary Education Quality Assessment Board and Vice Chair of the Ontario Science and Innovation Council. He was a founding co-chair of the National Information Technology Initiative that sponsored empowr Canada Inc. in 2001, and is a past director of the Golden Horseshoe Venture Forum.
Barber has received many accolades in recognition of his contributions to the industry and the fields of science and technology. These include the APEO Engineering Medal, the University of Saskatchewan C.J. Mackenzie Distinguished Graduate Award, the Professional Engineers of Ontario Gold Medal, honorary doctorate degrees from McMaster, the University of Saskatchewan, and the University of Waterloo, the 1996 Hamilton Engineer of the Year, the 1999 Ontario Technology Entrepreneur of the Year, and in 2006 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada, one of the highest honours a Canadian can receive.
Catherine Booth
Consultant and CIO
Catherine Booth
Catherine Booth
Consultant and CIO, Booth Advisory
Catherine Booth of Booth Advisory is a seasoned I.T. executive and consultant specializing in the management of large-scale, complex, technology-based transformation projects and I.T. operational improvements. Previously, as Senior Project Executive, Catherine led University Health Network’s evaluation of an enterprise-wide transformation of its Electronic Patient Record.
Catherine was also interim Chief Information Officer (CIO) and consultant to US-based Aspect Software, supporting the implementation of cloud-based solutions and an I.T. organizational redesign.
She served as CIO of Plexxus, managing a major transformation of this Ontario health care shared service and its 10 member hospitals onto a common back-office platform.
As Senior Vice President of I.T. (CIO) for Loblaw Companies Limited, Catherine led an enterprise-wide, transformational technology refresh and significant outsourcing. Catherine also served as Vice President of Retail I.T. for Canadian Tire Corporation, upgrading services and delivering new capabilities to 450+ dealer-owned stores.
Catherine spent several years as a Vice President with Capgemini Canada and as a Partner in Ernst & Young Management Consultants where she served a diverse range of clients in the retail, consumer products, media/entertainment, financial services sectors.
She is a frequent speaker on transformational leadership and teaches project and change management at the university level.
Catherine is currently Vice Chair of the Board of the University of Waterloo, and has served on the Board of The Timberland Group, The United Way of Greater Toronto, and New Horizons Systems Services.
Catherine has a BASc in Systems Design Engineering and a MASc in Management Sciences, both from the University of Waterloo. She is a Certified Management Consultant and was named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 in 2003 and one of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 in 2009. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Nitin Chopra
Nitin is passionate about enterprise software and mobile. He is looking at investing opportunities in application, platform, and infrastructure software. Nitin is a big advocate of open-source technologies and is a member of open source initiative.
Nitin has lived and worked in Canada, Germany, USA, and India, and has conducted business globally. In his role as a product manager in BlackBerry’s enterprise software team, Nitin engineered relationships with leading software vendors and drove products from concept to launch. During his years in Germany, Nitin built a distribution channel for BlackBerry’s Unified Communications product with channel partners across Europe and Asia-Pacific. Prior to that, Nitin also worked in product marketing at a semiconductor company, PMC-Sierra.
Nitin earned an MBA from Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University. Nitin is an avid hiker and has had the privilege of hiking mountains in North America, Europe, and Asia.
Katherine Crewe
Katherine Crewe
Chair, TEC Canada
In her role at TEC Canada, Katherine assists executives in reaching beyond their limits, where results match ambitions through a unique peer advisory board experience.
Katherine has held senior positions in several global Pharmaceutical and Medical Device companies Pharmaceuticals where she managed Canadian operations prior to her role within TEC- Canada.
Katherine has a Masters of Biomedical Engineering from McMaster. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Katherine has a personal commitment to the university community and has served as a volunteer for many years at Queens as a member of the University Council and Engineering Advisory Committee and looks forward to renewing her relationship with McMaster.
Chris Crozier
Founder of CF Crozier & Associates Inc.
Chris Crozier
Chris Crozier, P.Eng.
Chris Crozier, founder of CF Crozier & Associates Inc.
Chris provides overall strategic and financial leadership to the firm. As Principal he aligns business development, talent acquisition and marketing with growth opportunities. Chris has instilled a core value of mentorship in the firm and guides leadership development and industry engagement.
As a consulting engineer with 25 years in the field of municipal site servicing and water resources engineering, Chris is a technical and project director resource for both offices. Widely regarded as an authority in water resources and land development matters, with notable experience in pre-engineering and approvals, Chris has cultivated long-standing relationships with regulatory bodies at the municipal, provincial and federal level. He has appeared often before the OMB and in a consultative role at Public Meetings and Public Information Sessions.
Chris is an advocate for active community engagement. Past and current involvements include serving on the Collingwood Economic Stability & Development Services Board; involvement in mentorship programs with The Centre for Business and Economic Development; business fundraising chair for Home Horizon’s transitional housing and past president of the Georgian Triangle Development Institute – a not-for-profit association that fosters communication and cooperation amongst the diverse players in the development community.
On a personal level, Chris has a long association with junior sports in the area as a soccer and hockey coach.
Stephen Elop
Group Executive, Technology, Innovation and Strategy
Stephen Elop
Stephen Elop
Group Executive, Technology, Innovation and Strategy, Telstra
Stephen was recently appointed to the new role of Group Executive Technology, Innovation and Strategy at Australian based telecommunications company Telstra Corp.
Previously, Stephen was Chief Executive Officer of Nokia from September 2010 to September 2013, when it was announced that Microsoft was purchasing Nokia’s mobile and devices business, at which time he became Executive Vice President, Devices and Services pending deal completion. Upon closure of the deal with Microsoft, he became Executive Vice President of the Microsoft Devices Group and served in that role until July 2015.
Prior to Nokia, Stephen was President of the Microsoft Business Division, with responsibility for the Microsoft Office franchise and related products. He was previously Chief Operating Office of Juniper Networks, a senior executive at Adobe Systems and CEO at Macromedia.
Christine Ermarkaryan
Vice-President/Sr. SR&ED Consultant
Christine Ermarkaryan
Christine Ermarkaryan
Vice-President/Sr. SR&ED Consultant, Global R&D Consulting Group Inc
Christine received her Bachelors of Chemical Engineering and Management from McMaster in 1990. She would return to McMaster, and received her MBA in 1995. She has been a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario since 1993.
Christine has held the position of Vice-President with Global R&D since 2000 and is also a Senior SR&ED Consultant with Braithwaite Technology Consultants. During this tenure, she has gained experience with research and experimentation claims in a variety of industries; such as: water treatment, steel, textiles, software, plastics, chemical supply, automotive, tool and dye manufacturing, lighting systems and food processing.
Christine has over 15 years of experience in industry. Prior to joining Global R&D, Christine was a Project Manager with the Industrial Division at Zenon Environmental (now known as GE Water), a global leader in water treatment equipment and membrane design. Prior to this, Christine was a Project Engineer at Ecodyne Limited, focusing mainly on water treatment, but she also developed an IT system for the company. Christine also has several years of experience as a Technical Writer for Ontario Hydro, where she wrote for both the water treatment industry and the power generation industry.
Paul Gilbert
Chief Executive Officer
Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert
Chief Executive Officer, Quanser
As the CEO of Quanser since 2002, Paul Gilbert oversees the strategic development of solutions geared towards improving the quality of engineering education and research in the global academic community. Paul is passionate about bringing hands-on experiments into universities, enabling students to gain real world experience and graduate as the strongest and most influential generation of engineering leaders.
Paul regularly travels around the world delivering keynote presentations and meeting with senior engineering educators. He is also as an active participant with global academic leadership organizations, including IFEES, GEDC, WEEF, IUCEE, and ASEE.
Paul has over two decades as a CEO or President in SME companies in North America, with global experience in Business Development. He brings wealth of international experience developing global partner relationships and major R&D oriented projects in the packaging, aerospace and energy management sectors.
Paul holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business in Canada as well as a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton, U.K.
In addition to his day job, Paul has been an active youth mentor in a number of programs designed to develop young minds and promote STEM education. Currently he is active with the NEXT 36 Entrepreneurial Development program. Paul is also an avid cyclist and together with his team has raised over $250,000 for the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in the last 5 years with the Ride to Conquer Cancer.
Duncan Hannay
President & CEO
Duncan Hannay
Duncan Hannay
President & CEO, Street Capital Bank of Canada
Duncan Hannay is the President and Chief Executive Officer at Street Capital Bank of Canada and Street Capital Group Inc. Prior to joining Street Capital in September 2017, Duncan held the position of Chief Operating Officer at FINASTRA, the third largest fintech provider in the world. Duncan has more than 25 years of experience building and growing businesses in the financial services and technology sectors with roles including: President, Global Lending Solutions at D+H; Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing at Scotiabank; Managing Director and Head of Online Brokerage at Scotiabank; and President and CEO at E*TRADE Canada Securities. Duncan holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McMaster University and has also completed the Strategic Management in Banking, Business Administration and Management program at INSEAD. In 2010, he was inducted into the McMaster University Alumni Gallery, and in 2013, was named Strategy Magazine’s “Marketer of the Year.” Duncan currently is a past Chair of the Board of Directors of Covenant House Toronto, Canada’s largest shelter for homeless youth.
Art Heidebrecht
Dr. Arthur Heidebrecht
Provost Emeritus, McMaster University
Dr. Art Heidebrecht has recently retired in 2016 from McMaster University after being involved since 1974 when he was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering. He was Dean of Engineering for eight years and was Provost and Vice-President Academic for five years. Art is also professor emeritus of Civil Engineering at McMaster. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Art played a pivotal role in establishing the Bachelor of Technology Program, which was launched in 2006. The B.Tech program is offered in partnership with McMaster and Mohawk College, with graduates receiving both a college diploma and a university degree.
Most recently, Art held the position of the Director of the Booth School of Engineering Practice at McMaster.
In addition to being a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board, Art is a Board Member for IEC, and is a Scientific Advisory Board Member for Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems (SDEWES).
Stephen Howe
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer
Stephen Howe
Stephen Howe
Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Bell Canada
As Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Stephen Howe leads the Bell wireline and wireless network teams that develop, build and operate the company's high-capacity broadband networks.
Mr. Howe was previously Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for Bell Mobility where he led the rollout of Bell's world-leading HSPA+ wireless network.
Before joining Bell, Mr. Howe was Executive Vice President of Information Technology at Telus Mobility, and previously Vice President of Technology at Telus and Clearnet Communications (acquired by Telus in 2000), responsible for the design, development and expansion of wireless data, handset portfolio, switching systems and networks.
Mr. Howe has a Bachelor of Engineering in Engineering Physics from McMaster University and a Master of Business Administration from Cornell University. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Waguih Ishak
Division VP, Research Director
Waguih Ishak
Waguih Ishak
Division VP, Research Director, Corning West Technology Center
Dr. Waguih Ishak joined Corning in 2007 to head the newly formed Corning West Technology Center in Palo Alto, California.
From 2005 to 2007, Dr. Ishak was the Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Avago Technologies, where he led the R&D efforts for new products in Consumer Electronics.
From 2003 to 2005, Ishak was the Vice President and Director of the Photonics & Electronics Research Lab (PERL) at Agilent Labs responsible for the R&D programs in photonics, high-speed electronics, sensors, semiconductor tests, wireless communications and consumer electronics.
From 1995 to 2003, Ishak was the Director of the Communications & Optics Research Laboratory (CORL), working on photonics and integrated electronics.
From 1987 to 1995, Ishak was the manager of the Photonics Technology Department, responsible for R&D programs in photonics for applications in measurements, communications and computer interconnects.
Ishak has authored approximately 80 journal and conference papers, and four chapters in the Handbook of Electronic Instruments.
He is a Fellow of the IEEE and was named an inventor on seven US patents. He is on the Technical Advisory Boards of USC, UC Santa Cruz, UC Santa Barbara, UC San Diego, Santa Clara University, NRC, and Panorama Venture Capital.
Ishak received a B.Sc. E.E. from Cairo University in 1971, a B.Sc. Math from Ain Shams University, Egypt, in 1973, and M.Sc. E.E. and Ph.D. E.E. from McMaster University, Ontario, Canada, in 1975 and 1978, respectively. In 1999, Ishak completed the Stanford Executive Program at Stanford University.
Shaffiq Jaffer
Vice President of Corporate Science and Technology Projects
Shaffiq Jaffer
Shaffiq Jaffer, BSc, PhD
Vice President of Corporate Science and Technology Projects in North America (NA), Total
Dr. Shaffiq Jaffer joined TOTAL SA nine years ago, as the Vice President of Corporate Science and Technology Projects in North America (NA) with as mission to find and fund novel ideas and technologies that will lead to breakthroughs to meet future energy demand. He is engaged across the research community: academia, startups, and private research companies, focused on building long lasting relationships at the institutional level that creates strong value for TOTAL and its partners. Research programs have been established across a broad range of research areas: development of energy resources (unconventional oil and gas, biofuels to photovoltaic), conservation and energy efficiency (digital and shared economy), materials engineering (PV, Catalysts, biomaterials, composites) and innovative production processes (electrification of industrial processes). Currently, his priority is to help build TOTAL’s largest future research program, focused on Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage (CCUS) and lead an external scientific advisory board to help guide research priorities. Prior to TOTAL, he has worked for P&G and Koch-Glitsch in research and engineering roles. He was educated in Canada at University of Alberta (BSc) and McMaster University (PhD).
He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Chandra Kudsia
President, Mantrix Inc.
Former Chief Scientist, VP, Principal Engineer - COM DEV
Chandra Kudsia
Dr. Chandra Kudsia
President, Mantrix Inc., Former Chief Scientist, VP, Principal Engineer - COM DEV
Dr. Chandra Kudsia earned his M.Eng. in electrical engineering from McMaster in 1966. Chandra received a Bachelor of Science in physics in 1961 from Delhi University. He earned his Ph.D in electrical engineering in 1979 from Concordia University. He went on to become one of the founders of COM DEV International Ltd., a global designer and manufacturer of space hardware, located in Cambridge, Ontario. He started there as principal engineer in 1976 and retired in 2001 as chief scientist, and is regarded as one of the world’s foremost experts in microwave design, particularly for satellite application. Prior to the founding of COM DEV, he worked as a Senior Engineer with RCA Limited.
His passion for space science has been recognized by his many awards and citations, including: the A.G.L. McNaughton Award & Medal, the highest honour given by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), for outstanding contributions to the field in Canada; the McCurdy Award, given by the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute (CASI); one of only 20 Aerospace Communications Awards, which is sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) to recognize outstanding contributions in the field of aerospace communications.
Chandra currently acts as President for his own company, Mantrix Inc., which provides full service environmental management and engineering consulting with multi-disciplinary teams of engineers, scientists and technologists. He founded Mantrix Inc. in 2001. He has also been an Adjunct Professor with the University of Waterloo since 2001.
In September 2008, he was appointed to the Board of Governors of the Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning in Kitchener, Ontario. Chandra is a Fellow of IEEE, AIAA, EIC, CAE, and IETE.
He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Faizel Lakhani
Faizel Lakhani
CEO, Guavus: A Thales Company
Faizel is CEO of Guavus : a Thales Company. Guavus is a streaming analytics and artificial intelligence company based in Silicon Valley, Montreal Canada and Gurgaon India. Prior to Guavus Faizel was the President, COO and Board Member of SS8; a network intelligence company. Prior to SS8, Faizel was the vice president of Data Loss Prevention at McAfee, where he was responsible for the DLP business worldwide. Faizel joined McAfee through the acquisition of Reconnex, where he was the vice president of products and marketing. Prior to Reconnex, Faizel held executive leadership roles in product and marketing at ConSentry, Caspian Networks and Nortel Networks.
Faizel holds an MBA from The University of Ottawa, an MS in Engineering from Carleton University, and a Bachelor in Engineering from McMaster University.
Joe Liburdi
President
Joe Liburdi
Joe Liburdi
President, Liburdi Group of Companies
After graduation in 1967 from University of Windsor with a B.A.Sc. degree in Engineering Materials, Joe Liburdi was employed by Westinghouse for twelve years as Manager of Metallurgy.
He was responsible for metallurgical support in the development, design, manufacture and service of gas and steam turbines. In 1979, Liburdi Engineering Limited was established to provide independent support for turbine users. Using an interdisciplinary approach, Liburdi has pioneered the development of life assessment techniques, HIP rejuvenation of superalloys, automated welding of turbine blades, powder metallurgy joining processes, erosion resistant PVD coatings, and CVD coatings for internal/ external oxidation protection. Through continued investment in research and development, the company has become a recognized leader in advanced welding and coating systems for the manufacture and refurbishment of turbine components. The innovative processes and techniques developed by Liburdi have resulted in the awarding of several patents and numerous technical publications. A member of McMaster Engineering Dean’s Advisory Board, Liburdi has a long-standing affiliation with McMaster University. This mutually beneficial relationship is based on a shared regard for the importance of research and development in establishing a strong technical base for the business, while providing challenging opportunities for new graduates.
He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Mike Palmer
Senior Director, Energy & Raw Materials
Agrium (retired)
Mike Palmer
Mike Palmer
Senior Director, Energy & Raw Materials, Agrium (retired)
Mike Palmer has also held the roles of Senior Director of Potash Growth, as well as Senior Director of Canadian & Industrial Sales. Mike received his Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and Management from McMaster in 1980. Afterwards, he earned his MBA from York University.
In his role with Agrium, Mike is responsible for the purchasing of all major feedstocks for Agrium plants. He does the Business Development activities related to alternate feedstocks and optimized sourcing options.
Angela Pappin
Vice President Manufacturing
Angela Pappin
Angela Pappin
Vice President Manufacturing, ArcelorMittal Dofasco
Ms. Angela Pappin was appointed Vice President, Technology in 2014 after having held senior roles throughout technology including General Manager, Metallurgy and Quality, Business Unit Manager of Tin Plate Products, Business Unit Manager of Cold Roll and Tin Technology. She began her career with ArcelorMittal Dofasco in 1988 as a Tin Plate Products Stream Senior Engineer. Angela’s career has included cross functional appointments including market and product development, engineering, energy management, manufacturing and corporate strategy. Angela is a member of the ArcelorMittal Dofasco Corporate Community Investment Fund Committee and a past Chair of the American Iron and Steel Institute’s Metallurgical Committee on Tin Mill Practice. She holds a degree in Mechanical Engineering from McMaster University.
She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
James Politeski
President
James Politeski
James Politeski
President, Ductmate Canada Limited
Recognized for his leadership skills and strategic vision, James has dedicated his career to growing and transforming businesses within the consumer electronics industry. Today as founder of infuse Invest + Manage, James’ focus is on acquiring and growing a small business leveraging his years of success in global corporations. Prior to infuse, James was a Group President at Sears in Chicago and previously President of Samsung Canada. With over 20 years in leadership roles, James is known for building high performance teams and growth-based cultures.
James currently sits on the McMaster Engineering Dean’s Advisory board and is a Distinguished Engineering Executive in Residence and he also serves on the board of The Learning Partnership, a national charitable organization dedicated to championing a strong public education system in Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He holds a Mechanical Engineering and Management degree from McMaster University, and actively supports his alma mater through keynotes and more. James is also a dedicated supporter of the Canadian Cancer Society and has been a team leader for the Relay for Life since 2006.
Colleen Shannon
Colleen Shannon
Owner, Colleen M. Shannon Professional Corporation
Colleen Shannon is the owner and principal of Colleen M. Shannon Professional Corporation, a legal services organization delivering consultation, mediation and arbitration services as well as dispute resolution education. A former senior commercial litigation partner at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP, Colleen’s expertise includes commercial, environmental, engineering professional liability, construction and insurance law. Colleen received her Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering from McMaster in 1981. Prior to entering law school, she worked as an engineer for Imperial Oil, and is a registered Professional Engineer in Ontario. Colleen was admitted to the Ontario Bar in 1989. She received her LL.B. from the University of Toronto Law School in 1987 and received her LL.M in Trade Regulation from New York University School of Law in 1994. Colleen held a post-graduate fellowship position in Environmental Law at New York University between 1994 and 1997 and returned to private practice in 1997.
Colleen is actively involved in the community. In addition to being a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board since 2006, she is a member of the Canadian Bar Association, The Advocates’ Society, the Ontario Society of Professional Engineers, Professional Engineers of Ontario, and more recently has become a member of the Engineering Change Lab. Colleen previously served as a Board Member of the North York Women’s Shelter from 2006-2009 and as an external governance committee member for the Humber River Hospital Foundation Board from 2014 to 2016.
Howard Shearer
Chairman
Howard Shearer
Howard Shearer
Chairman, Hitachi Canada Ltd.
Howard Shearer is currently Chairman of Hitachi Canada Ltd. Previously, he served as CEO and President of the company. After joining Hitachi Canada Ltd. in 1984, Howard rose through the ranks to the position of President and CEO in 2001, and held that position until 2012. He has had a place on the Board of Directors since 1999. Prior to this, he served as Vice-President & General Manager of Hitachi Canada Ltd.’s Semiconductor division. Howard has been involved in both the high tech and energy sectors having also been employed by Texas Instruments and Murata Erie.
Howard received his Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University in 1977. He is very dedicated in his community involvement, as he serves on the board for large array of foundations and societies. In addition to being part of the McMaster Dean’s Advisory Board, he currently serves on the board for GE-Hitachi Canada Ltd., Metrolinx, Canadian Nurses Foundation, Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) in Ontario, Canadian Nuclear Association, Energy Council of Canada, University of Toronto Governing Council and Japan society. He also serves on the Special Advisory Council to the League for Human Rights, B'nai Brith Canada. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Kurt A. Strobele
Chairman of Board
Hatch (retired)
Kurt A. Strobele
Kurt A. Strobele
Chairman of Board, Hatch (retired)
Kurt A. Strobele is currently chairman of the Hatch Group of companies. Hatch is a global engineering, technologies, and execution company with 11,000 employees working in three sectors: Metals, Energy and Infrastructure. During Dr. Strobele's tenure as Chairman and CEO (2003-2011) Hatch grew from 3,500 employees to 11,000. Service organisations were added in Brazil, Peru, the Middle East, Russia, and India. Kurt has held several senior positions within Hatch, including, Vice-President of Computer Systems; Vice-President of Engineering; Managing Director of Industrial Minerals; and Managing Director of Light Metals, which included scale-up and commercialization of new processes.
Kurt has been with Hatch since 1973, when he joined the firm after receiving his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, from McMaster University. He had received his B.Sc., Engineering, Cum Laude, from Witwatersrand University in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 1968. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Kurt has 40 years of design and project management experience and as a leader of scale-ups for innovative processes and technologies around the world.
He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Robert Tong
Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile, Computing, and Cloud Division,
Robert Tong
Robert Tong
Vice President and General Manager of the Mobile, Computing, and Cloud Division, ON Semiconductor
From fledgling start-up to foreign-owned subsidiary, Robert Tong has spent 30 years navigating the waters of Waterloo Region’s tech sector.
Starting with Cambridge-based satellite company COM DEV in 1981, Tong joined Dspfactory, a spinoff of hearing-aid leader Unitron in Kitchener, in 1999. He grew the company from $250,000 to $15 million in annual sales by 2004, when it was acquired by U.S.-based AMI Semiconductor. AMI was then purchased by ON Semiconductor, a multinational based in Phoenix, in 2008.
As vice-president of ON’s medical division, with operations employing about 50 in Waterloo and 140 in Burlington, Tong has come to know the unique aspects of heading up Canadian operations for a parent company based abroad.
Mr. Tong holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University, Masters of Engineering from Waterloo University and MBA from Wilfred Laurier. He is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Lawrence Tse
Vice President of Engineering
Lawrence Tse
Lawrence Tse
Vice President of Engineering, Inphi
Lawrence Tse has more than 27 years of integrated circuits electronics design and development, test and product engineering and technical management experience. Mr. Tse has been with Inphi Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of High-Speed Interconnect solutions since 2010. Prior to joining Inphi, Mr. Tse was the CTO of Intremag Systems, an energy management consulting company. From 2000 to 2008, before Intremag Systems, Mr. Tse was the Vice President of Engineering of Wireless Products & Central Engineering at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. Mr. Tse
also served as the Vice President of Engineering for Volterra Semiconductor Corporation, a designer and manufacturer of Advanced Power Management Products and previously, he held various positions at Chrontel, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of mixed-signal Visual Communication Products, including serving as Vice President of Engineering. Prior to Chrontel, Mr. Tse was with Nortel Networks, developing Optoelectronics products for SONET applications.
Mr. Tse holds a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University, Canada, and a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley.
Robert Walker
Retired Senior Vice President Nuclear Laboratories
Robert Walker
Robert S. Walker, PhD, FCAE
Retired Senior Vice President Nuclear Laboratories, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.
Robert Walker has had a distinguished career in public service in various leadership roles, both domestic and international.
From November 2010 until his retirement in September 2015, Walker was with Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, a federal Crown Corporation, first as Senior Vice President Nuclear Laboratories and from October 2011 as the corporation’s President and Chief Executive Officer. From November 2014, he was concurrently the first President and CEO of AECL’s wholly owned subsidiary, Canadian Nuclear Laboratories.
Prior to joining AECL, Walker had a career of 33 years as scientist, manager and executive with the research and development arm of the Department of National Defence. From August 2005 until November 2010, he was the Assistant Deputy Minister Science and Technology at DND and the Chief Executive Officer of Defence Research and Development Canada.
From 2009 to 2012, Walker served as the Chair of the NATO Research and Technology Board, the senior oversight body for cooperative research within the NATO framework. He is presently the Chair of the Board for the Network of Centers of Excellence in Marine Environmental Observation, Prediction and Response (MEOPAR), hosted by Dalhousie University. Dr. Walker is a member of the Council of Advisors of the Conference of Defence Associations Institute and a director and past Chair of the Board of the Pembroke Boys and Girls Club.
Walker earned a BSc in Physics from Acadia University, an MEng in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Electrical Engineering from McMaster University. In 2013, McMaster awarded Dr. Walker an honorary Doctor of Science and in 2015 the Royal Military College of Canada awarded him an honorary Doctor of Engineering. He is a graduate of the National Defence College and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. Dr. Walker is a recipient of the Canadian Forces Medallion for Distinguished Service and the Canadian Nuclear Association’s 2015 Ian McRae Award of Merit.
He is Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
Gina Succi
Executive Vice President
Gina Succi
Gina Succi
Executive Vice President, Westhill Innovation Inc
Gina Succi has over 30 years of experience in civil/structural and materials engineering, product development and construction project management. Upon graduating from McMaster University with a Bachelor of Engineering, she began her career working at Dofasco Inc in Hamilton, Ontario. Over the next 18 years, Gina worked in various capacities including leading engineering, product development teams, sales and marketing of steel-based products, and in the development of composite technologies that utilized a steel component. She is a fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.
She left Dofasco in 2005 to pursue other interests working as a Director of Sales in the logistics industry and as Product Manager for Weir Minerals, a global mining equipment manufacturer. While in mining, she created platforms for growth for the company, and lead teams that designed and manufactured equipment to process tailings in the Oil Sands as well as traditional precious metals mining worldwide.
Gina has several patents and continues to look for opportunities to develop new products in various fields and applications. She is now co-owner and Executive Vice President of Westhill Innovation. Westhill Innovation is a leading-edge composite materials designer and manufacturer of light-weight metal- skinned, and environmental/energy sustainable products for the commercial and recreational transportation sector.
Gina lives in Ancaster with her husband Morris and their four children. She enjoys spending time with her family in addition to her many hobbies, which include art, painting, mountain-biking and writing a cultural blog.
Carole Wilson
Ford OEM Field Manager
Carole Wilson
Carole Wilson
Ford OEM Field Manager, AutoAlert LLC
Carole Wilson is an automotive marketing and sales leader proficient at developing go-to-market strategies, growing net revenue and fostering strong relationships.
In 2018, Carole joined AutoAlert to manage their launch in Ontario. AutoAlert is the automotive industry’s leading data-mining and trade cycle management platform and other revolutionary software solutions.
In 2017, Carole retired from Ford Motor Company where she enjoyed a dynamic career touching on all aspects of the business, including Manufacturing, Product Development, Finance, Marketing, Sales and Service. She has also been fortunate to gain a global perspective with assignments in North America and Asia. While Ford is an established, well-known brand in North America, Carole was given the opportunity to help introduce and build the brand in Asia, and train and mentor local Nationals to grow the brand in their markets.
Established organizations such as Ford must recognize and embrace change to maintain relevance and profitability. Carole has had the opportunity to be at the forefront of implementing change both locally and abroad. She is a strategic thinker with a global mindset and entrepreneurial focus.
Carole’s last position at Ford was Lincoln Product Marketing Manager where she developed market equations for all current and future model Lincoln vehicles sold in Canada. In her role, she developed and implemented the marketing strategy for Lincoln vehicles, successfully launching 2 new nameplates and 3 redesigned vehicles. She also spearheaded internal and external communications.
Carole is a licensed Professional Engineer of Ontario. She is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering.She earned both her MBA and Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering and Management at McMaster University in Hamilton.
Post-secondary education is important to Carole. As such, she has maintained a relationship with the McMaster Engineering community, establishing a bursary in her name in 2018 and serving as a member of the Engineering & Management Industry Advisory Committee (2016-2018).
Carole has also volunteered with Habitat for Humanity building homes in Milton, ON, Detroit, MI, and Phuket, Thailand (after the 2004 tsunami).
She enjoys cycling adventures and has cycled through New Mexico, France, Germany and New Zealand.