Propel ICT CEO Anita Punamiya Is Stepping Down
SAINT JOHN– Atlantic Canada startup accelerator Propel ICT is looking for a new CEO.
Current CEO Anita Punamiya announced Friday that she will be stepping down at the conclusion of the organization’s 2017 Spring Cohort programming. She will rejoin Propel ICT’s Board of Directors.
When Punamiya took the role as CEO in 2016, she was planning for a short tenure.
“Propel ICT has a strong history and I am proud to have been a part of it both as a Board member and as the CEO,” said Punamiya, in a release. “From the perspective of a newcomer to Canada, I received tremendous value from being on the Board, and the CEO role gave me an opportunity to give back to the organization. I am happy to say that I am leaving the organization stronger than it was when I took on the role.”
“I am very proud of the current team and confident that they will continue doing a great job,” she added. “I believe leading an organization like Propel is like a ‘Relay Team’; each leader takes the organization to a certain stage and then hands it over to the next leader. I have run my part and its time to hand over the baton.”
Steven Burns, Chair of the Propel ICT Board said that the organization would take time to find a successor. In the meantime, Trevor MacAusland, an experienced member of the Propel ICT team, will serve as interim CEO.
Punamiya says she remains an “entrepreneur at heart” and is currently contemplating her next venture.