Jim Roche, CANARIE President & CEO, receives Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for outstanding service to Canada

By CDMN on Oct 23, 2012 / Categories: Blog, Uncategorized

Jim Roche, President and CEO of CANARIE, was presented with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal Sunday evening at a ceremony in Montreal at the i-CANADA Summit. He was recognized for his contribution to the advancement of Canada’s high-tech sector, where he has enjoyed a successful career in both the public and private sectors.

“I am very honoured by this recognition,” says Jim Roche, “I am also delighted to see that the Governor General – and Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth – recognize the great importance of digital technologies and connected communities to the social and economic development of Canada.”

Currently President and CEO of CANARIE, Roche is leading the evolution of the organization beyond its roots in ultra-high-speed networking supporting research and education. In addition to providing the network bandwidth required to enable today’s data- and compute-intensive research, CANARIE is investing in the development of software tools for research and in cloud computing services that provide the next generation of high-tech entrepreneurs with a “digital testbed” to accelerate product development. The evolution of CANARIE services ensures that Canada’s research and entrepreneurial communities have the advanced digital tools they need to succeed in a highly competitive global marketplace.

“It takes individuals with vision to drive Canada’s progress on the digital technology front, and Jim is one of those people,” notes John Reid, President of CATA Alliance. “Jim is leading the evolution a key component of Canada’s digital infrastructure for research and education, expanding the impact of the network to develop software, services and expertise that will amplify its impact on Canadians. Jim is well-deserving of this honour and of the gratitude of all Canadians.”

The Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal was created to mark the 2012 celebrations of the 60th anniversary of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s accession to the Throne as Queen of Canada. The commemorative medal is a tangible way for Canada to honour Her Majesty for her service to this country. At the same time, it serves to honour significant contributions and achievements by Canadians.