Bioindustrial Innovation Canada appoints Meaghan Seagrave as executive director
The Board of Directors of Bioindustrial Innovation Canada (BIC) and the Sustainable Chemistry Alliance (SCA) are thrilled to announce that Meaghan Seagrave has accepted the position of executive director.
BIC is a nationally focused not-for-profit business accelerator that provides critical strategic investment, advice, and services to business developers of clean, green, and sustainable technologies. In 2015, BIC established the Centre for Commercialization of Sustainable Chemistry Innovation (COMM SCI) initiative, which acts as a hub for the commercialization of sustainable chemistry and bio-based innovation. The Sustainable Chemistry Alliance Fund provides the critical investment that acts as the engine for the commercialization of innovative technologies.
Over the past twelve years, BIC has invested $20 million in 32 start-ups. In addition to financial investment, BIC has made strategic investments by providing advice and services to early-stage companies and start-ups which has enabled them to achieve the following results:
- Mobilized $355 million in non-governmental investments and more than $1.8 billion in complementary investments.
- 5,300 jobs created (800 direct jobs, 3,400 indirect jobs, and 1,000 jobs in construction). Indirect jobs include engineering, logistics, R&D, sales and services, supply chains, and downstream value chains.
- One million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions reduced, with projected reductions of 13 million tonnes by 2030 (statistics documented by companies).
BIC is pleased to welcome Meaghan Seagrave as the new executive director who will lead the organization’s next phase of growth through the execution of BIC’s strategic plan. Meaghan will assume the role starting September 2022.
Meaghan is a nationally recognized thought leader in the bioeconomy and has been spearheading research and innovation opportunities across the country for over a decade.
Meaghan’s extensive leadership experience includes managing NGOs in both the biotech and health sectors, providing her with considerable domain knowledge and organizational insight from which to draw.
Her educational background, including a graduate degree in agricultural sciences and several certificates and diplomas in communications and management development, combined with two decades of experience leading early-stage technology companies makes her a knowledgeable and diverse leader well suited to execute on BIC’s strategic plan.
Her advocacy efforts are equally impressive as she has and continues to serve in leadership roles on over half dozen regional and national boards in support of entrepreneurs, research, innovation, and commercial investment.
Her national influence will help BIC bring industry and association collaborators together across a multitude of resource and technology sectors in Canada. Her ability to build strong relationships and partnerships will help to position BIC as Canada’s leading national business accelerator for clean, green, and sustainable technologies.
As was shared last November, the current executive director, Sandy Marshall, is stepping back from the leadership role within the organization and shifting into an advisory and project role supporting the Ontario Bioindustrial Innovation Network. We are incredibly grateful to Sandy Marshall for his leadership of BIC for the past seven years and are happy that he will continue to support the organization.
As BIC expands nationally, we are so pleased to welcome Meaghan as our new executive director.
Judith Morris is the chair of the board for Bioindustrial Innovation Canada.