Hon. Tony Clement announces six new council members

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, today announced the appointment of six new members to the Science, Technology and Innovation Council (STIC).

"These talented Canadians come from the public, private and academic sectors. They have the broad range of experience that is essential to advise the government on science and technology (S&T) matters of national importance," said Minister Clement.

"I am pleased they have agreed to serve on the council and am certain their contributions will advance the government's innovation agenda. I would also like to thank the outgoing members for their strong leadership in their fields and unwavering commitment and contributions to the Council."

The new appointees are:

• David Agnew, Sunnybrook Board Member, and President of Seneca College in Toronto, Ontario
• Louis Lévesque, Deputy Minister of International Trade
• Dr. Simon Pimstone, President and Chief Executive Officer of Xenon Pharmaceuticals in Burnaby, British Columbia
• Dr. Indira Samarasekera, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Alberta
• Dr. Neil Turok, Executive Director of the Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics in Waterloo, Ontario
• Glenda Yeates, Deputy Minister at Health Canada

The council is composed of a chair and 17 members, 15 of which come from outside government. Members are selected to cover many sectors of the Canadian economy and have varied competencies and areas of specialization.

The government established STIC with a twofold mandate: to provide timely advice on critical issues of science, technology and innovation and to produce regular reports benchmarking Canadian science, technology and innovation performance against international standards of excellence.