Ingenium’s Board of Trustees is responsible for strategic guidance and oversight of the business activities and affairs of Ingenium in accordance with a variety of legislation, including the Museums Act and the Financial Administration Act. Board members are appointed by the Governor-in-Council. The Board is accountable to Parliament, through the Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages. The Board also engages with the public at its Annual Public Meeting, during which it shares Ingenium's achievements and fiscal management over the last year, and its priorities for the coming year.
Chair
Vice-Chair
Trustees
Biographies
NEIL RUSSON
CHAIR
Mazerolle Settlement, New Brunswick
Neil Russon has held senior executive positions in the public and private sectors and co-founded and was the co-CEO of Accreon Inc., a technology consulting firm, as well as a director and the corporate secretary of Velante, an electronic medical record company. Neil is currently engaged in financial management and business development consulting for start-up and early stage businesses. Neil is an active volunteer in the community, and was most recently the Chair of the Canadian Cancer Society, New Brunswick Division.
Neil is a graduate of the University of New Brunswick, is a Chartered Professional Accountant (FCMA, FCPA) and a certified member of the Canadian College of Health Leaders (CHE).
MARIAN K. BROWN
VICE-CHAIR
Vancouver, British Columbia
Marian K. Brown holds a wealth of experience in corporate governance, museums, and law. Her first career was curatorship and the history of technology, including brief work for the National Museum of Science and Technology Corporation (now Ingenium). Marian’s second career has been in law, mainly criminal prosecutions. She recently returned to private practice after over 20 years with the British Columbia Prosecution Service.
Marian has served on various committees of the Canadian Bar Association; on the Vancouver Heritage Commission and Vancouver Planning Commission; and on the editorial boards of Scientia Canadensis and Material History Bulletin. She has authored publications in law, museology, and the history of technology.
Marian holds a Juris Doctor (LLB) degree from the University of Victoria, a Masters of Museum Studies from the University of Toronto, and an Honours B.A. in History from the University of Victoria.
DR. MATTHEW A. LAFRENIÈRE
TRUSTEE
Ottawa, Ontario
Dr. Lafrenière is a professor at the University of Ottawa’s Department of Chemistry and Biopharmaceutical Sciences. He holds a Ph.D in Chemistry from the University of Ottawa, and a Telfer business diploma in scientific management and leadership. In 2017, Dr. Lafrenière founded Aboriginals in Science and Engineering, an organization that provides mentorship and leadership training to Indigenous university students. He is also a citizen of the Metis Nation of Ontario and has been actively engaged in indigenous initiatives on- and off-campus.
DR. MICHAEL GEIST
TRUSTEE
Ottawa, Ontario
Dr. Michael Geist is a law professor at the University of Ottawa where he holds the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-commerce Law. He has been a visiting professor at universities around the world including the University of Haifa, Hong Kong University, and Tel Aviv University. He has obtained a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) degree from Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, Master of Laws (LL.M.) degrees from Cambridge University in the UK and Columbia Law School in New York, and a Doctorate in Law (J.S.D.) from Columbia Law School.
Dr. Geist is the editor of many books including Law, Privacy and Surveillance in Canada in the Post-Snowden Era (2015, University of Ottawa Press), The Copyright Pentalogy: How the Supreme Court of Canada Shook the Foundations of Canadian Copyright Law (2013, University of Ottawa Press), From "Radical Extremism" to "Balanced Copyright": Canadian Copyright and the Digital Agenda (2010, Irwin Law) and In the Public Interest: The Future of Canadian Copyright Law (2005, Irwin Law). He is a regular columnist in the Globe and Mail, the editor of several monthly technology law publications, and the author of a popular blog on Internet and intellectual property law issues.
Dr. Geist serves on many boards, including CIRA, Internet Archive Canada, and the EFF Advisory Board. He was appointed to the Order of Ontario in 2018 and has received numerous awards for his work including the University of Ottawa Open Access Award in 2016, Kroeger Award for Policy Leadership and the Public Knowledge IP3 Award in 2010, the Les Fowlie Award for Intellectual Freedom from the Ontario Library Association in 2009, the EFF’s Pioneer Award in 2008, and Canarie’s IWAY Public Leadership Award for his contribution to the development of the Internet in Canada.
CHRISTIAN IDICULA
TRUSTEE
Edmonton, Alberta
From marketing to finance to operations, Christian has worked in nearly every aspect of an organization. As an advisor to businesses and non-profits, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to organization leaders. He has worked with some of the world’s most recognized companies, including award-winning ad campaigns with Mercedes-Benz and Dell, the global equity research team at UBS, and financial advisory services with Deloitte. He is now focused on building the capacity of organizations seeking and managing growth in times of change. Christian holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and BSc from the University of Alberta.
When not serving clients, Christian supports the science and innovation community as Chair of the Aurora Project Campaign Cabinet for the Telus World of Science – Edmonton, and Trustee for Ingenium – Canada’s Science and Innovation Museums. He is also President of the Edmonton Chapter of the Schulich School of Business alumni network. However, his most important role in life is raising three brilliant children with his wife.
RADOSVETA ILIEVA
TRUSTEE
St-Laurent, Quebec
Radosveta Ilieva is a leader in risk management, IT compliance and audit with global industry experience covering telecommunications, pharmaceuticals, pulp and paper mills, recreational vehicles production, financial institutions and lottery and casinos.
Radosveta Ilieva is head of the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) at Loto-Québec where she has also held the position of Senior Strategic Advisor in IT compliance. Prior to joining Loto-Québec, Radosveta was a Director of Internal Controls and Risk Management at Cogeco Cable and started her career in the public accounting firm Ernst & Young.
Radosveta currently serves as an external member of the Audit committee of the Commission scolaire de Montréal, on the Board of directors of ISACA and the Board of directors of Maison Marguerite that provides help and shelter to homeless women. She is significantly involved with the Women in Finance association and member of the PRMIA steering committee.
She holds a degree of Professional Accounting from HEC Montréal and is a Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified in Risk and Information Systems Controls and a Certified Administrator.
PAUL D. JOHNSTON
TRUSTEE
Ottawa, Ontario
Paul Johnston is an independent consultant who has provided advice to governments and corporations on science and technology and research and development from planning and governance through performance measurement and evaluation.
He began his career as a secondary school teacher of mathematics and sciences in Toronto. He then moved to Ottawa where he joined the Space Policy Branch of the Ministry of State for Science and Technology where he provided policy advice and support for Canadian participation in the International Space Station Program, the Radarsat Program, and the creation of the Canadian Space Agency. Paul then moved to the private sector with a not-for-profit firm, Precarn Incorporated, which planned and managed research programs for universities, colleges and companies across Canada in the fields of intelligent systems and robotics. He was with Precarn for 18 years and during the last three years he served as President and CEO of the company. Paul has university degrees in aerospace engineering, education and law.
HEATHER KENNEDY
TRUSTEE
Calgary, Alberta
Heather Kennedy is a fellow with the Canadian Academy of Engineering. She has a certificate in Administrative Tribunal Justice from FOAJ and an Applied Science degree from Queen's University. Heather currently is on the board of the Calgary Airport Authority, and Careers the Next Generation. She recently completed terms as a part-time Hearing Commissioner with the Alberta Energy Regulator and the Board of Governors for Athabasca University. Heather's career has been diverse with executive roles at Suncor Energy and an extended secondment to the Government of Alberta. Heather has volunteered with many organizations including 2015 Western Canada Summer Games, Calgary Drop-In and Rehabilitation Centre, Boyle Street Community Services, Science Alberta, engineering organizations and several regional planning forums.
ANDREANNE LEDUC
TRUSTEE
Montreal, Quebec
Ms. Leduc is currently a management consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in Montreal. She has significant experience advising clients across Canada on strategic issues. She holds a MBA from Harvard Business School, a MEng in Operations Research, and a BEng in Industrial Engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal. During her time at Polytechnique, she co-founded the Comité de consultation en gestion de Polytechnique with which she is still involved as a Board member.
VIRGINIA MCLAUGHLIN
TRUSTEE
Richmond Hill, Ontario
Ms. McLaughlin is currently President of Helmhorst Investments Limited, overseeing the performance of the investment portfolio and strategic management decisions. For more than 20 years, she has contributed to and led the Boards of numerous organizations.
DR. MARIANNE D. SADAR
TRUSTEE
Vancouver, British Columbia
Dr. Marianne Sadar is a Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia and a Distinguished Scientist, Department of Genome Sciences at BC Cancer. She has 24 years of experience in cancer research and discovered a new class of drugs called anitens. She co-founded a biotechnology company in 2009, which is now a publicly trading company, to develop the novel therapeutics she discovered for the treatment of cancer.
Dr. Sadar has contributed as director, officer or trustee to numerous boards that include: ESSA Pharma Inc. for 10 years including from its formation as a private company and through its transition to a public company (EPIX;NASDAQ); a federal Crown corporation (Ingenium – Canada’s Museums of Science and Innovation); a not-for-profit society (Chief Financial Officer/Treasurer then President of the Society of Basic Urologic Research, the first Canadian elected to this position); scientific advisory boards; research councils; and editorial boards. Experience gained on these boards includes: working with members to identify objectives (corporate and other), developing strategies (fundraising, media, research, recruitment of staff or members), audits, budgeting and corporate governance.
For more information:
Board of Trustees
Ingenium
P.O. Box 9724, Station T
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 5A3
Canada
Telephone: 613-991-9508
Fax: 613-998-7759