Business and technology guru to lead MIP

Business leader and technology expert Ty Shattuck has been appointed CEO of the McMaster Innovation Park (MIP).

It’s a homecoming for Shattuck who, as Chief Operating Officer for Trivaris Ltd – MIP’s founding tenant – spent nearly four years at the Park, guiding start-ups and early stage technology companies to commercialization, and watching the Park grow from its early beginnings.

“Ty is the perfect fit for the CEO position,” says Karen Mossman, acting chair of MIP’s board of directors, who is also McMaster University’s acting vice-president of research. “He’s a visionary, whose experience – both on the business and technology sides – combined with his proven leadership, strong interpersonal skills, and his capacity to embrace new ideas, will ensure we build on the momentum and reputation the Park has developed over the last decade.”

For Shattuck, who begins his new role September 4, 2018, it’s an exciting opportunity to realize the vision of MIP and its role in developing the regional economy. 

Shattuck says that MIP already plays an integral part in the City’s and broader region’s ability to develop and diversify its economy, but he’s eager to capitalize on additional opportunities that will advance innovation and commercialization now that the Park, which opened in 2006, is firmly established. 

“The phrase that seems to have emerged is MIP 2.0,” he says, likening the Park to a soundly built ship and crew that’s ready to sail. The key now is to set a course and sail it toward its intended destination, which in this case is a world-class center for commercialization.

“There’s a decade of success – the Atrium, new buildings, successful tenants – that speaks for itself.   Now that all of the infrastructure is in place, we are positioned to focus on our mission with a commitment to technology commercialization.”

While he plans to spend the first several months “learning from and listening to” those who have been involved with MIP and those who have found success at other innovation parks – provincially, nationally, and globally – he recognizes the need to tap more deeply into the wealth of talent at McMaster University and its partner hospitals.

“We need to help researchers, students and innovators bridge the gap between nascent technology and commercialized product. And therein lies the mission of the Park – to bring together all the right players, the right mix of talent, and the right regulatory and financial bodies to cross the chasm from idea to reality.   We want to keep enabling start-ups, but we also need to attract scale-ups that already have the means to bring technologies to the market.”

And he knows of what he speaks, having spent his career at the intersection of technology and business design.  Shattuck has held a series of senior leadership roles with a focus on technology commercialization and investment in the digital, aerospace, and venture capital industries, including stints at Eagle Aerospace, Aethon Technologies (originally named 6Imaging LLC), PV Labs, Trivaris Ltd., and L3 Technologies – Wescam.

This experience has given him a passion for, and deep understanding of, starting, managing, financing, and growing companies within emerging markets. A self-proclaimed technology geek, Shattuck leverages his ability to envision the potential of new ideas, along with his strong bias for pragmatism, to help inventors, researchers, entrepreneurs, and high-technology organizations, transform their innovative ideas into a profitable business reality.

As a Professional Engineer, former Adjunct Professor at OCAD University, past Chair of Mohawk College’s Board of Governors, and a former RCAF officer, Shattuck is well known within the GTHA area for his business acumen and community leadership. He was awarded “Engineer of the Year” from The Ontario Society for Professional Engineers in 2010. The following year, Profit Magazine named PV Labs as one of “Canada’s Top 200 Fastest Growing Companies,” and in 2012, the company received an Academy Award under his leadership.

Shattuck takes over from Nick Markettos, McMaster’s assistant vice-president, research, innovation and partnerships, who has served as Interim CEO since Zach Douglas, MIP’s first President & CEO, retired at the end of 2017.