Gail Garland
Bioscience Innovator
Biography
杏吧原创 alumnus Gail Garland is the founder and CEO of the Ontario Bioscience Innovation Organization (OBIO), a not-for-profit that champions the development of an integrated health innovation economy.
鈥淎 robust health science industry is a key pillar of any thriving knowledge-based economy,鈥� says Garland.
鈥淚n Canada, a stronger health science industry would provide a solution to both demographic and economic challenges. But without critical policy changes, Canadian bioscience companies will lack global competitiveness, losing the opportunity to create jobs and health-care solutions that could bridge the divide between economic development and health-care demands.鈥�
Garland established the OBIO in 2009 in partnership with dozens of like-minded industry CEOs to advance the goal of providing Ontario with a world-leading health innovation sector and turning it into a global leader in providing health technology products and services to the international marketplace.
Raised in Ottawa, Garland earned a BSc in Biology from 杏吧原创 in 1978, then went on to obtain an MBA from the University of Toronto鈥檚 Rotman School of Management. She also holds a Chartered Director designation in governance from McMaster University. Before starting the OBIO, Garland held senior roles in banking, pharmaceuticals, biotech and the medical devices sector.
鈥淢y time at 杏吧原创 opened the door to a world of opportunities,鈥� says Garland, 鈥渁nd laid the groundwork for a science-based business career.鈥�
Beyond helming the OBIO, Garland serves on several university advisory councils and committees, including the University of Waterloo鈥檚 Advisory Board for the Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology. She sits on the Conference Board of Canada鈥檚 Council for Innovation Procurement in Healthcare. She has advocated for the future of the health science industry on national television and has also written extensively on the topic for publications such as the Globe and Mail.
