CANARIE president Guy Bujold resigns two years into five-year term

CANARIE has been hit with another high-level resignation with the unexpected departure of Guy Bujold, its president and CEO, less than two years into a five-year term. Bujold stepped down February 1st — effective immediately — for "personal reasons". His departure closely follows the abrupt resignation of chief research officer Bill St Arnaud late last year (R$, December 21/09).

Bujold is being replaced on an interim basis by Jim Roche, president and CEO of Stratford Managers Corp, former president and CEO of Tundra Semiconductor Systems Inc and CANARIE board chair. The board chair's position will be assumed on a temporary basis by past CANARIE chair Mark Whitmore, dean of the Univ of Manitoba's faculty of engineering.

An executive search committee comprised of board members has begun the process of securing a permanent replacement for Bujold. Despite the departures of Bujold and St Arnaud, as well as several other senior personnel in recent months, a CANARIE official with the agency says the turmoil in the top ranks should not be interpreted as an indication that the agency is winding down.

Chief strategy officer Hélène Joncas says several research network heads have stepped down recently, adding that they are all of a certain age. Joncas will continue to lead discussions with Industry Canada, regional research networks and other stakeholders to formulate a new strategic plan to take CANARIE past its current mandate, which expires March 31/12.

"It came as a surprise that Guy stepped down but I have no doubt that it does not relate to any issues at CANARIE," says Phil Baker, who is stepping down as president and CEO of the Ontario Research and Innovation Network (ORION). "Hélène Joncas is taking a strong leadership role to move discussions (on mandate renewal) forward. There has been no lapse in the discussions."

Baker says that, contrary to some opinion, there is still a need for a strong national research network to tie together Canada's regional research networks and provide direction and cohesion. And while the larger regional networks can theoretically stand on their own, most of the smaller networks require support and often technical guidance.

"It's absolutely necessary to have a national infrastructure," he says. "The federal government needs to commit to maintaining a national research network to — at a minimum — connect the regional networks. We need that infrastructure that knits us together."

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