Navigating Geopolitical Shifts

Andrew combines practical experience, award winning research and over thirty years of experience in Innovation Management and Technology Venture Creation, working with diverse enterprises (Fortune 500 companies, and local enterprises). He regularly runs workshops and consults in the fields of: design thinking, transforming innovation cultures, and venture creation, where he is able to linking his technical knowledge, expertise and experience.

His research earned the Academy of Managements Heizer Award, while his teaching at York resulted in being awarded the President’s University Wide Teaching Award in 2022. He has developed numerous new programs in this space, for Professional Development and Graduate Education, as well as pioneering the launch of a number of related online courses (VentureStart, Innovation & Creativity and InnoGate).  His early academic career included a B.Sc.(Eng) in Electrical Engineering from Imperial College, London and an MBA from London Business School, following which he held senior management roles in two global technology multinationals, before co-founding four technology companies.

His experience with start-ups stimulated his interest in supporting and fostering technology entrepreneurship, and facilitating the commercialization of university research, leading to a position at Innovations Foundation (University of Toronto), where he created the university’s first technology accelerator, while teaching courses in technology entrepreneurship, innovation management and technology commercialization. 

Mr. Billot is CEO of Scale Ai, Canada’s artificial intelligence Supercluster dedicated to building the next generation supply chain and boosting industry performance by leveraging Ai technologies. He is also an adjunct professor of HEC Montreal and the Montreal lead for two transformational programs aiming to launch and grow startups in Artificial Intelligence leveraging Montreal tech and business ecosystem, NextAI and the CreativeDestructionLab (CDL).

He also serves as a director in various companies and non-profit organizations. He has extensive experience in the marketing, media and mobile industries, with a track record of successfully executing print to digital business transformations.

Until recently, Julien Billot has been President and Chief Executive Officer of Yellow Pages Group Corporation in Montreal, Quebec. Previously, he was Executive Vice President, Head of Media and Member of the Executive Committee of Solocal Group (formerly PagesJaunes Groupe), the publicly traded and incumbent local search business in France. Earlier experience includes serving as CEO of the digital and new business group of Lagardère Active, a multimedia branch of Lagardère Group and 13 years in senior management positions at France Telecom, notably as Chief Marketing Officer for Orange, the company’s mobile subsidiary.

Mr. Billot is serving today as a Board Member at the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer, is Chairman of a Montreal based company Jogogo Media and a Board member for DistrictM and a French media group, Groupe Paris Turf.  Mr. Billot is a graduate of École Polytechnique (Paris) and from Telecom Paris Tech. He holds a postgraduate diploma (DEA) in Industrial Economics from the University of Paris-Dauphine.

As CEO of DIGITAL, Sue leads a portfolio of digital innovation and capacity-building initiatives that since its inception in 2018, has accelerated the production of over 570 Canadian IP assets, garnered over $1.2 billion in follow-on investment in Canadian companies, facilitated over 11,000 learning and development placements, and driven $4.2 billion in five-year incremental revenue for Canadian companies. By accelerating digital transformation in the health, natural resources, and skilling sectors through the development and adoption of Canadian-made digital technologies, DIGITAL is supporting the creation of world-leading solutions that advance human health, improve environmental health, and create a skilled workforce for the digital world.

Prior to leading DIGITAL, Sue held leadership roles in major Canadian organizations, including as CEO of LifeLabs, Canada’s largest diagnostic lab, where she led significant growth and technological advancements across Canada’s diagnostic sector. As CEO of Pharmasave, Sue oversaw the delivery of some of the first online access tools for medication management and as the first woman Managing Partner of Fasken Vancouver, Sue spearheaded the merger of three leading Canadian law firms into a leading pan-Canadian firm.

Sue serves on the boards of Canadian Tire, TELUS Digital, NEXUS Water Group, Northland Group (Advisory Board) and Own the Podium. She has previously chaired the boards of the Business Council of British Columbia, the Vancouver Board of Trade and CORIX Utilities and others. Sue has been recognized for her community contributions, receiving the Order of British Columbia, King’s Counsel, an Honorary Doctorate of Technology, the Influential Women in Business Lifetime Achievement Award, the YWCA Women of Distinction Award, and the Peter Lougheed Award for Public Policy. Sue’s greatest joy is spending time in Canada’s wilderness with her husband, daughters, and granddaughters.

Cameron Schuler is the Chief Commercialization Officer & Vice President, Industry Innovation at the Vector Institute. He is the former Executive Director of Amii, where, for 8 years, he led one of the top-ranked Machine Learning and AI groups in the world. Cameron’s multifaceted career has covered finance, business & product development, consumer products, IT and general management from start-ups to mature companies. His industry experience includes Alternative Energy, Banking, Consumer Products, Information Technology (Consumer and Enterprise), Investment Sales and Trading, Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Medical Devices, Oil & Gas, and Oil & Gas Services. Roles have included COO, CFO, President and CEO, and he was COO & CFO of a food manufacturer whose products lead to sales of over 250 million units.

He has founded numerous start-up companies (including medical devices as well as computer software & hardware). Cameron is Chair & Co-founder of PFM Scheduling Services, was Managing Director & Co-Founder of Schuler Law Group, a boutique tax planning law firm and spent 8 years in investment sales & trading. He attained an MBA from Queen’s University and completed numerous investment management programs.

Alexandra Daoud is a strategic leader with more than two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, innovation, and intellectual property. She has a proven track record in guiding IP strategies, shaping innovation roadmaps, and advising in cutting-edge fields such as quantum technologies and artificial intelligence.

Alexandra is the Vice-Chair of Quantum Industry Canada (QIC) and principal at Daoud IP, where she serves as a strategic advisor and fractional Chief IP Officer. She was formerly the Vice President of IP and Regulatory Affairs at Anyon Systems, a Canadian leader in superconducting quantum computing.

Recognized for sharp analytical thinking and deep understanding of disruptive technologies, her expertise is underpinned by a B.Eng. in Electrical Engineering from McGill University and credentials as a registered patent agent with both the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and the Canadian Intellectual Property Office.

Cait is a bilingual public affairs professional with over a decade of experience in government relations, ICT procurement, and advancing public policy strategies across multiple sectors. Cait has worked with stakeholders across the tech ecosystem, from start-ups to global enterprises, industry associations, and think tanks. She brings expertise in policy development, advocacy, and managing high-impact initiatives, including ICT procurement modernization.