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Nancy Déziel appointed new CFI Board Chair

Advocate of applied and innovative research begins three-year term

OTTAWA, ONTARIO — The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) welcomes the appointment of Nancy Déziel as the Chair of its Board of Directors.

Announced today by the Honourable François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Déziel will lead the Board for a three-year term, effective immediately. She succeeds Ingrid Pickering, who served on the Board from June 2013, and became Board Chair in June 2018.

Having held several senior leadership positions in the research sector, Déziel’s expertise lies in developing partnerships to support applied research and a knowledge-based economy. Déziel currently serves as the Director General at the National Centre in Environmental Technology and Electrochemistry, based at the Cégep de Shawinigan, and as the President of the Association pour le développement de la recherche et de l’innovation du Québec (ADRIQ). For three decades she has been actively working for Quebec’s college centres for the transfer of technology, while serving on several boards including for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

“We are delighted that Nancy Déziel will bring her experience championing a robust and diverse research ecosystem to her role as Chair of our Board,” said Sylvain Charbonneau, President and CEO of the CFI. “Her ability to build partnerships within Canada’s research community will help support the CFI in achieving its mandate.”

“We would also like to thank Ingrid for her dedicated service to helping the CFI advance Canada’s research enterprise, and for her contribution to Canada’s innovation landscape,” he added.

The CFI Board of Directors is made up of 13 people, six of whom — including the Chair — are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister.

The Board makes funding decisions based on the recommendations of experts from Canada and around the world. It also approves the CFI’s annual plans and objectives, and reviews its outcomes every year.

By providing strategic direction and oversight, the Board of Directors supports the CFI in its mandate to increase Canada’s capability to carry out important world-class scientific research and technology development that lead to economic growth and job creation through innovation.