Bio

Marc Lijour is the Vice-President at the Information and Communications Technology Council (ICTC) and leads Capacity and Innovation Readiness initiatives. A certified educator with experience on several continents, he worked as Education Officer at the Ontario Ministry of Education, advising on policies such as the revision of the Technological Education curriculum (2009) and drafting the first RFP framework to procure Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) for the government. Marc was instrumental in administrating key programs such as the launch of the Ontario Virtual Learning Strategy and Ontario’s equity and inclusive education strategy. Ten years ago, Marc jumped to private consulting at Cisco to accelerate the digital transformation of the education sector, and later all other sectors as digital technology became the driver of disruptive innovation, competitiveness, and job creation. He joined ICTC to develop research-informed and evidence-based capacity building programs to help Canadians enjoy a rewarding career in the digital economy. ICTC’s iAdvance framework has been highlighted in a recent OECD report as a best workforce development practice to upskill and reskill for jobs in AI, Blockchain, IoT, Robotics, 5G, and other emerging fields. For the last six years, Marc has specifically focused on blockchain/Web3 technologies. He contributed to building the consulting arm at ConsenSys, launching the first college program for Blockchain Developers in Canada; is a founder of DeFi Toronto; and heads IEEE Blockchain in Canada. He participates in several industry program advisory committees (PACs) at leading Canadian post-secondary institutions. Marc holds degrees in Mathematics, Computer Science, and the Management of Technology and Innovation (MBA). He serves on the board of multiple not-for-profit organizations in the tech industry, such as La French Tech Toronto and TechConnex.