Executive Team

Kathryn Anthonisen was appointed CANARIE’s President and CEO in July 2023, after having served as Vice President, External Relations with the organization for 11 years. Since joining CANARIE as Director of Communications in 2010, Kathryn led the team responsible for marketing and communications, stakeholder engagement, international relations, in addition to leading the strategic development of CANARIE’s mandate renewal.  

During her tenure as Vice President, External Relations, Kathryn worked to promote the impact of digital research infrastructure on Canada’s innovation capacity. Kathryn successfully reshaped the perception of the CANARIE brand from that of solely a network operator to an organization focussed on delivering a range of relevant and impactful digital infrastructure tools and services, and worked with partners in Canada’s National Research and Education Network to increase the visibility of this mission-critical infrastructure. 

Prior to joining CANARIE, Kathryn held a variety of senior roles in marketing, communications, and client management in the academic and private sectors, including at the Institute of Canadian Bankers, Humber College, and Canadian travel management pioneer, Rider Travel. At Humber College, Kathryn was an instructor and program administrator in the School of Business, and led or participated in several international projects, including a small business development project for women in Bangladesh, a lifelong learning project in China, and a capacity-building project for the educational sector in Guyana. During her time at Rider Travel, Kathryn held progressively senior roles in marketing communications, sales support, and client management.  

Kathryn earned her BA in English and History at McGill University and her MBA, with a focus on Marketing and International Business, from Schulich School of Business at York University, and spent a year studying French language and culture at the Sorbonne in Paris. Kathryn’s favourite place is outside, so she takes advantage of Ottawa’s extensive bike paths to commute to work until the snow flies, when she switches to skates and glides to the office and home again on the Rideau Canal.  

Contact Kathryn: (613) 943-5374 | kathryn.anthonisen [at] canarie.ca

Tracy Murray was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2022, having served in progressive roles as Director, Finance and Senior Director, Finance and Operations since joining CANARIE in 2011. As CFO, Tracy is responsible for CANARIE’s financial integrity, and the reliability of financial and operating results. She’s also responsible for Human Resources, Information Technology, and Program Operations functions. 

As CFO, Tracy draws upon over twenty years of senior financial positions in Ottawa’s high technology and at CANARIE, where her drive for operational excellence led to modernizations of the organization’s financial management systems, procurement, and HR policies. Tracy is a CPA, CGA and has extensively trained in human resources management. 

With a commitment to life-long learning, Tracy recently trained as a pastry chef and is passionate about creating and collecting art. In the summer months, Tracy and her husband can be found cycling across the province, setting new distance goals each year.  

Contact Tracy: 613-943-5431 | tracy.murray [at] canarie.ca

For more than 25 years Gary has been assisting government and industry organizations around the world shape appropriate and practical cybersecurity strategies and programs to support their changing business, while continually learning from a diversity of passionate professionals and incredible teams. 

Gary draws on a breadth of leadership experiences and learnings in scaling businesses to market leading positions; driving growth and innovation within multi-national corporations, midsize, and early-stage businesses; bringing to market new technologies and businesses; leading global acquisition and integration initiatives; and helping organizations across all sectors create and preserve value. 

A unique balance of strategy, business and cybersecurity domain expertise combined with his extensive situational experience enables Gary to collaborate with senior leaders to plot the most effective way forward in today’s complex environment.  

Gary speaks often on cybersecurity risk, trends and approaches, participates in industry shaping initiatives, and advises on transformative opportunities and strategies. 

Contact Gary: gary.miller [at] canarie.ca

Mark Wolff was appointed Chief Technology Officer of CANARIE in 2013, after joining the team as Senior Director of Technology Innovation in 2011.

As CTO, Mark is responsible for ensuring CANARIE continues to drive the transformation and evolution of digital research infrastructure to serve Canada’s research, education, and innovation communities. Mark’s collaborative approach, coupled with his expansive technical knowledge, has supported the evolution and impact of CANARIE’s portfolio of programs and services. Responsible for CANARIE teams in network operations, research software, research data management, identity and access management, cloud technology, and security, Mark’s leadership supports the cross-pollination of best practices and the strategic deployment of innovative technologies, with a clear focus on the needs of end users.

Prior to joining CANARIE, Mark held innovation, development, and leadership positions at Newbridge Networks, Alcatel, and Meriton Networks. Mark holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a BSc. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan and holds several patents in telecommunications. In his spare time, you can typically find Mark with a guitar in hand.

Contact Mark: (613) 943-0460 | mark.wolff [at] canarie.ca

Ela Yazdani was appointed Vice President, External Relations in 2022, having previously served in progressive roles as Senior Director, Communications, and Communications Manager, since joining CANARIE in 2013. Ela leads the team responsible for promoting the impact and adoption of CANARIE’s programs and services, and building relationships with national and global stakeholders, partners, and funders.

In this role, Ela draws upon nearly 20 years of experience in non-profits, the private sector, and community-based organizations, where she focused on developing and executing marketing and communications strategies that elevate the user experience. Before joining CANARIE, Ela worked at Ottawa-based technology startups, most notably at Bridgewater Systems.

Ela earned an Honours Bachelor of Commerce with specializations in International Management and Marketing from the University of Ottawa and Copenhagen Business School. In her spare time, Ela can be found with her family and friends, around tables of food and flowers.

Contact Ela: (613) 943-5432 | ela.yazdani [at] canarie.ca