The Okanagan Innovation Fund

The Board of Directors and Investment Review Committee members have over 150 years of business investment experience in strategic leadership, operating and social roles across all venture capital stages and sectors.

Director, and Board Chair -Bill Redmond founded HRI Supply in 1978 and grew the company into the largest distributor of food and related products to the Hotel, Restaurant, and Institutional trade in the BC Interior.  HRI Supply merged with Sysco Corp. (a Fortune 500 Company) in May 2001.  Bill served as President & CEO until his retirement in June 2004. (more info)

Director and Vice-Chair -Lorraine McGrath, MBA, Lorraine has an extensive background in financial services, including an exemplary 18-year career with Bank of Montreal (BMO) and more recently Prospera Credit Union. Her expertise spans commercial banking, wealth management and retail operations.  (more info)

Director- George Melville is the Co-Chair and founder of Boston Pizza International, one of the most successful restaurant operations in North America. Before joining Boston Pizza, George earned a chartered accountant degree in 1968 and worked for the accounting firm, Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co. in Penticton, B.C. (more info)

Director-Stafford McKergow is the President and founder of Devco Properties Ltd and is also past President of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce, past President of the Predator Ridge Golf Society, current President of the Kelowna Golf and Country Club, and Vice-President of the Central Okanagan Foundation. (more info)

Director-Paul Mitchell is a senior partner in the law firm of Pushor Mitchell. He was a recipient of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Excellence in Leadership (2000). He presently is on the board of the UBC Alumni Association and the Central Okanagan Brain Injury Association. (more info)

Director- Tony Stewart is the CEO of family owned Quails' Gate Winery

Director-Anne Clarke , B.A, B.ED, M.A., is a professor at Okanagan University College. Anne served as Mayor of Vernon for four years and was the chair of the North Okanagan Regional District Finance Committee and a director of the Okanagan Science, Technology and Innovation Council (more info)

Director-Director-George Galbraith, President of Glenariff Investments, graduated from high school in Vernon, and then earned his B. Comm. from UBC and an MBA from York University.  George founded the very successful Vernon Cable Services in 1973 which was later acquired by Shaw Communications in 1991. George has been a Director of Shaw Communications since 1991 and currently serves on its Executive and Audit Committees.  He also is the Chairman of the Pacific Coast Public Television Association.(more info)  

Director-David P Willis,  C.A., CIRP, is a well-known Chartered Accountant in Vernon whose firm, Willis Associates, consists of ten people, and includes a large component of insolvency work.  Dave is a bankruptcy trustee as well as a practicing chartered accountant. Dave has been an active community supporter including servings as Chairman of the BC CA convention in 1984 in Vernon and Chairman of the local bid committee for the Canada Summer Games. (more info)

Managing Director- John Drope, B.Comm., will manage the fund. John is a fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute and a Certified Investment Manager and was the founder and President of Innovation Growth Fund, a venture capital corporation from 1998 to 2004. (more info)

Investment Review Commitee (IRC)-Stafford McKergow- (see above)

IRC Commitee- Myles Bruckal, B. Comm., is the founder of Bruckal Ventures and is a successful entrepreneur. He is involved in a wide range of business endeavors including real estate development, construction, lending, manufacturing, health care, trucking, hospitality and distribution. (more info)

IRC Committee- Peter Haubrich, MSc. Electronics, is the founder of Twin Lakes Technology Consulting at DRAO. Peter was most recently the Director of Technology Management for SONY in Stuttgart and Berlin, Germany as well as the Chief Technology Advisor for SONY's Venture Capital group. (more info)

IRC Committee- Ken Bessason , FICB, PFP had a 36-year career in the Financial Services Industry, with the last 32 with TD Canada Trust. He retired in June 2003, as the manager of the Main Branch, Kelowna. Ken is the Past President of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce; Advisory Board Member of the Okanagan Kids Care Fund Society, and a board member of the BC Motor Dealers Association. (more info) 

IRC Committee-  Doug Corbishley,  BASC Chemical Engineering was born and raised in the South Okanagan and retired in 1997 after a 36 year career with the National Starch and Chemical Company one of the largest specialty chemical companies in the world ($2 billion in sales).  Doug was the Group VP and a Board member of NSC at retirement and he has been active in consulting and mentoring young companies on a part time basis. (more info)