Bio

Wendy Cukier is one of Canada's leading experts in disruptive technologies, innovation processes and diversity, with more than 200 published papers on technology, innovation and management. She is the coauthor of the bestseller “Innovation Nation: Canadian Leadership from Java to Jurassic Park”. Wendy serves on a host of boards in the private and nonprofit sectors and has helped create and grow several successful startups and social ventures including Flybits, Think2Thing and Growing North. She is the Director of the Diversity Institute which advances evidence based strategies for inclusion. Serving as Ryerson's Vice-President of Research and Innovation, Wendy transformed her unit to proactively support research and innovation. Under her leadership, external funding increased by more than 60% over 5 years. Cukier created new innovative partnerships which led to the creation of the $10.7m funding I-INC network, the $1.2m Campus Linked Accelerator Program (CLA) and the $7.4m Ontario Centre for Workforce Innovation. Committed to advancing social sciences and humanities researchers, she guided Ryerson University to become Canada's first Ashoka Changemaker Campus. Previously, Dr. Cukier was the Associate Dean of the Ted Rogers School of Management. In this role, she led the development of new MBA programs, dramatically expanded research and gained accreditation by the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business. She continues to teach and mentor students in several programs. She currently serves as Chair, Board of Women's College Hospital. She is a recipient of the Governor General's Meritorious Cross, one of Canada’s highest civilian honours. Cukier was one of the University of Toronto's 100 Alumni Who Shaped the Century and in 2010 was selected as one of 25 Transformational Canadians by The Globe and Mail, La Presse and CTV. She is the recipient of a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and the Harry Jerome Diversity Award among others.