By Denis Carmel
Starting Nov. 15, the CRTC will have a new head of telecommunications – Fiona Gilfillan.
Until recently, Gilfillan was the assistant deputy minister at Innovation, Science, and Economic Development/Innovation Canada (ISED) where she was responsible for the management of spectrum, ICT and telecom security, the Communications Research Centre and telecom equipment standards and certification in the spectrum and telecommunications sector.
In 2006, she was associate executive director of telecommunications at the CRTC, after which she left, according to her LinkedIn page, to take care of her kids between 2007 and 2009. She then spent 11 years at ISED where she was, amongst other things, responsible for spectrum auctions.
Before that, between 1998 and 2001, she worked in regulatory positions at competitive telecom providers Metronet, GT Telecom and Call-Net.
Gilfillan holds a master’s degree in business administration from York University and a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Waterloo.
“With her commitment to promoting a respectful and inclusive work environment where team members feel supported, Fiona will bring strong leadership to the Telecom team. She enjoys being part of a diverse team that has fun, and when we are able to be together, she looks forward to regular celebrations with baked goods,” reads an email from CRTC chairman Ian Scott to the CRTC staff.
Gilfillan replaces Ian Baggley, who has acted in the position since Chris Seidl left in July 2021.
Image borrowed from Gilfillan’s LinkedIn page.
