“Despite the sizable contribution domestic technology companies make toward Quebec’s economic prosperity, government policies regarding innovation have featured incentivizing for the expansion of foreign branch plants in Quebec over the growth and success of homegrown companies locally and around the world. This has had a negative effect on Quebec’s ability to scale domestic companies into global giants.”
“Canadian tech CEOs continue to advocate for the need of a national data strategy that will enable Canada to become a leader in the data-driven global economy.”
"Far too often, Canadians watch IT contracts get handed out to foreign multinational companies when highly qualified domestic companies here in Canada are overlooked because the current procurement process favours incumbents and doesn't foster enough new entrants into the process," says Benjamin Bergen, executive director of CCI, to CBC News.
"A focus on supporting innovators will help the government generate more revenue than its proposed tax changes contemplate," says John Ruffolo, CEO of OMERS Ventures and Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators.
Program hailed as “game-changer” by innovation community, expediting the time it takes to attract and process highly-skilled foreign workers from abroad
![Photo-fi-cci[1].jpg](/.api2/binaries/EmvjEq9Lbv/thumbnails/Photo-fi-cci[1].jpg?width=450&height=253)
Coalition of CEOs believe Canadian rules, policies and procedures need to favour domestic tech companies the way the policies and standards of countries around the world support their own firms.
Past news releases, statements and updates from CCI about the state of innovation in Canada.
"Même si les entreprises technologiques nationales contribuent considérablement à la prospérité et à la création de richesse du Québec, les politiques gouvernementales en matière d’innovation tendent à favoriser l’expansion de succursales étrangères plutôt que la croissance et la réussite de sociétés locales à l’échelle nationale et internationale. Depuis trop longtemps, les répercussions de ces politiques ont été négatives quant à la capacité de transformer les entreprises locales en des géants mondiaux."
“Canadian tech CEOs continue to advocate for the need of a national data strategy that will enable Canada to become a leader in the data-driven global economy.”
"Far too often, Canadians watch IT contracts get handed out to foreign multinational companies when highly qualified domestic companies here in Canada are overlooked because the current procurement process favours incumbents and doesn't foster enough new entrants into the process," says Benjamin Bergen, executive director of CCI, to CBC News.
"A focus on supporting innovators will help the government generate more revenue than its proposed tax changes contemplate," says John Ruffolo, CEO of OMERS Ventures and Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators.
Program hailed as “game-changer” by innovation community, expediting the time it takes to attract and process highly-skilled foreign workers from abroad
Coalition of CEOs believe Canadian rules, policies and procedures need to favour domestic tech companies the way the policies and standards of countries around the world support their own firms.
Past news releases, statements and updates from CCI about the state of innovation in Canada.
Jim Balsillie (B.Comm. Toronto, FCA Toronto, MBA Harvard) is a former Chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion (BlackBerry), a Canadian company he scaled from an idea to $20 billion in sales globally.
He is a co-founder of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) based in New York City and Council of Canadian Innovators based in Toronto. He currently chairs the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. He is also the founder of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the Balsillie School of International Affairs and Arctic Research Foundation.
Mr. Balsillie was the only Canadian ever appointed to US Business Council and the sole private sector representative on the UN Secretary General’s High Panel for Sustainability. He is the only Canadian member of the US Council on Competitiveness and an internationally renowned voice on innovation strategy, competitiveness and international economic policy. His awards include: several honorary degrees in Canada, Mobile World Congress Lifetime Achievement Award, India’s Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, Time Magazine World’s 100 Most Influential People, three times Barron’s list of "World’s Top CEOs".
Jim Balsillie (baccalauréat en commerce, Toronto; FCA Toronto; MBA Harvard) est l’ancien président et co-PDG de Research In Motion (BlackBerry), une entreprise canadienne qui a commencé par une idée pour devenir une société mondiale dont les revenus se chiffrent à 20 milliards de dollars.
Il est le cofondateur de l’organisation Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) située dans la ville de New York et du CCI, qui se trouve à Toronto. Il est le président actuel du conseil d’administration de la société Technologies du développement durable Canada. Il est également le fondateur de l’organisation Centre for International Governance Innovation, de la Balsillie School of International Affairs et de l’Arctic Research Foundation.
M. Balsillie est le seul canadien à avoir été recruté par le conseil commercial américain et le seul représentant du secteur privé à être membre du Groupe de haut niveau sur la viabilité mondiale du Secrétaire général de l’ONU. Il est le seul membre canadien du conseil américain sur la compétitivité et il est reconnu à l’échelle mondiale pour son expertise en matière de stratégie favorisant l’innovation, de concurrence et de politique économique internationale. Il s’est vu attribuer de nombreux honneurs, dont les suivants : plusieurs doctorats honorifiques au Canada, le prix soulignant l'ensemble de son œuvre du Mobile World Congress et la reconnaissance internationale de la Priyadarshni Academy en Inde. De plus, son nom a figuré sur la liste des 100 personnes ayant le plus d’influence au monde du Time Magazine et trois fois sur la liste des meilleurs PDG du monde de Barron.
Mr. Ruffolo is the Chief Executive Officer of OMERS Ventures, the venture arm of OMERS, one of Canada’s leading pension funds. OMERS Ventures invests in early to late stage companies in the Technology, Media, and Telecommunications sectors. In addition, he is also the Executive Managing Director with OMERS Platform Investments, the innovation investing arm of OMERS.
Mr. Ruffolo serves as a board member of both Hootsuite and D2L (Desire2Learn). He is the Chairman of OMERS Energy and serves on the Member Council of Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC). John is the co-founder and Vice-Chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators. He also serves as a board member of OneEleven and Communitech, respectively, both leading innovation hubs in Canada. John is the Vice-Chair of the David Suzuki Foundation and is a board member of Canadians for Clean Prosperity and The Next Big Thing Foundation. He is a member of the Toronto chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Prior to joining OMERS Ventures, Mr. Ruffolo was a Partner at Deloitte, as well as the Global Thought Leader, the Global Tax Leader and the Canadian Industry Leader for Deloitte’s Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice. He was also a member of the firm’s Tax and TMT Global Leadership teams and a member of Deloitte’s Board of Directors. A chartered accountant, Mr. Ruffolo was formerly a partner with Arthur Andersen LLP and has also spent time as an instructor for both the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and York University’s Schulich School of Business, from which he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration.
M. Ruffolo est le directeur général d’OMERS Ventures, la société d'investissement d’OMERS, l’un des fonds de pension les plus importants du Canada. OMERS Ventures investit dans des entreprises en démarrage ou à un stade avancé des domaines de la technologie, des médias et des télécommunications. De plus, il est le premier directeur général d’OMERS Platform Investments, la société d’investissement d’OMERS visant l’innovation.
M. Ruffolo a fait partie du conseil d’administration de Hootsuite et de D2L (Desire2Learn). Il est président d’OMERS Energy et membre du conseil des membres de Technologies du développement durable Canada (SDTC). John est le cofondateur et vice-président du Conseil canadien des innovateurs. Il a également participé au conseil d’administration de OneEleven et de Communitech, toutes deux étant des plateformes en matière d’innovation des plus importantes au Canada. John est le vice-président de la Fondation David Suzuki et est membre du conseil d’administration de Canadians for Clean Prosperity et de The Next Big Thing Foundation. Il est membre de Young Presidents’ Organization pour la région de Toronto.
Avant de se joindre à OMERS Ventures, M. Ruffolo était un associé chez Deloitte, ainsi que le leader d’opinion mondial, le leader mondial en imposition et le leader de l’industrie canadienne pour le groupe du secteur des Technologies, médias et télécommunications (TMT) du cabinet Deloite. Il était également un membre des équipes de direction mondiale du cabinet pour la fiscalité et les TMT et un membre du conseil d’administration de Deloitte. En tant que comptable agréé, M. Ruffolo était auparavant associé chez Arthur Andersen LLP. Il a aussi été instructeur pour l’Institut canadien des comptables agréés et la Schulich School of Business, de l’Université York, où il a d’ailleurs obtenu un baccalauréat en administration des affaires.