2003 Award Winner
Ottawa, April 29, 2003 - John Reid, President of the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance (CATA) today announced that Dr. Gerri Sinclair, General Manager, MSN.CA is the 2003 recipient of the Sara Kirke Award for Canada's Leading Woman High Tech Entrepreneur.
"Dr. Sinclair is a true innovator and entrepreneur and she serves as a great example to others as to what can be achieved through hard work and dedication," said Mr. Reid. "Her extensive experience and leadership combined with strong background in technology makes her a natural choice for this year's Sara Kirke Award."
MSN.CA is one of Canada's leading web sites which serves more than 9.7 million* unique visitors each month. Its suite of online services delivers news, information, entertainment, and a variety of communication tools including MSN® network of Internet services, Hotmail® web-based e-mail service and MSN® Search. MSN.CA also provides such high-quality interactive services as MSN® Messenger, MSN® Extra Storage, MSN 8®, MSN® Shopping, MSN® Groups and many more for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.MSN.CA.
"I am truly honoured to receive the Sara Kirke Award from both a personal and business standpoint," said Dr. Sinclair, general manager, MSN.CA. "Sara Kirke is the true pioneer for woman entrepreneurs in Canada and it is a real privilege to be considered and recognized in this category."
Prior to joining Microsoft Canada Co., Dr. Sinclair was President of the B.C. Premier's Technology Council, established to advise Premier Campbell on all matters related to technology in the province. She is also the founder and former CEO of NCompass Labs, the web content management software company recently acquired by Microsoft Corporation.
Dr. Sinclair was also the founding director of the ExCITE lab, now known as 7th Floor Media, at Simon Fraser University, the first multimedia research and development centre in Canada. She has served on several blue ribbon advisory boards, including Canada's National Broadband Taskforce, the National Advisory Council on the Information Highway (IHAC), and the Canadian Network for the Advancement of Research, Industry, and Education (CANARIE), and most recently the National Broadband Selection Council. She is a former Director of both BC Telecom and Telus and currently serves as a Director for the Canadian Foundation for Innovation (CFI). She is also a member of the BC Progress Board and the Vancouver Canuck's Business Advisory Board.
About the Sara Kirke Award
The Sara Kirke Award is a national competition, which was created by CATA at the TechAction Town Hall Meeting in St. John's in 2001.
"Sara Kirke is considered by many to be North America's first entrepreneur," said John Reid. "She arrived in Avalon in 1638 with her husband David Kirke, who became governor of all of Newfoundland. Sir David chose to establish himself at Ferryland, Newfoundland's first capital. Sometime not long after the Kirke's arrival, the name Avalon disappeared and the settlement began to be referred to as the Pool Plantation. Sir David Kirke was an unrepentant Royalist, and after the Civil War he was called to England to account for his activities in Newfoundland, lost this round of litigation and died in prison."
"Sara Kirke paid no heed to this judgment, however, and continued to reside at Ferryland and conduct business as usual from the Pool Plantation. Lady Kirke was a remarkable individual as she managed affairs at the Pool Plantation and became one of the most successful merchants on the English Shore."
The plaque on the Award reads: -
Presented to Dr. Gerri Sinclair, for outstanding technological innovation and corporate leadership -- leadership that has significantly expanded the frontiers of Canada's advanced technology industry. Dr. Gerri Sinclair has demonstrated consistent innovation and leadership skills, resulting in the creation and international acceptance of significant world-class products and the establishment and development of a major advanced technology company that has withstood the test of time.
For further information please contact:
Barry Gander,
Senior Advocate, Public Policy,
CATAAlliance
bgander@cata.ca
-----------------------------------
About CATAAlliance
CATAAlliance is a multi-sector technology trade association dedicated to stimulating global growth for technology enterprises through the promotion of strategic partnerships, technological innovation and entrepreneurial values. More information about CATA can be found on the CATA Web site: www.cata.ca
Support the industry. Join CATA now
-----------------------------------
About MSN.CA
MSN.CA is a leading Canadian Web portal with 9.7 million* unique monthly visitors. Its suite of online services delivers news, information, entertainment, and a variety of communication tools including MSN® network of Internet services, Hotmail® web-based e-mail service and MSN® Search. MSN.CA also provides such high-quality interactive services as MSN® Messenger, MSN® Extra Storage, MSN® 8, MSN® Shopping, MSN® Web Communities and many more for the Microsoft® Windows® operating system. For more information, please visit the Web site at www.MSN.CA.
-----------------------------------
About Microsoft Canada Co.
Established in 1985, Microsoft Canada Co. is the Canadian subsidiary of Microsoft Corporation (Nasdaq "MSFT") the worldwide leader in software, services and Internet technologies for personal and business computing. Microsoft Canada provides nationwide sales, marketing, consulting and local support services in both French and English. Microsoft Canada is headquartered in Mississauga, with MSN.CA offices located in Toronto and eight regional offices across the country dedicated to empowering people through great software - any time, any place and on any device. Visit Microsoft Canada's web site at www.microsoft.ca. *(comScore Media Metrix Canada, Home/Work combined March 2003). Unique Visitors: The estimated number of different individuals within a designated demographic that access the content of a specific site from among the total number of projected individuals (only counted once, even if they visit the same site more than once) Microsoft, Hotmail, MSN, Windows and Windows NT are either registered or unregistered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.
|
