Following the sudden and tragic passing of President and CEO John Reid earlier this month, the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) has appointed Suzanne Grant as its interim chief executive officer.
While Grant herself joined CATA less than two months ago as an entrepreneur in residence, she brings with her more than two decades of experience in the worlds of business and technology, which started in 1997 as a founder of AHB Properties after serving as a communication electronics engineering officer in the Canadian Armed Forces from 1985 to 1995.
In a statement, CATA said that the decision by its board to move quickly to name a replacement was to prevent any discontinuation of the organization’s mission and made the decision to offer the position to Grant due to her experiences in managing change.
“Suzanne is highly regarded by the technology community and has a history of addressing change with high levels of collaboration and consultation.”, said Paul LaBarge, the CATA director and member of the CATA Innovation Council.
While Grant, whose career also includes founding iBIONICS, Qatar Happening Publishing House, The Art of Business, and Spirit of Empowerment, said she was humbled by the opportunity, and in a statement, expressed her respect for Reid and the work he had done in his time in the position.
“John was one of a kind and we shared a passion for pulling others up,” said Grant. “I am humbled by this appointment and with the support of Canada’s small and medium tech business leaders, we will carry the torch assuring John’s legacy and ensuring CATA’s impact flourishes. John was committed to moving Canada’s innovation grade from a D to an A. That’s something Canada’s tech community remains behind.”