The Steering Committee

Comprised of senior representatives from industry, financial services, and the academic community, the Committee will provide advice throughout the review process focusing on the following three areas:

• Act as a sounding board to test and validate the OCN model(s) proposed by PwC;
• Provide input to MRI on program re-tooling, realignment, and identification of program gaps based on the expertise of its members; and
• Be responsible for identifying any overlap and duplication across the OCN.

Review the full Terms of Reference.

The Expert Panel

The Panel consists of international experts in global leadership and best practices strategy in commercialization, with representation from both industry and academia, it is responsible for:

• Offering advice and proposing changes to suggested OCN models and strategies; and
• Providing advice on global leadership strategy.

Ontario Commercialization Network Review - Expert Panel Terms of Reference

OCN Review Steering Committee Members  - Biographies

Dr. Alastair Glass (Chair) – President, Transparent Solutions

Dr. Glass is currently engaged in consultative activities with his firm, Transparent Solutions. He is also the Chair of the OCN Review Steering Committee.

From 2006 to 2008, Dr. Glass was Deputy Minister of the Ontario Ministry of Research and Innovation.  Prior to his role with the Ministry, he was Chairman of the Tyndall National Institute in Cork, Ireland, and the acting CEO.

For four years, he played a pivotal role in growing research and development programs in Ireland as the first Director of Information and Communication Sciences at Science Foundation Ireland, and in helping build effective partnerships between industry, government and academia.

Dr. Glass has an impressive background in senior leadership positions at Bell Laboratories, and he has been a frequent advisor to U.S. government agencies and academic institutions, an invited speaker at international conferences and a published author and leader in technical societies.

Dr. Glass has a B.Sc. (Special) from University College in London and a PhD in physics from the University of British Columbia.

Dr. Geoff Fernie – Vice President, Research, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute

Dr. Fernie is Vice President, Research at Toronto Rehab. He is a professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto with cross-appointments that include the Institute of Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering, the Graduate Department of Rehabilitation Science and the Departments of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Physical Therapy and Occupational Therapy.

Dr. Fernie was Director of the Centre for Studies in Aging at Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences Centre until he joined Toronto Rehab in September of 2003.

A mechanical engineer, he has approximately 100 peer-reviewed journal papers and book chapters, and 16 families of patents. Dr. Fernie has a doctorate in Bioengineering from the University of Strathclyde.

P. Thomas (Tom) Jenkins - Executive Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer, Open Text Corporation

Mr. Jenkins has served as a Director of Open Text, a firm created as the direct result of basic research, since December 1994 and as its Chairman since June 30, 1998 and most recently as its Executive Chairman since June 30, 2005. From July 1994 to July 1997 Mr. Jenkins was President of Open Text and from July 1997 until July 2005, Mr. Jenkins served as Chief Executive Officer of Open Text. Mr. Jenkins was appointed Chief Strategy Officer of the Company in August 2005 and currently serves in that capacity. From December 1986 until June 1994, Mr. Jenkins held several executive positions with DALSA Inc., an electronic imaging manufacturer based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.

Prior to these positions, Mr. Jenkins was employed in a variety of technical and managerial capacities at a variety of information technology based companies in Canada. In addition to his Open Text responsibilities, Mr. Jenkins is currently a member of the board of BMC Software, Inc. a software corporation based in Houston, Texas. Mr. Jenkins received an M.B.A. in entrepreneurship and technology management from Schulich School of Business at York University, an M.A.Sc. in electrical engineering from the University of Toronto and a B.Eng. and Mgt. in Engineering Physics and commerce from McMaster University.

Melissa McJannet - Vice President, TD Capital

Ms. McJannet joined TD Capital in 2005.

Prior to joining TD Capital, Ms. McJannet was an Associate at Mayfield, one of the leading venture capital firms in Silicon Valley, where she invested directly in early stage technology companies and worked closely with management teams to help grow their businesses.

Previously, Ms. McJannet spent a number of years working in business development and finance roles for a telecommunications company in Chile and for the high-speed Internet access division of Rogers Cable in Toronto. Ms. McJannet also spent two years as an Analyst in the Mergers and Acquisitions group at RBC Capital Markets in Toronto.

Ms. McJannet received her M.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University and received her B.A. (Honours) from Queen’s University.

Maureen Piercy -  President, Loyalist College

Maureen Piercy was appointed the fourth President of Loyalist College January 1, 2005.  Maureen is a 20 year resident of the Quinte area.

Prior to 2005 Maureen served as Vice President Academic at Loyalist for several years, and also held a number of senior administrative roles at Loyalist.  Her experience also includes several years with Sheridan College and in the private sector as a reporter/writer/editor with Maclean’s Magazine.
  
Maureen is very proud to be a Loyalist College Journalism graduate.  She also holds an Honours B.A. in Psychology from Queen’s University, a Master’s of Education degree from Brock University, and has completed doctoral coursework with the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.

Recently, the Brock University Alumni Association named Maureen one of Thirty from the Past Thirty outstanding graduates of the University’s first 30 years.  She is a member of The Rotary Club of Belleville and has served on the Board of Directors of the Belleville and District Chamber of Commerce.  She is a member of the City of Belleville Economic Development Committee and has acted as a resource member to the Quinte Economic Development Commission.    She has also provided leadership to the Ontario College system through participating in and chairing a variety of provincial committees and initiatives.

Dr. Celia Ross - President, Algoma University

After completing a doctorate in 19th Century French Literature at l’Universite de Bordeaux III in France, Dr. Ross began teaching in the French Department at Algoma University College in 1982. Dr. Ross has served as President of Algoma University College since 1998. During her time as President, Dr. Ross has focused on the growth of Algoma University College. She has achieved much of this growth through the development of partnerships, both local and international.

Dr. Ross currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation, Science Enterprise Algoma, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, and the Shingwauk Commission.

Bob Sutherland  - Vice President, Commercialization, Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR)

Dr. Robert M. Sutherland was appointed Vice-President, Commercialization for the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research (OICR) in March 2007. He is developing OICR’s commercialization program including intellectual property management, identification of projects for early stage development and the engagement of market receptors and investor groups. 

Before his appointment at OICR, he was President of Varian Biosynergy, Inc., a California-based biotechnology firm. Previously, he held several senior positions in the Life Sciences division of SRI International (formerly Stanford Research Institute).

During his career he has served as a consultant/reviewer for many national and international government research agencies, universities, industry, and scientific journals. He is also a member of many professional associations including, among others, the Radiation Research Society, American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology, and the American Association for Cancer Research. 

Some of his honors include the Radiation Research Award (1977) of the Radiation Research Society, National Cancer Institute MERIT Award (1987), Doctor of Science honoris causa (1985) Acadia University, and Senior U.S. Scientist Award of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (1983).

Sutherland, who holds a B.Sc. (Hons.) from Acadia and a PhD in biophysics from the University of Rochester, is also a scientist. He was the Associate Director of the Cancer Center for Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Rochester and he was a faculty member of the Department of Biophysics at the University of Western Ontario. He was recently a consulting professor of radiation oncology at Stanford University.