CANARIE on Wednesday announced the appointment of Michael (Mike) Tremblay as its new president and CEO, effective Sept. 8.
Tremblay’s appointment follows the retirement of former president and CEO Kathryn Anthonisen earlier this year. CANARIE’s chief technology officer, Mark Wolff, has been serving as interim president and CEO since April.
“With over 40 years of leadership experience in technology, innovation, and economic development, Mike brings a wealth of expertise and a visionary mindset to help drive CANARIE’s next phase of delivering world-class networking and cybersecurity services to bolster Canada’s research and education sector,” said a CANARIE press release announcing Tremblay’s hiring.
Most recently, Tremblay was president of IT and cyber solutions at Calian, an Ottawa-based company that provides communications, connectivity, enterprise IT and cybersecurity solutions to government, defence and commercial clients worldwide.
Prior to joining Calian in 2023, Tremblay was president and CEO of economic development agency Invest Ottawa, where he steered transformational initiatives including the launch of AREA X.O, an R&D complex designed to position Canada’s capital as a global tech innovation hub. Before Invest Ottawa, Tremblay held executive roles at major tech companies including Microsoft Canada, SAP Canada and JDS Uniphase. His long history of board governance has included Algonquin College’s board of governors and most recently being board chair at The Ottawa Hospital.
At CANARIE, Tremblay “will lead efforts to drive innovation, collaboration, and partnerships across government, academia, and industry — advancing CANARIE’s role as a vital national organization that supports world-class research and education to secure Canada’s long-term competitiveness,” CANARIE’s press release said.
“I am honoured to soon join CANARIE and to work alongside an extraordinary team dedicated to serving the critical needs of Canada’s research and post-secondary institutions,” Tremblay said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to collaborating with a highly engaged community of partners to continue to deliver world-class networking technologies and collectively strengthen the cybersecurity of this sector. This is an exciting time to build on CANARIE’s legacy to propel Canada to the forefront of global excellence in research and education.”
“On behalf of the Board, I am thrilled to welcome Mike Tremblay as CANARIE’s new President and CEO,” said Larry Rosia, chair of CANARIE’s board of directors. “Mike’s proven leadership, vision, and collaborative spirit throughout his career positions him perfectly to guide CANARIE toward even greater innovation and impact throughout this 5-year mandate and beyond.
“I also want to extend deep gratitude to our current Chief Technology Officer, Mark Wolff, who stepped up as Interim CEO during our leadership search. Mark’s steady hand, expertise, and unwavering commitment ensured continuity and momentum throughout the transition period,” Rosia added.
Established in 1993, CANARIE (originally known as the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry and Education) is a non-profit corporation primarily funded by the federal government. Together with its 13 provincial and territorial partners, it forms Canada’s National Research and Education Network (NREN), which connects the country’s researchers, educators and innovators to each other and to global data, technology and colleagues.
Photo of Mike Tremblay courtesy of CANARIE
