Toronto ON, August 3, 2022 –

The Vector Institute, a not-for-profit driving research excellence and leadership in AI to foster economic growth and improve the lives of Canadians, announced today that Dr. Garth Gibson, President and CEO, will step down effective January 3, 2023, following a successful completion of a five-year term.

Following notice of Dr. Gibson’s intention not to seek renewal of his position, the Board has commenced a comprehensive external search process to identify a new President & CEO—this exciting opportunity is available on the Vector Institute website.

“On behalf of the entire Board of Directors, I want to thank Garth for his valuable contributions to both Vector and Canada’s AI ecosystem over the past five years,” said Ed Clark, Chair of the Board. “Thanks to his leadership we made significant strides in advancing our mandate – attracting the best global talent focused on research excellence in deep learning and machine learning – and Garth’s steadfast leadership has been crucial to strengthening our foundation, positioning the organization, closing out the third year of Vector’s Three-Year Strategy, building relationships with the federal and provincial governments, and looking towards new and ambitious goals that will shape our next chapter.

“Vector is evolving to meet the changing needs of our researchers and stakeholders across the country and beyond. Our partnerships with companies across Ontario and the support of the provincial and federal governments have allowed us to thrive, and ensured our province and country remain thought-leaders in the AI ecosystem,” Ed added.

“As we embark on this transition, we are committed to supporting our ecosystem and the funding partners who have entrusted us to drive commercialization and application of AI research. There is a huge opportunity in front of Vector and Canada’s AI ecosystem, and I look forward to working closely with the Board during the search process to find our next leader who will take us to new heights,” Ed continued.

Dr. Gibson will continue his work with Vector through to January 3, 2023 and has committed his experience to support the transition to a new President and CEO. In the event that such a successor is not in place on a full-time basis by January 2023, the Board has asked Alan Veerman, the company’s Chief Operations and Finance Officer, to serve in the role of acting President and CEO, effective January 3, 2023.

“As we search for Garth’s successor, Alan’s experience as a seasoned executive and founder of Vector’s core structures, leading critical operational aspects of our business, will serve the Vector Institute well,” said Clark.

Dr. Gibson joined Vector Institute in January 2018 and oversaw the development of Vector’s first Three-Year-Strategy, which underscored Vector’s commitment to bolstering the AI ecosystem and research communities in Canada.

Building off a thirty-year track record of integrating academia and industry, at the Vector Institute Dr. Gibson drove the advancement of world-leading research and its translation into impactful commercial applications. His leadership has also been critical to navigating organizational challenges associated with working across multiple institutions, levels of government, and a myriad of competing priorities at the forefront of AI in Canada.

“I am immensely proud of the first five years of the Vector Institute, its compelling national and international reputation, and my role as its inaugural President and CEO. Vector’s research community has grown from a small number of University of Toronto- and University of Waterloo- based professors to over 700 researchers across multiple universities in Canada. We have developed partnerships with over a dozen universities, hospitals, and other research institutes, mostly in Ontario, and Vector researchers have produced over a thousand publications in top conferences and received dozens of prestigious awards,” says Dr. Gibson.

Gibson continued, “In the same five years, Vector has formed partnerships with 45 industry sponsors, spanning leading Canadian enterprise companies and some of the most exciting startup and scaleup firms.”

“With recent commitments of long-term funding for research, computing, and technology transfer, I leave Vector in a strong financial position and look forward to new challenges and opportunities,” he added. “It was an honour to lead Vector in the first phase of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, and I look forward to cheering on Vector’s many coming accomplishments.”

About the Vector Institute

Launched in 2017, the Vector Institute works with industry, institutions, start-ups, and governments to build AI talent and drive research excellence in AI to develop and sustain AI- based innovation to foster economic growth and improve the lives of Canadians.

Vector’s Three-Year Strategy aims to advance AI research, increase adoption in industry and health through programs for talent, commercialization, and application, and lead Canada towards the responsible use of AI. Programs for industry, led by top AI practitioners, offer foundations for applications in products and processes, company-specific guidance, training for professionals, and connections to workforce-ready talent.

Vector is funded by the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada through the Pan- Canadian AI Strategy, and leading industry sponsors from across multiple sectors of Canadian industry.

SOURCE: Vector Institute

For further information: Kari Clarke-Zemnickis, Vector Institute: media@vectorinstitute.ai