Tech Industry Veteran Named New CEO of NBIF
FREDERICTON– The New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF) announced Thursday that technology industry veteran and corporate financing expert Jeff White will be its new CEO.
White is currently the chief operating officer of East Valley Ventures, a New Brunswick-based startup accelerator and early-stage investor. He will be starting his new job at NBIF October 29.
“New Brunswick has always punched above its weight when it comes to applied research and startups,” said White in a release. “The NBIF plays a critical role in the vibrant East Coast startup scene as an early-stage investor and advisor. It offers significant support to applied research done by research professionals and students at New Brunswick’s universities, colleges, and research institutes.
“To me, innovation means revolutionary change, not simply evolutionary change. I am excited to join the accomplished and capable team at the NBIF and to work with them to create revolutionary change in New Brunswick.”
White is the official replacement of former CEO Calvin Milberry, who left the role with back in May.
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White was a foundational member of New Brunswick’s most notable startups, serving as chief financial officer at both Radian6 and Q1 Labs. These companies were acquired by Salesforce and IBM, respectively.
At East Valley Ventures, White mentored many of New Brunswick’s recent startups and scale-ups including SmartSkin, Alongside, Beauceron, Eigen and Resson, among others.
He also served as interim chief financial officer for Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, one of five clusters across Canada. The Ocean Superclusters is a major industry-led initiative, supported by the Government of Canada, focused on building on Canada’s ocean-related research capacity, business activity and technology expertise.
“We are thrilled to welcome Jeff to the NBIF team. He has a clear vision to take NBIF to the next level of success,” said Cathy Simpson, chair of the NBIF Board of Directors, in a release.
“He’s a home-grown expert in innovation, commercialization and growth strategies. Under his strong leadership, Jeff will expand our team and increase collaboration with our partners in academia, government and the private sector to elevate the role of innovation in New Brunswick.”