Dr. Murray McLaughlin

Murray McLaughlin (B.Sc. McGill University, M.Sc. and Ph.D. Cornell University) has and continues to be active in Canadian agriculture and bioindustry. He was President and CEO of Foragen for 7 years, the only early seed stage venture fund focused on advanced agricultural technologies in Canada. He stepped down in July 2005 once the fund was fully invested. Dr. McLaughlin has held various positions in private industry, government and non-profit sectors including Adjunct Professor at the University of Saskatchewan, President of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, Deputy Minister of Saskatchewan Agriculture and Food, President of Ag-West Biotech Inc. where he helped build the Saskatoon cluster, and several assignments with ELANCO. He held the position of Director of Business Development for the Canadian Light Source (Synchrotron) in Saskatoon for the last three years.Dr. McLaughlin manages McLaughlin Consultants Inc., a firm focused on providing sound advise to agriculture, food and life sciences. He will join Sustainable Chemistry Alliance as President and CEO on March 1st,2009. Dr. McLaughlin’s career has focused on agricultural science including research, development and product management and marketing. He is a member of numerous Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees, including Biotech Canada, BioAtlantech and Bioenterprise. He has been awarded the Canadian Agri-Marketer of the Year award from the Canadian Agri-Marketing Association, the Alumni of the Year from the Nova Scotia Agricultural College and the National Merit Award from the Ottawa Life Sciences Council. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Dalhousie University/Nova Scotia Agriculture College, May, 2006.

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Steve Bolt

Steve Bolt recently retired from Dow Chemical after a 35 year career. At retirement, he was Eastern Canada Operations Director, as well as the Global Supply Chain Director of Technology, Process & Systems. He sits on the Board of Directors of the Southwestern Ontario Biotech Innovation Network and is Chairman of the Board of Governors at Lambton College. He is active in the sport of sail boat racing.

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Dr. Bernard West

Bernard West holds a BSc and a PhD in chemical engineering from the University of Manchester where he also taught for 6 years. In 2008 he was President and CEO of CANSOLV Technologies of Montreal, and was previously President and COO, Canada Colors and Chemicals Limited. Prior to that, he had 30 years of experience in the chemical industry with Rhone-Poulenc, Imperial Oil and Polymer Corporation. Bernard has also been very active in industry associations and industry-government bodies; member of the Board of the Canada’s Chemical Producers Association (Chair 1995–1997), Chair of The Chemical Institute of Canada, Chair of the Society of Chemical Industry–Canadian Section, member of the Board of the National Association of Chemical Distributors (Washington, D.C.) He is currently; Chair of the Board of Ontario BioAuto Council, Co-Chair of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance], Co-Chair of the Canadian Green Chemistry and Engineering Network, and Chair of the Advisory Board of the Institute for Chemical Process and Environmental Technologies in the National Research Council of Canada.

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Paul Clark

Paul Clark is currently President, VisionGain Consulting Inc, a company providing service in the fields of vision/strategy building, research & technology management, and advanced technical based facilitation. Previously he was Vice-President, Research & Technology for NOVA Chemicals Corporation and President , NOVA Chemicals Research & Technology Inc., and Global Operations Director Polyethylene R&D, Dow Chemical Co. He has had a wide and varied career in the chemical industry in both Canada and the U.S. His work involved extensive relationships with universities to create and manage collaborative research projects which had significant commercial impact. His other affiliations include: Board of Directors and Executive Committee, National research Council of Canada (NRC-CNRC), Board of Directors and Executive Committee, Alberta Science & Research Authority (ASRA), Past Chair, Canadian Plastics Industry Association (CPIA), Fellow, The Centre for Innovation Studies (THECIS), Board of Directors, Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA). Paul has received numerous awards including: NOVA Chemicals Distinguished Applause 1997 & 2003, CanPlast Leadership Award (CPIA), Society for Chemical Industry A.N.Purvis Award (SCI), Natural Science & Engineering Research Council Synergy Award (NSERC).

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Jean Hamel

In June, 2009, JEAN HAMEL, Eng., was appointed Vice-President of the Pulp and Paper Division of FPInnovations. He received his B.Sc. (1983), and M.Eng. (1985), in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Sherbrooke. In 1995, he joined St-Laurent Paperboard to work on product development, paper machine optimization, and start-up of finishing equipment. In 1996, he returned to Paprican where he completed the construction of the pilot paper machine and developed the new Roll Testing Facility, the first business unit concept of the organization. In 2004, he became Program Manager of the Product Performance program and in 2007, was appointed Director of Research at FPInnovations – Paprican Division where he focused on accelerating the technology transfer and the innovation process.

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Cam Harris

Cam Harris was born in Australia and completed an undergraduate engineering degree, majoring in extractive metallurgy at the University of Queensland. He earned a PhD at the Royal School of Mines in London, UK. He joined Noranda and worked for 6 years based in Montreal but frequently was at site on projects relating to the production of copper and lead, ranging from fundamental studies to process development to pilot testing to plant operation. This was followed by 5 years with Kvaerner Metals based in San Ramon, California as a senior process engineer on the development, design and commissioning of major metallurgical projects located in the US, Asia and South America. Following this, Dr. Harris was a senior member of H.G. Engineering in Toronto from 2000 till 2006, which was then purchased by Worley Parsons, where he held the position of VP Process and Technology Global West in the Mining and Minerals division until January 2010. Cam recently joined SNC Lavalin Inc. Mining & Metallurgy as Vice President, Technology. Cam has also held the position of Director for Cansolv Technology Inc and for Cansolv Technology Shenzen Inc, as well as positions such as representative on audit, governance, nominations and compensation committees. He is widely published, holds multiple patents and has been symposium organizer and chair for technical conferences. He is a member of the CIM and TMS. He is married with 2 children and lives in Toronto.

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Sam Kanes

Samuel Kanes was recognized as a leading analyst covering Fertilizers, Biofuels & Chemicals/Energy Infrastructure since 1988 until his retirement in May 2011. Prior to joining Scotia Capital in 1987, Mr. Kanes gained a wide range of corporate experience with Northern Telecom, Gulf Canada, and Petro-Canada. He has also worked as an independent energy consultant. Mr. Kanes received his CFA designation in 1993. His professional affiliations include membership in the Toronto Society of Financial Analysts, the CFA Institute, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, and the Society of Chemical Industry. He is a Board Member of Solutions4CO₂, which is focused on CO₂ extraction from flue gas solutions and CO₂ use in accelerating algae biomass growth, and a Board member of the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance.

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George Mallay

George Mallay is currently General Manager of the Sarnia-Lambton Economic Partnership (SLEP). Prior to this, he was with the City of Kanata for seven years and before that with the Ottawa Economic Development Corporation. He has been a champion for the development of sustainable development in Sarnia-Lambton. George holds degrees in economics-geography, urban planning and an MBA.

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A.J. (Sandy) Marshall

Raised on a farm in Ontario Canada before graduating from the University of Waterloo in Chemical Engineering. Started his professional career in 1984 with Polysar Inc., a Canadian rubber manufacturer. Worked in process and product development, research and market development. After Polysar was purchased by Bayer AG, took an assignment in Germany. Returned to Canada in 1995 and held management roles in various rubber businesses. LANXESS was spun off from Bayer in 2005 at which time, took the role of Site Manager for their ABS Manufacturing facility in Cincinnati Ohio. Returned to Canada in 2008 and has taken his current role. Is responsible for all aspects of Canadian operations, providing leadership and overall direction in stablishing policies, objectives and strategies to lead the Canadian and regional organization to the forefront of the Chemical and Rubber industries. Is a member of the Boards for Lambton College and the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance. Sandy is married to Darlene and they have two sons, Nathan and Adam.

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Richard Paton

As President of the Chemistry Industry Association of Canada, Richard Paton leads one of the key national industrial associations in Canada. The CIAC (formerly the Canadian Chemical Producers' Association) represents over 50 companies and Responsible Care® partners ranging from five to 5,000 employees that operate in the chemistry industry. CIAC member companies generate revenues of over $26 billion annually.

Richard is engaged with members in a wide variety of industry coalitions and groups that promote sound policy to develop value added manufacturing in Canada and to ensure effective and workable policies in areas such as environment, climate change, health, transportation, tax, trade, energy, and regulation. He spent 23 years with the Government of Canada in a variety of departments including the Privy Council Office and Treasury Board. In his last 8 years with the federal government he was Assistant and Deputy Secretary of the Administrative Policy Branch at Treasury Board and Deputy Secretary of the Program Branch.

Richard led the Treasury Board Secretariat in the two program reviews of 1995 and 1996 that resulted in a balanced federal budget and he also led a variety of management and policy reforms in regulatory policy, alternative service delivery, real property and information technology. Mr. Paton holds a master's degree in Canadian Studies from Carleton University, as well as a master's in public administration from Harvard University. He has taught management courses as a part-time professor for over 20 years at Carleton's School of Public Administration and Queen's University executive MBA program. He continues to teach his graduate course "The Politics of Management" at Carleton and develop cases and literature on management in government and non-profit associations.

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Gord Surgeoner

Dedicated leader is perhaps the best way to describe Gord Surgeoner. During his 30-year career, he has worked tirelessly to promote initiatives and champion causes that he believes are important to the well-being of the agri-food industry.

After completing his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture in 1971 at the University of Guelph, Dr. Surgeoner went on to obtain a Master's degree in Economic Entomology in 1973, also from Guelph and a Ph.D. in Forest Entomology in 1976 from Michigan State University. Gord became an esteemed professor at the University of Guelph in Environmental Biology and Plant Agriculture, where he remained on faculty until his retirement in 2004.

Since his secondment from the University of Guelph in 1999, Gord has been the President of Ontario Agri-Food Technologies, a non-profit organization consisting of members from farm associations, universities, industry and governments. The organization focuses on ensuring that Ontario producers have access to the latest technologies to compete globally and to develop new market opportunities, many of which are beyond food.

In September, 2005 Dr. Surgeoner was invested with the Order of Ontario.  This distinguished award recognizes Dr. Surgeoner's significant contribution to Ontario's agri-food sector.

In addition, Gord has also received the 2007 University of Guelph Alumnus of Honour Award, the 1989 Distinguished Teaching Award from the Ontario Agricultural College Alumni Association, the 1994 T.R. Hilliard Award for Notable Contribution to Agricultural Extension in the Province of Ontario, an endowed Chair of the University of Guelph bearing his name, the 2002 Award for Contribution to Advancing the Benefits of Biotech for Canadians, and is a recipient of the Queen's Golden Jubilee Award.

Gord is a strong advocate for Canadian agriculture, the Canadian regulatory system and the opportunities Canada has in a global marketplace.

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William White

William White is the retired President of DuPont Canada. He held a variety of global business unit leadership roles in his 34 years with E.I. DuPont de Nemours (Wilmington Delaware), including Titanium Technologies, Chemical Solutions Enterprise and Safety Resources. Prior to his 2006 appointment as President of DuPont Canada, Mr. White worked across the corporation leading programs focused on growth through marketing and sales transformation, developing emerging markets, and step change business strategies. He is currently a partner in CBW Associates a Canadian business consulting firm. A graduate of Purdue University, he is a 2009 Distinguished Engineering Alumnus and chairs Purdue’s Mechanical Engineering advisory committee.

• Partner: CBW Associates
• Chair: Purdue's Mechanical advisory committee
• Director: MaRS

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