[Ottawa, ON]

CANARIE, a vital component of Canada’s digital research infrastructure supporting research, education and innovation, today announced changes to its 2018-19 Board of Directors.

Ralph Chapman and Lucie Laplante are departing the CANARIE Board. Ms. Laplante also served as Secretary – Treasurer, and chair of the Audit and Investment Committee which oversaw CANARIE’s financial operations. CANARIE is grateful for the tremendous energy, insight and commitment both departing members demonstrated during their tenure, and wish them all the best in future endeavours.

Two new Board members were elected at the CANARIE Annual General Meeting held on September 12, 2018: Nathalie Le Prohon of IBM Canada and John Weigelt of Microsoft Canada.

Nathalie Le Prohon is Vice-President, Healthcare Industry and Telecommunications, Media and Entertainment Industry at IBM Canada. Nathalie has worked in the technology sector for many years and in addition to her responsibilities at IBM, also sits or has served on a number of boards of both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, including Hydro Quebec, 5NPlus, Blackrock Metals, and the Make-a-Wish Foundation

As National Technology Officer for Microsoft Canada, John Weigelt is responsible for driving strategic technology initiatives nationwide, helping businesses and governments innovate with technology. Prior to his role at Microsoft Canada, John worked at the Treasury Board Secretariat and for the Canadian Forces in strategic technology roles. John currently sits on the Board of ICTC Canada and on the Science and Technology Advisory Council at Innovacorp.

Gopi Chande from TELUS has been appointed as the new Secretary – Treasurer of CANARIE and will also chair the Audit and Investment Committee.

“As digital research infrastructure is a strategic driver that accelerates discovery and innovation, the CANARIE Board plays a critical role in ensuring that CANARIE infrastructure and services evolve to meet changing stakeholder needs,” says Chris Lumb, Chair of the Board of Directors. “I welcome our two Directors and also extend the deepest appreciation of CANARIE and the Board to Ralph Chapman and Lucie Laplante for their service to the community.”

CANARIE’s Board of Directors is comprised of an equal number of individuals from industry and academia. Directors bring a variety of skills and experience to the Board, and their backgrounds in the academic, institutional, private and public sectors ensure CANARIE’s programs and services anticipate and effectively address the evolving needs of its stakeholder communities. Directors are elected for one-year renewable terms, and all Directors serve on at least one standing committee of the Board.

More information on CANARIE’s Board of Directors.

For more information, please contact:

Ela Yazdani
Director, Communications
CANARIE Inc.
(613) 943-5432
[email protected]

About CANARIE

CANARIE strengthens Canadian leadership in science and technology by delivering digital infrastructure to support world-class research that directly benefits all Canadians.

CANARIE and its twelve provincial and territorial partners form Canada’s National Research and Education Network. This ultra-high-speed network connects Canada’s researchers, educators and innovators to each other and to global data, technology, and colleagues.

Beyond the network, CANARIE funds and promotes reusable research software tools and national research data management initiatives to accelerate discovery, provides identity management services to the academic community, and offers advanced networking and cloud resources to boost commercialization in Canada’s technology sector.

Established in 1993, CANARIE is a non-profit corporation, with the majority of its funding provided by the Government of Canada.