Ottawa, ON, October 4, 2012 – Jeff Westeinde, a successful local entrepreneur, will co-chair with Mayor Jim Watson the 14-member board of Invest Ottawa, the city’s primary partner in economic development. Mr. Westeinde and the new board assume their responsibilities early next month.
Invest Ottawa is a private-public partnership that identifies the city’s major economic development priorities, provides leadership and measures results. Its board is comprised of private-sector representatives, including representatives from the tourism, creative industries, innovation, trade and investment, and health and life sciences sectors, and the presidents of Ottawa’s two major universities and two community colleges.
“Invest Ottawa brings together a dynamic, talented team that’s broadly representative of our city’s economic eco-system,” said Mayor Watson. “Its challenge is to get all of the major players in that eco-system to work together on a number of economic development initiatives that focus on business investment and job creation. This is all about sustainable economic growth—the kind that benefits everyone in our community.”
Three working groups will support the board. One, focusing on innovation, will oversee programs and services aimed at supporting entrepreneurs and startup companies. The second, focusing on investment and trade, will oversee programs and services that enhance foreign investment, business retention and expansion, and trade. The third, focusing on creative industries, will oversee programs and services to enhance the film, television and digital media sectors in Ottawa.
“Invest Ottawa is founded on collaboration and partnership,” said Mr. Westeinde. “When you look at our board and working groups you see a balance of experience, youth, diversity and energy. Our governance structure reflects our city’s major economic sectors, and the colleges and universities that develop much of the talent that fuels those sectors. That’s not just a formula for success, it’s a formula for excellence.”
Joining Mr.Westeinde and Mayor Watson on the Invest Ottawa Board of Directors are:
• Chandrakanth Arya, CFO, D-TA Systems Inc.;
• Lise Bourgeois, President, La Cité collégiale;
• Noel Buckley, President and CEO, Ottawa Tourism;
• Bryan Haralovich, Partner, Welch LLP;
• Chris Knight, President, Knight Enterprises;
• Kent MacDonald, President, Algonquin College;
• Cyril McKelvie, President and CEO, Marport Deep Sea Technologies Inc.;
• Rosann O’Reilly Runte, President, Carleton University;
• David Ritonja, Vice-President, Alcatel-Lucent Canada Inc.;
• Allan Rock, President, University of Ottawa;
• Doreen Steidle, President, Doreen Steidle Consulting Inc.; and
• Mark Sutcliffe, CEO, Great River Media.
Video release with Jeff Westeinde, Co-chair, Invest Ottawa.
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About Invest Ottawa
Invest Ottawa delivers expert-oriented economic development programs and initiatives that increase entrepreneurial momentum, wealth and jobs in the City of Ottawa and its surrounding region. Its goal is to make Ottawa the best place in Canada to start and grow a knowledge-based business. Invest Ottawa services include startup incubation and mentorship, acceleration for existing companies, global business attraction and local business retention, targeted sector development, commercialization, and marketing Ottawa’s diversified economy and high quality of life. www.investottawa.ca
Attention media, the video release is available for download here: http://socialpixels.tv/IO/IO-PR-V1.mov.zip
For more information please contact:
Blair Patacairk
Invest Ottawa
bpatacairk@investottawa.ca
613.828.6274 ext. 252
