The Creative Destruction Lab congratulates our Advisory Board Co-Chair, Haig Farris, and G7 Fellow, Dr. Chen Fong, on their appointment to the Order of Canada in recognition of their exceptional achievements and dedication to their community and the nation.
Haig Farris, appointed Officer of the Order of Canada, is known for his “contributions to the development of the venture capital industry and technology sector in western Canada.” A visionary founder of venture capital in Canada, Haig has been a key participant in the creation and success of numerous technology companies over the past four decades. Haig’s exemplary support for education, research, science, and technology enabled local technology entrepreneurs to put Canada at the forefront. In addition to his contributions to the CDL, he pioneered entrepreneurship education at the University of British Columbia through a hybrid course that catered to engineering, science, and MBA students. The course led to the launch of many successful companies, including D-Wave Systems, of which he was the founding Chair.
Dr. Chen Fong, appointed Member of the Order of Canada, is the former Head of the Department of Radiology at the University of Calgary and the Calgary Health Region. His career has included contributions to healthcare, education, and business. Chen is an active board member of the Calgary Health Trust as well as Clarius Medical Inc. in Vancouver and Analytics for Life Inc. in Toronto. He is also the founder and a director of several prestigious medical companies such as Ultrasonix Medical Corporation, Novelis Medical Corporation, Calgary Scientific Inc., and Neuroscilicon Inc. He also shaped three major scholarships at the University of Calgary: The Achievers in Medical Science Scholarship, the Dr. T Chen Fong Doctoral Scholarship in Neuroscience (Hotchkiss Brain Institute Graduate Scholarship), and the Multidisciplinary Imaging Scholarship. Chen’s contributions have helped raise substantial funds in the healthcare field and in academia.
As tech sector pioneers, Haig and Chen are being awarded for their work in the venture capital and medical industries, respectively. Their knowledge and expertise have been instrumental in the success of the CDL and its ventures.
