New Brunswick innovator, entrepreneur, and storied cheerleader for the Maritimes’ startup sector, Gerry Pond, has died.
Pond, who was the former CEO of New Brunswick Telecom (NBTel) and president of its successor, Aliant Telecom, died on July 8 at the age of 82. With a career that spanned 45 years in the information and communication technology (ICT) sector, Pond was widely considered a key supporter of the Maritimes’ tech and startup ecosystem. In an article published yesterday by Halifax’s Entrevestor, the publication called Pond “a driving force” behind the startup movement in the Maritimes.
“Gerry’s impact on New Brunswick and Canada was profound.”
Susan Holt,
New Brunswick Premier
Pond’s passing has reverberated through the Maritimes, with many sharing anecdotes and messages of condolence on social media, including New Brunswick Premier Susan Holt. In a message penned on Facebook, Holt praised Pond and lamented the passing of someone she called “a mentor and personal friend.”
“Gerry Pond was a pioneer and leader in the ICT sector, from his days as CEO of NBTel to his successful business ventures and his role in co-founding numerous ICT powerhouses in our province,” Holt wrote. “Appointed to the Order of New Brunswick in 2013, and Order of Canada [in 2016], Gerry’s impact on New Brunswick and Canada was profound.”
The impact of Pond’s passing was felt elsewhere, too, with Claudio Rojas, the CEO of Toronto’s National Angel Capital Association (NACO), issuing a statement on Pond’s death.
“Gerry Pond was one of my earliest mentors at [NACO]. He cared deeply about entrepreneurs and gave generously of his time and experience to help founders grow their companies,” Rojas wrote in an email to BetaKit. “His legacy lives on through the entrepreneurs, senior leaders, and angel investors he mentored and championed.”
In 2020, NACO awarded Pond its Lifetime Achievement Award at its NACO Atlantic Summit, during which business journalist Gordon Pitts called him “the most influential networker, mentor, and technology power player in the province.”
“Pond is the Codefather,” Pitts said.
In 2003, Pond became the founding CEO of the Saint John-based IT consultancy and software development firm Mariner Partners, and its investment branch, East Valley Ventures. He was an early investor in Fredericton’s Radian6 and Q1 Labs, considered two of Atlantic Canada’s biggest tech success stories.
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Pond also co-founded tech startup accelerator Propel ICT, and the Pond-Deshpande Centre, a non-profit social innovation hub at the University of New Brunswick.
Prior to his death, Pond received recognition for his work in ICT and entrepreneurship. In 1997, he was named Innovator of the Year by the Canadian Information Productivity Association, Person of the Year by the New Brunswick Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement Awards in 2002, and received the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee medal in 2003 before being inducted into the New Brunswick Business Hall of Fame in 2007.
In 2011, Pond was named Canadian Angel of the Year by Techvibes and KPMG, and received the Canadian Startup Awards’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2014, among many other accolades.
Pond is survived by his wife, Anne, daughter Suzanne, and son Gregory.
Feature image courtesy Susan Holt on Facebook.