CENGN is happy to welcome three new directors to our board. These individuals will play a critical role in CENGN’s governance and strategic oversight as we launch our CENGN Living Labs across Canada.

The CENGN Living Labs focus on providing real-world testing environments for small and medium sized technology businesses, enabling them to validate and enhance their technology solutions, while improving adoption rates.

As the initiative advances Canadian technology and supports tech startup/scaleup growth, we’d like to welcome our newest board directors whose expertise and leadership will enhance the impact of our services and enable CENGN to further drive network technology innovation in Canada.

Jim Ghadbane

Jim Ghadbane is an accomplished executive with a career spanning four decades in progressively senior roles, culminating in a ten-year tenure as President and CEO of CANARIE, operator of the federal backbone of Canada’s National Research and Education Network. He has also led product management, business strategy, and executive teams in Canada’s technology sector.

Throughout his career, Ghadbane has spearheaded transformative initiatives and steered organizations towards strategic growth. Most recently at CANARIE, his leadership, technical expertise, and focus on stakeholder needs increased the impact and relevance of CANARIE programs and services in Canada’s public and private sectors. With a profound commitment to corporate values, he was instrumental in fostering a culture of service, accountability, and kindness within the organization. Nationally, he worked to strengthen the governance, collaborative operation, and evolution of Canada’s National Research and Education Network, and contributed extensively to the ongoing evolution of the Global Research and Education Network.

Prior to joining CANARIE, Ghadbane held a variety of executive positions at leading Canadian technology companies, including Bridgewater Systems, Ceyba, Alcatel, and Newbridge Networks. Now retired, he continues to serve people and organizations that advance Canada’s well-being and prosperity, sharing his expertise and experience through advisory roles and mentorship, including serving as Chair of the Board of Directors of Ocean Networks Canada.

“I am honoured to join the CENGN Board and the opportunity it provides to support CENGN’s mission of supporting the growth of Canadian small and medium sized enterprises.”

Pam Laycock

Pam Laycock MBA, ICD.D is a strategy and digital transformation expert, working as an executive and board director to help organizations and leaders chart and deliver on growth plans and navigate through dynamic environments. She has multi-disciplinary experience in the areas of strategy, transformation, change management, digital, new business development, brand and direct-to-consumer marketing, product management, and general management. She has over 30 years of experience in the media and book publishing space in Canada, the US and the UK.

Pam is a member of the Board of Directors of Corby Spirit and Wine Limited (TSX: CSW-A.TO) and Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of the Girl Guides of Canada. She sits on the Audit Committee and HR Committee of both organizations. She was previously vice chair of the Toronto Public Library Foundation board and has previously sat on the boards of CAA South Central Ontario, Shop.ca, Olive Media and Workopolis. Pam holds the ICD.D certification from the Institute of Corporate Directors. Pam has also been appointed to the Canadian Board Diversity Council’s Diversity 50.

Pam has an MBA from the Schulich School of Business. She remains very active with the school in the role of President of the Schulich Global Alumni Network, as a Special Advisor to the Dean, chair of the Tech MBA Advisory Council and as an instructor in leadership for the Executive MBA program. She is also the recipient of the Alumni Recognition Award for Outstanding Contribution to the School.

“The work of CENGN is instrumental to the improvement of productivity in Canada and the technology enablement that they provide to Canadian small and medium sized businesses is so valuable. I am honoured to contribute to that value add as a member of CENGN’s board of directors.”

Robin McIntyre

Robin McIntyre BSc., ICD.D is the Managing Director of ConsultOne, a firm specializing in strategy development and the implementation of large digital transformation programs. This company provides consulting services to both the Government of Canada and private-sector clients. 

With more than 30 years of experience, Robin has held executive positions in technology organizations delivering data consulting and IT managed services. She has served as Chief Transformation Officer at The Ottawa Hospital and the Ottawa Regional President for Rogers Communications. While much of her recent experience has been cross-disciplinary, a significant portion of her career was spent in engineering and network operations, where she oversaw several major technology launches.

Robin has served as Chair of LiveWorkPlay (2022-present), a nonprofit organization supporting people with intellectual disabilities and as Chair of Invest Ottawa from 2008 to 2010. She has received numerous awards, including the Women’s Business Network – Corporate Businesswoman of the Year, the Canadian Women in Communications – Trailblazer Award and the Rogers Engineering Award. Robin graduated from the University of Waterloo and holds a US/European patent. She continues post-graduate studies in Digital Transformation and Innovation at Ottawa University.

“I joined CENGN’s Board to leverage my technology experience and learn from my colleagues. CENGN is uniquely positioned to build a collaborative and innovative ecosystem, enabling organizations to adapt to developments in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape. I am excited to be part of an organization that is leading these advancements in Canada.”

About the Author

Being the Content Marketing Lead at CENGN, Richard researches and shares information on emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT, and Artificial Intelligence.

Through his experience in writing and support for technological growth, he’s always interested in sharing how new technologies are shaping the lives of fellow Canadians.

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