Charlottetown-based bioscience industry group PEI BioAlliance has appointed Lauren Ledwell as its new CEO. She succeeds founder Rory Francis, who is retiring after 20 years at the helm.Â
Ledwell is coming from Halifax-based Sandpiper Ventures, where she spearheaded seed and Series A investments in tech startups across Canada as a principal. Ledwell has previously held senior roles at Manulife, Royal Bank of Canada (RBC), Maple Leaf Foods, and recently led Charlottetown-based digital archiving company Discovery Garden as CEO.Â
âLauren Ledwellâs leadership in the innovation economy as a tech entrepreneur, investor, and mentor is a significant asset for the continued growth of our sector,â PEI BioAlliance board chair Charmaine Noonan, who led the six-month search for Francisâs replacement, said in a statement.
Ledwell was also recently appointed as a board member of Venture for Canada, a national charity aiming to foster entrepreneurship in young Canadians. She co-founded the Atlantic chapter of angel investment group Womenâs Equity Lab, and is a mentor with Creative Destruction Lab.Â
Founded in 2005, PEI BioAlliance is a private sector-led, non-profit organization fostering the bioscience industry in the province by bringing together companies, researchers, and government partners through its Emergence incubator. The organization is also currently working on building a 60,000-sq. ft. incubation and acceleration space for bio-based start-ups, which is set to open next year.
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The organization said it plans to hold a celebration of Francisâ tenure as founding CEO to commemorate his âvision and tenacityâ that transformed the regionâs bioscience landscape.
âHe built not just an organization, but a model for what regional innovation and collaboration can achieve,â Noonan said.
BioAlliance claims it has supported more than 50 bioscience companies under Francisâs leadership. Together, the companies have generated $612 million in annual revenue and $460 million in exports.
Image courtesy PEI BioAlliance.