VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA – October 18th, 2017: The BC Technology Association announced today that Jill Tipping has been appointed as the new President and CEO, effective November 22nd, 2017.
Jill joins BC Tech from Schneider Electric Solar, the Burnaby-based global supplier of solar power conversion solutions and leading player in BC’s thriving CleanTech sector, where she is currently VP Operations and CFO. Before its acquisition by Schneider Electric in 2008, Jill was part of local solar business Xantrex Technologies Inc and prior to Xantrex, she was a Director with Deloitte in London specializing in technology and growth companies. Jill holds an MA in Economic History from St. Andrews University in Scotland and an MSc in Management from Stanford University and has served on the Board of BC Tech since 2014.
“I’m delighted to take the helm of BC Tech at this pivotal time, when the possibilities ahead of us are even more exciting than our past track record of success,” commented Jill. “Bill has been a transformational leader and his legacy is felt in the universal respect and admiration everyone in the community feels for him. He leaves BC Tech with strong, solid foundations and I’m looking forward to building on those. The future economy is a digital economy and a thriving BC Tech sector is an essential part of that.”
Jill will take over from outgoing President and CEO, Bill Tam who will continue in a part-time advisory role to support a successful transition, as well as bring several strategic initiatives – notably BC’s recently short-listed Digital Supercluster initiative to a successful conclusion.
“I’ve been honoured to lead the BC Tech Association and community for the last 6 years. Advising and helping companies is my passion and it has been a privilege to serve the community as CEO of BC Tech. After two terms I decided it was time to pass the baton to a new leader to build on our achievements and take us to the next level. I’m delighted that the Board chose Jill as the next CEO of BC Tech and look forward to working with her through the transition.”
The Board of Directors of BC Tech will nominate Laurie Schultz for election to a 2 year term as Board Chair at the Association’s AGM to be held on November 2nd, 2017. As CEO of ACL Services Ltd since 2012, and a Board member of BC Tech since 2011, Laurie has championed and advocated for growth of British Columbia’s technology sector.
“The BC Tech Association Board was guided in our search to find a new leader to expand our global connectedness and guide our efforts to become a top ten ecosystem. In Jill we found a CEO ideally suited to lead us through the next stage of our journey, which focused on growth in tech companies and growing our prominence on the world stage.”
The association was supported by Korn Ferry, an executive search firm, in the search for Bill Tam’s successor.
About the BC Tech Association
The BC Tech Association is guided by our mission to make BC the best place to grow a tech company. For more than 20 years, BC Tech has been providing opportunities for the tech industry to collaborate, learn and grow together. We are dedicated to connecting companies, developing talent, sharing stories and advocating on behalf of tech companies to keep our industry thriving. Since our founding in 1993, the tech industry has quintupled to nearly $25 billion in revenue. In that time, we have played a privileged role in supporting the growth of the tech community that now includes over 9,000 companies, employs more than 90,000 people and that has been one of the strongest contributors to BC’s economic growth over the past decade.
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E: communications@wearebctech.com
