Forum Speakers

Pierre Bilodeau, Vice-President, Operations, International Science & Technology Partnerships Canada (ISTPCanada)

Afonso J. Sena Cardoso, Consul General, Consulate General of Brazil

Patrick Deane, President & Vice Chancellor of McMaster University

Sean Donnelly, Vice President Technology and Continuous Improvement, ArcelorMittal Dofasco

Nicolas Duhaut, University Cooperation Attaché to the French Embassy in Canada

Mo Elbestawi , Vice-President, Research & International Affairs, McMaster University

Suzanne Fortier, President, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)

Chad Gaffield, President, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State for Science and Technology

The Honourable Kevin G. Lynch, P.C.,Vice-Chair, BMO Financial Group

Hadi Mahabadi, Vice President, Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC)

The Right Honourable Paul Martin, former Prime Minister of Canada

Gilles G. Patry, President & CEO of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)

Luo Weidong, Chancellor, University of Science & Technology Beijing

Dr. Lynton "Red" Wilson, Chancellor, McMaster University

Forum Speakers: Biographies

Leveraging more than 20 years of experience with industry, academia and government in Canada and abroad, Pierre Bilodeau brings expertise in program management, delivery and business development to his role as Vice President Operations, ISTPCanada (appointed January 2011). He has acquired a deep knowledge of Canada’s research enterprise through senior management roles with the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC); Medicago Inc., a bio-pharmaceutical company based in Quebec City; and the Alberta Research Council (now known as Alberta Innovates).

As a Director at NSERC, first in the Scholarships and Fellowships division, and later in the Bio-Industry division, Dr. Bilodeau played a key role in the development and implementation of innovative research policies and collaborative programs. This included the establishment of two national public-private sector research networks in aquaculture and in capture fisheries; the ENGAGE program; the CREATE program; and the Industrial Innovation Scholarships. Prior to joining NSERC in 2005, Dr. Bilodeau occupied several R&D leadership roles with Medicago, including Scientific Team Leader, Research Manager and Prototype Manager. During this time, he also served as an Adjunct Professor in Plant Sciences at Laval University. This built on his experience as a research scientist with the Crop and Plant Business Unit at the Alberta Research Council, and with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO), Division of Plant Industry in Canberra, Australia. Dr. Bilodeau has a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Australian National University, and a Masters and Bachelor degree in Biochemistry from Laval University.

Afonso José Sena Cardoso was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has been a career diplomat at the Brazilian Foreign Service for more than 44 years. He currently holds the rank of Ambassador, the highest level of the foreign affairs diplomatic service. Mr. Cardoso graduated in Diplomacy from the Diplomatic Academy of Brazil (Rio Branco Institute – IRBr). His work on “Brazil and the United Nations Peace Keeping Operations” was published in 1998 by the Institute for Research on Foreign AFFAIRS (IPRI).

Afonso Cardoso has served worldwide in many Brazilian Embassies and Permanent Missions, such as: Budapest, Hungary, 1970; Washington D.C., USA, 1980; Montevideo, Uruguay, 1983; New York, USA (Brazilian Mission to the United Nations), 1991; Santiago, Chile, 1994;Montevideo, Uruguay (Deputy Permanent Representative of the Brazilian Mission to ALADI and MERCOSUL), 1999;Luanda, Angola (Ambassador of Brazil to Angola), 2007; and Toronto, Canada (Consul General of Brazil), 2010. At headquarters, Mr. Cardoso held among others the positions of: Head of Consular Division, 1987; Head of the Division for Agriculture and Commodities, 1996; Brazilian Coordinator for Plurilateral Political Summits, 2004; and Brazilian National Coordinator for MERCOSUL, 2006.

Patrick Deane is the seventh President and Vice-Chancellor of McMaster University. He began his five-year term on July 1, 2010.

Dr. Deane came to McMaster from Queen’s University, where he served a five-year term as vice-principal (Academic).

Deane was born and raised in South Africa where he studied English and Law at the University of Witwatersrand. He immigrated to Canada in 1978 and studied English Literature at the University of Western Ontario earning his M.A. in 1980 and his Ph.D. in 1985. He began his academic career at the University of Toronto but returned to Western to join the Department of English in 1988, the same year he was awarded the John Charles Polanyi Prize for Literature. He was appointed chair in 1997.

In 2001 Deane became the vice-president (Academic) at the University of Winnipeg. He also served for two years as senior university officer for Inter-Universities North, the consortium of three universities delivering post-secondary programs in Northern Manitoba. He became acting-president of the University of Winnipeg in 2002.He returned to Ontario in 2005, accepting a position at Queen's University providing academic leadership to all seven faculties and schools, the Office of the Registrar, Institutional Planning and Analysis, and Student Affairs.

Sean Donnelly, Vice President Technology and Continuous Improvement, joined Dofasco in 1981 as a Production Engineer in Galvanize. Since then, he has served in various leadership positions in Operations and Technology. In 2002, Sean was appointed General Manager, Market Development and Product Applications where he lead the DoSol Galva commercialization team including the introduction of a new coated product to North America – Extragal, for exposed automotive applications. In 2005, Sean was appointed Director Quality Systems & Manufacturing Technology, a position he held until his 2009 appointment as Vice President Technology and Continuous Improvement. Sean graduated from Hamilton’s McMaster University in 1981 with a degree in Metallurgical Engineering and is a member of the Board of Directors of Baycoat, a subsidiary of ArcelorMittal Dofasco, and McMaster University Dean of Engineering Advisory Board.

Nicolas Duhaut has been higher education attaché at the French Embassy in Canada since September 2009. He is in charge of the creation and development of university cooperation projects between France and Canada. Duhaut studied at the Political Science Institute of Aix-en-Provence (Science Po) and obtained a PhD in 2005 in information and communication sciences at the University of Bordeaux 3. His research was focused on e-administration and the social uses of information and communication technologies. As a university assistant, he taught a course titled "Political Communication and Public Communication" at the University of Bordeaux 3. In 2005, he became head manager of "CampusFrance Tunisie" at the French Embassy in Tunisia. His mission was to launch and develop the CampusFrance Service in Tunisia. This service aims to promote the French higher education system and manage student mobility from Tunisia to France through an online application system.

Mo Elbestawi began his five-year term as the Vice-President, Research & International Affairs, at McMaster University on July 1, 2007. He is responsible for all research activities within the University and for the aggressive pursuit of new partnerships – including technology transfer and economic development opportunities – locally, nationally and internationally. His mandate is to capitalize on McMaster’s significant strengths as a research enterprise – an enterprise that, in 2009, received more than $377 million in research income from external sponsors. Dr. Elbestawi has held a number of instrumental research and administrative roles over his 24 years at McMaster University including Dean of Engineering, Chair of Mechanical Engineering, and Director of the McMaster Manufacturing Research Institute. He held an NSERC Industrial Research Chair in Precision Machining and the Braley-Orlick Chair in Advanced Manufacturing Engineering. During a stint in industry, Dr. Elbestawi served as head of the structural dynamics unit at Ontario Hydro Research Division. He is known worldwide for his research in the areas of machine tools, metal cutting and computer aided manufacturing, publishing more than 220 research papers. His awards include: The Hamilton Spectator Publisher’s Award for Education (2004); Synergy Award - NSERC and Conference Board of Canada (2003) as well as two McMaster Students Union awards for Teaching Excellence. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering; the International Academy for Production Engineering (CIRP); the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME); the Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME), as well as a Member of the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario. Dr. Elbestawi received his B.Sc. from the University of Alexandria and his M.Eng. and PhD degrees from McMaster University.

Suzanne Fortier has served as President of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) since January 2006. She was re-appointed to this position in November 2010. During her first five years, Dr. Fortier brought a renewed focus on excellence to the agency. Changes to NSERC’s funding structure ensure that the best researchers receive the funding they need to conduct world-class research. NSERC now engages more closely with industries to initiate research and development projects with academic partners.

Before her appointment to this position, Dr. Fortier held a number of senior research and administrative positions at Queen’s University. She joined Queen's University as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry in 1982 after holding research positions at the Medical Foundation of Buffalo and National Research Council Canada. She then served as Dean of the School of Graduate Studies, Acting Vice-Principal (Research), and Associate Dean in the School of Graduate Studies and Research before being appointed Vice-Principal (Research) in 1995. Most recently (2000-05), she was Vice-Principal (Academic).Dr. Fortier is a crystallographer by training, specializing in the development of mathematical and artificial intelligence methodologies for protein structure determination. A native of St-Timothée, Quebec, she attended McGill University, where she received a BSc (1972) and a PhD in Crystallography (1976).

Chad Gaffield, one of Canada’s foremost historians, was appointed president of SSHRC in September 2006. Gaffield came to SSHRC from the University of Ottawa, where he held a University Research Chair and was the founding director of the Institute of Canadian Studies. During his 20-year University of Ottawa career, he also served as vice-dean of graduate studies and on the executive committee of the board of governors. He is a former president of the Canadian Historical Association and the Canadian Federation for the Humanities & Social Sciences.

Gaffield has won many awards for his teaching, research and innovative theories and methods related to computer-based, interdisciplinary and multi-institutional collaboration. A Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, he received the society’s J.B. Tyrrell Historical Medal in 2004 for his outstanding contribution to the study of Canada. In 2007, the Canadian Association of University Teachers presented him with its Distinguished Academic Award in recognition of excellence in teaching, research and service to the community. The University of Ottawa named him Researcher of Year in 1995 and Professor of the Year in 2002—only the second time that a professor has been chosen for both awards. Chad Gaffield received his BA and MA from McGill University, and his PhD from the University of Toronto.

Gary Goodyear was first elected to the House of Commons in 2004 and was re-elected in 2006, 2008 and 2011. On October 30, 2008, he was appointed Minister of State for Science and Technology, and on August 13, 2009, he was named Minister of State responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. He was re-appointed to both positions on May 18, 2011. Prior to entering federal politics, he practiced chiropractic medicine and worked as an advisor to investment firms in the biomedical industry. A former Public Relations Director and Past President of the College of Chiropractic Sports Sciences in Toronto, Dr. Goodyear taught at the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College and the University of Waterloo. He was co-designer of a three-year post-graduate sports fellowship program and co-author of “Practice Guidelines.” He has worked with many athletes, both amateur and professional, and served as medical services chair of the Ontario Special Olympics. Dr. Goodyear attended the University of Waterloo, specializing in kinesiology and psychology, before graduating from Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College. He worked his way through university as a meat packer and labourer.

The Honourable Kevin G. Lynch P.C., LL.D, PH.D earned his BA from Mount Allison University, his Masters in Economics from the University of Manchester and a doctorate in Economics from McMaster University. Dr. Lynch also holds honourary degrees from seven distinguished Canadian universities. Dr. Lynch began his career in 1976 as an economist with the Bank of Canada. Through a storied career, Dr. Lynch served as Deputy Minister of Industry from 1995 to 2000 and then Deputy Minister of Finance from 2000 to 2004. He then served as Executive Director, the International Monetary Fund, until, in early 2006, he was appointed the 20th Clerk of the Privy Council, Secretary to the Cabinet and Head of the Public Service of Canada. In July 2009, after a long and distinguished career, Dr. Lynch retired from the Government of Canada. In early 2010, Dr. Lynch was appointed Vice Chair of the BMO Financial Group. He currently serves on several boards, including those of the Gairdner Foundation, the Perimeter Institute, the University of Waterloo, U.K. Ditchley, Chair of the Canadian Ditchley Foundation, the Learning Partnership, the Shannon School of Business, and the Accounting Standards Oversight Council. The Honourable Kevin G. Lynch was made a Member of the Queen’s Privy Council for Canada in 2009, was awarded the Distinguished Alumni Award from McMaster University and was recipient of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal.

Hadi Mahabadi was a vice president of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC) for Xerox Corporation until his retirement on August 31, 2011.

Mahabadi joined Xerox in 1981 and held a variety of managerial positions at XRCC. He was instrumental in creating an innovative environment and successfully commercializing many breakthrough material technologies at XRCC.

Hadi was also responsible for developing Xerox’s materials technology strategy and has led teams that have developed materials for many Xerox product platforms, including toner resins and carrier coating materials for iGen3/iGen4, Nuvera and DocuTech100-120, and solid ink for the Xerox Phaser platform and ColorQube. He has been instrumental in the development of Emulsion Aggregation (EA), the new generation of toner technology that was introduced into the market in 2001.

His R&D leadership efforts were recognized through many awards including two of Xerox Corporation’s highest awards and the University of Waterloo’s 2008 Alumni Achievement Medal. Mahabadi was ranked #1 among PrintAction Magazine’s 50 most influential Canadians in Graphic Art Communications for 2008 and 2009 and in 2010, and he was voted one of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrants of the Year sponsored by Canadian Immigrant Magazine.

Mahabadi received his PhD in the field of polymer engineering from the University of Waterloo in 1976 and has held various academic positions, including Chair of the Chemical Engineering Department of Tehran University of Technology before joining Xerox. Mahabadi is a member of several scientific societies. He was selected as a Fellow of the Chemical Institute of Canada, Canadian Academy of Engineering, International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and recently serves as the chair of the Chemical Institute of Canada.

Mahabadi is also involved in shaping the science and technology strategy and direction in Canada and advancing its agenda nationally and internationally. He has served on a several national and regional committees, taskforces and boards such as Ontario Centre of Excellence, Canadian National Institute of Standards, Chemical Institute of Canada.

The Right Honourable Paul Martin was the twenty-first Prime Minister of Canada from 2003 to 2006.
He was the Minister of Finance during the period 1993 to 2002, during which time he erased Canada’s record deficit which had been built up over 25 years and virtually paid off Canada’s foreign debt the highest of the G7 at that time. He then recorded five consecutive budget surpluses and restored the financial integrity of the Canadian Pension Plan (the Canadian equivalent of US Social Security). He also strengthened the regulations governing Canada’s financial institutions, with the result that Canada is now viewed as an international model for sound financial regulation.
In September 1999, having initiated the concept, Mr. Martin was named the inaugural chair of the Finance Ministers’ G-20. As Prime Minister he pushed strongly for its elevation to the Leaders’ level which subsequently occurred in 2008.

Currently, Mr. Martin is the co-chair of a two hundred million dollar British-Norwegian poverty and sustainable development fund for the ten nation Congo Basin Rainforest. He also sits on the advisory council of the Coalition for Dialogue on Africa, an initiative sponsored by the African Union, the UN Economic Commission for Africa and the African Development Bank that deals
with critical Pan African issues. He is also a member of the International Monetary Fund’s Western Hemisphere Regional Advisory Group.
Domestically, he is responsible for two initiatives. First, the Martin Aboriginal Education Initiative which aims at reducing the high school dropout rate of Canada’s Aboriginal youth. Second, he founded with his son David, the Capital for Aboriginal Prosperity and Entrepreneurship Fund, which helps establish and grow successful Aboriginal businesses both on and off reserve.

Before entering public life he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The CSL Group Inc, which operates the world’s largest fleet of self-unloading vessels and offshore transshippers. Its acquisition by Mr. Martin in 1981 represented the most important leveraged buyout in Canada at that time.
Mr. Martin graduated in honours philosophy and history from St. Michael's College at the University of Toronto and is a graduate of the University of Toronto Law School. He was called to the Ontario Bar in 1966.
He married Sheila Ann Cowan in 1965. They have three sons: Paul, Jamie and David and they are the proud grandparents of Ethan, Liam and Finn, children of David and his wife Laurence.

Gilles Patry, became the fourth President and CEO of the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) on August 1, 2010. Following a long and distinguished career as a consultant, a researcher, and a university administrator, Dr. Patry brings to the CFI a wealth of experience from both the private and academic sector.

Dr. Patry holds a B.A.Sc. and M.A.Sc. in civil engineering from the University of Ottawa, and a Ph.D. from the University of California, Davis in environmental engineering. He was an environmental engineering consultant (1971-78) before becoming professor of civil engineering at École Polytechnique de Montréal (1978-83) and then at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. (1983-93). Dr. Patry’s research program at McMaster led him to develop an innovative modelling concept for the simulation of wastewater treatment plant dynamics, and ultimately, to launch a Hamilton-based consulting company, Hydromantis, Inc. His research focuses on modelling, simulation and control of environmental systems.

Returning to the University of Ottawa as Dean of Engineering in 1993, Dr. Patry was instrumental in the creation of the School of Information Technology and Engineering, which was designed to provide leading-edge information technology research and education. In 1997, he became Vice-Rector (Academic) and fostered the creation of new institutes, academic programs and partnerships among the private sector, government and other post-secondary institutions. During his tenure as President and Vice-Chancellor (2001-08), Dr. Patry led the development and implementation of the university’s strategic plan Vision 2010, promoted the development of multidisciplinary initiatives, spearheaded the most successful fundraising campaign in the history of the University and initiated more than $300 million of capital investments on campus. He is now President Emeritus at the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Patry is a Member of the Order of Canada, a recipient of the Order of Ontario and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering. He has received honorary doctorates from the University of Waterloo and McMaster University, and was named Executive of the Year in 2004 by the Regroupement des gens d’affaires of the National Capital Region. In 2009, he was also named Chevalier de l’Ordre de la Pléiade of the Assemblée parlementaire de la Francophonie.

Luo Weidong, Chancellor, University of Science & Technology Beijing was born in 1956 in Beijing and graduated from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Beijing University of Iron and Steel Technology in 1982. He obtained Master’s Degree at the Graduate School of East China Petroleum Institute (currently University of Petroleum). From 1990 to 1991 he studied at Department of Engineering, University of Maryland, USA. From 1985 to 2002 he worked at the University of Petroleum and was appointed as Vice President in 1994 and President in 1999. He has served as the Chancellor of the University of Science and Technology Beijing since 2003.

Professor Weidong was mainly engaged in the teaching and research of Vehicle Engineering, Petroleum Machinery Engineering and Engineering Mechanics in the field of petroleum industries. He led and participated in a number of key research projects undertaken by China National Petroleum Corporation, and published over 20 academic papers. He was awarded 5 provincial and ministerial research and teaching prizes.

Lynton "Red" Wilson is Chairman, CAE Inc. and Chancellor of McMaster University. Born and educated in Port Colborne, Mr. Wilson holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from McMaster University and an MA from Cornell University. Following appointment as a Foreign Service officer with Canada’s Department of Trade and Commerce in 1962, Mr. Wilson was Assistant Commercial Secretary at the Canadian Embassy in Vienna 1963-65 and Second Secretary in Tokyo 1967-68. He served as Corporate Economist and Director of Economic Research, John Labatt Limited 1969-71, Coordinator, Industrial R & D Policy for the Ministry of State, Science & Technology 1972, Strategic Planning and Development Officer, MacMillan Bloedel Ltd., 1973-74, and Vice President & Director, MacMillan Bloedel Enterprises Inc. 1974-77.

Mr. Wilson was appointed Executive Director, Policy & Priorities, Ministry of Industry & Tourism, Government of Ontario 1977-78; Deputy Minister of Industry & Tourism 1978-81. He was President and Chief Executive Officer, Redpath Industries Limited 1981-88; Managing Director, North America, Tate & Lyle PLC 1986-89; Chairman of the Board, Redpath Industries Limited 1988-89; Vice Chairman, The Bank of Nova Scotia, Toronto 1989-90.

He served as President & COO, BCE Inc. 1990 – 92; President and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc. 1992-93; Chairman, President & CEO , BCE Inc. 1993-96; Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, BCE Inc. 1996-98; and Chairman of the Board, BCE Inc. 1998-2000.

Mr. Wilson also serves as a Director of Daimler AG (Supervisory Board). He was a Founding Co-Chairman of the Historica Foundation of Canada, and is a director of the Historica-Dominion Institute. He was Chairman of the Government of Canada’s Competition Policy Review Panel (2007 – 2008). Mr. Wilson is an Officer of the Order of Canada, a Companion of the Order of the Business Hall of Fame, and is the recipient of honourary degrees from six Canadian universities.