TORONTO — BAI Communications today announced the appointment of Don Morrison (pictured) as the executive chairman of its Canadian operation, effective November 11, 2019.
The executive chairman role was created because BAI Communications Canada CEO Ken Ranger is relocating to London to become the chief operating officer for BAI Communications in the UK, the company explained in a news release on Tuesday. As CEO in Canada, Ranger led the team responsible for the rollout of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) cellular, IP and Wi-Fi network across the Toronto subway system. As executive chairman, Morrison will be driving the business, following a handover from Ranger, the company said.
BAI Communications Group CEO Jim Hassell paid tribute to Ranger’s involvement in the evolution of the BAI business in Canada.
“Ken’s deep industry experience and success in Canada will be a valuable addition to the UK team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Ken for his immense contribution to the company thus far and wish him the very best in his new role. We are excited to have him on board in this new leadership capacity,” Hassell said in the news release.
“I would also like to welcome Don and congratulate him on his appointment. We are fortunate to have Don’s vision and leadership as we continue our strong partnership with the TTC, working together to implement additional services to further enhance the network,” Hassell added.
BAI Group chairman Deena Shiff said: “We are truly delighted to welcome someone of Don’s skills and knowledge to the BAI Communications Group and look forward to working with him.”
As a global technology executive, Morrison has extensive experience in the telecom industry, previously working in senior leadership positions with AT&T and Bell Canada in Canada, the United States, Europe and the Middle East.
In addition, Morrison was the chief operating officer for BlackBerry at Research In Motion (before the company changed its name from RIM to BlackBerry) from 2000 to 2011. RIM saw unprecedented growth during his tenure, with the company growing its profitability from $70 million to more than $20 billion in over 10 years. Morrison built an international organization from the ground up, starting with a North American centric model that ultimately expanded to 550 carriers in more than 175 countries, the BAI news release said.
The co-founder of the Morrison Family Foundation, Morrison is also founder of the Ontario Global 100 Network and The Merton Forum (of which he is also chair), and chair of the Dalai Lama Center for Ethics and Transformative Values at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is on the board of Yellow Media and supports projects focused on peace and security at the Centre of International Governance Innovation.
Morrison holds an MBA and BA from the University of Toronto and participated in the Executive Program at the University of Virginia’s Darden Business School.
“BAI is a global leader in the delivery of connectivity in transit, and I look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with the TTC in bringing innovation to the city of Toronto. Our goal is to expand the cellular network into every tunnel in the TTC, creating a completely seamless experience throughout every journey for every commuter.”
Morrison added: “Our infrastructure permits any carrier to sign on and provide underground cellular service to their customers. I welcome the carriers in Toronto to join Freedom and provide cellular service to all TTC users. This has been done in New York, where all major carriers provide service in the subway using a neutral host network from BAI majority-owned subsidiary, Transit Wireless.”
BAI secured a 20-year licence agreement in 2012 to deliver connectivity to the Toronto subway, with an option for an additional five years. The deployment uses independent communications infrastructure in which BAI invests in, owns and operates, generating revenue for the TTC. BAI also provides free Wi-Fi access to TTC underground passengers.
As reported yesterday by Cartt.ca, BAI Communications has launched an online petition in an effort to pressure Bell, Rogers and Telus into joining the TTC’s underground network.
