Gerri Sinclair

Gerri Sinclair
CitizenshipCanadian
EducationUniversity of British Columbia (PhD)
OccupationsTechnology executive, entrepreneur, academic, government advisor
Years activec. 1980s–present
EmployerVancouver Airport Authority (2024–present)
OrganizationVancouver Airport Authority
Known forFounder and CEO of NCompass Labs; Innovation Commissioner of British Columbia
Notable workFounding Director of the ExCITE Lab at Simon Fraser University
TitleInterim Vice President, Information Technology and Chief Information Officer
Board member of
TMX GroupInnovate BC (ex officio)Vancouver Airport Authority
AwardsBill Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award (2018)

Gerri Sinclair is a Canadian technology executive, entrepreneur and government advisor.

Education

Sinclair holds a Ph.D. in Renaissance Drama as well as an honorary Doctor of Science in Computing Science from the University of British Columbia.

Career

Sinclair was the founding Director of the ExCITE lab at Simon Fraser University, where she was an English professor. In 1996, she founded and served as CEO of NCompass Labs Inc, which was acquired by Microsoft in 2001. She was general manager for the MSN Canada subsidiary.

In 2016, Sinclair was appointed to managing director at Kensington Capital Partners and was the leader of the firm's Vancouver office, managing the $100 million BC Technology fund.

Sinclair served as the Innovation Commissioner for the Government of British Columbia from July 2020 until March 31, 2024. After concluding her term as Innovation Commissioner, Sinclair joined the Vancouver Airport Authority in April 2024, as Interim Vice President: Information Technology and Chief Information Officer (CIO).

Board memberships

Sinclair has served on a number of Canadian national and provincial advisory boards, including the National Advisory Council on the Information Highway and the National Broadband Task Force. She was formerly President of the British Columbia Premier's Technology Council. She also served on the board of organizations such as Telus Corporation and BC Telecom, and has served as a director of the Toronto Stock Exchange, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, and the Canadian Communications Research Council. Additionally, she has served on the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Awards

In 2005, Sinclair received Canadian Consumer Choice Award for Business Woman of the Year. She was also named on the 2016 and 2017 Vancouver Power 50 lists.

Additionally, BC Business Magazine named Sinclair as one of the 2017 Women of Influence.[citation needed] The next year, she received the BC Technology Industry Association’s Bill Thompson Lifetime Achievement Award, and a Lifetime Achievement Award as most Influential Woman in Business in Vancouver in 2020.

She has also received awards such as the YWCA Woman of Distinction award, the Canadian Women in Communications Woman of the Year award, and the Canadian Women in New Media Pioneer award.

References

  1. ↑ "UBC Archives - Honorary Degree Citations - 2000-02". www.library.ubc.ca. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  2. 1 2 "Dr. Gerri Sinclair | Centre for Digital Media". thecdm.ca. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  3. ↑ "Microsoft to Acquire NCompass Labs: Strategic Addition of Web Content Management System Extends Microsoft .NET Enterprise Server Family". www.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  4. ↑ "Microsoft – Cloud, Computers, Apps & Gaming". www.microsoft.com. Archived from the original on October 22, 2012.
  5. ↑ Trade, Ministry of International. "BC Tech Fund - Province of British Columbia". www2.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  6. ↑ "Kensington Capital Partners to Manage New $100M BC Tech Fund". Kensington Capital Partners. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  7. ↑ Innovation, Jobs Economic Recovery and (July 17, 2020). "B.C. appoints new innovation commissioner | BC Gov News". news.gov.bc.ca. Retrieved March 21, 2021.
  8. ↑ Kirkwood, Isabelle (April 10, 2024). "Gerri Sinclair steps down as BC's innovation commissioner | BetaKit". Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  9. ↑ Kirkwood, Isabelle (April 10, 2024). "Gerri Sinclair steps down as BC's innovation commissioner". betakit.com. Retrieved November 12, 2025.
  10. ↑ Premier's Technology Council Members - Province of British Columbia Archived December 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  11. 1 2 3 "Dr. Gerri Sinclair | Centre for Digital Media". thecdm.ca. Retrieved June 30, 2026.
  12. ↑ "Power 50 2016: VanMag's Ranking of the Year's Most Powerful People". Vancouver Magazine. November 16, 2016. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  13. ↑ "The 50 Most Powerful People in Vancouver Right Now". Vancouver Magazine. November 20, 2017. Archived from the original on July 26, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  14. ↑ "2018 TIAs Winners Announced". BC Tech. June 1, 2018. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  15. ↑ "Influential Women in Business". Business in Vancouver. Retrieved January 16, 2020.