Andrew Maxwell, MBA, P.Eng. - Director, Business Partnerships
| Over the past 25 years, Andrew has played a strategic role in the creation of new technology based businesses, from government, academic and industry perspectives. His extensive business experience, with the creation and growth of early stage technology companies, within the corporate and entrepreneurial environments has allowed him to understand the realities of the commercialization of new technology. His recent work at the University of Toronto’s Innovations Foundation and the Rotman School of Management, at an academic, research and practical level, has allowed him to build a broad base of knowledge and understanding which has allowed him to develop concepts and models around the commercialization of technology. He is currently pursuing a Ph. D. at the University of Waterloo in Department of Management Science. |  |
| After working for two major multinational technology companies, Andrew was involved in founding companies in the following area, environmental technologies, medical devices, internet and wireless. As a result of his experiences, he took a position within the University of Toronto’s Technology transfer office (Innovations Foundation) where he established a number of new ventures and simultaneously developed and taught a course in the commercialization of technology at the Rotman School. In 2001 he decided to undertake, on behalf of the University, a broad outreach to the innovation community, and was successful in raising over $1.5 million, from a mixture of industry and government sources, to create the Exceler@tor, an information technology incubator, collocated with Innovations Foundation. This was complimented by launching an “Innovations Challenge” to stimulate the creation and guidance of new technology companies, and between 2001 and 2003 he assisted over 30 companies who located in the Exceler@tor to drive revenues, raise capital and address technology development and go-to-market issues. His role with the early stage businesses in the Exceler@tor, was primarily around the development of strategic business plans and the establishment of partnerships with major corporations, in order to identify first customers and build local receptor capacity. Andrew currently serves on the board or the advisory board of three privately held technologies companies, where he plays an in depth role in the development of their business strategy. Andrew also teaches at McMaster University and the University of Waterloo in New Venture Creation. |
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