Gardiner named new CEO of Tech Manitoba
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 20/04/2020 (1995 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
Kay Gardiner has been named the new CEO of Tech Manitoba, ensuring leadership continuity after the resignation last month of Kathy Knight, the longtime head of the organization.
Gardiner has been part of the senior leadership of Manitoba’s technology industry association for the past five years.
She will operate for at least one year as “interim” CEO.
In a note to members, board chair Ryan Klassen said, “Change brings opportunity for growth and we are confident that this is the right approach. Kay’s proven commitment to collaborative problem-solving and access to a broad-reaching network are strong assets to the community.”
Gardiner said Tech Manitoba’s board determined the times called for rapid reaction to properly manage industry affairs.
“We are in very unusual times,” Gardiner said. “So this is a one-year interim at this point. It will take us from where we were to where we currently are to where we are going.”
The current state of emergency in Manitoba to fight the COVID-19 pandemic is not only putting added pressure on the digital infrastructure in the province, but it is also creating demand for new problems to be solved by the information technology industry.
“The entire plant just got thrust into a shared digital experience,” Gardiner said. “Some businesses are doing well, some are not, but everyone is affected at this point.”
There is a growing understanding that the shutdown will likely have a permanent impact. Gardiner said Tech Manitoba is reaching out to its membership to try to get some insights as to what that long-term impact will look like.
“Lots of people are talking about how the economy will change,” she said. “There’s plenty of speculation but no one has a crystal ball.”
One thing that’s already happening, she said, is that the economic shutdown is accelerating businesses’ reliance on cloud computing platforms to manage critical digital infrastructure. Klassen said Tech Manitoba’s mission to champion and empower the province’s tech sector is more important now than ever.
Gardiner’s prior position with Tech Manitoba was as director of Tech West Canada, where she partnered with provincial and federal organizations helping tech companies access global markets.
Knight stepped down at the end of March. She has taken a position to lead the new Cyber Security Technical Centre of Excellence that is being run out of the Manitoba Institute of Trades and Technology.
martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca