Right Honourable David Johnston 

Right Honourable David Johnston is a champion for Canadian innovation. He started his career as a professor and went on to become the vice-chancellor and President of the University of Waterloo – one of Canada’s leading innovation hubs. In 2010, Mr. Johnston was called to serve as the Governor General of Canada. His tenure has been marked by his dedication to strengthening: learning and innovation, philanthropy and volunteerism, and families and children. Most notably, Mr. Johnston launched the first ever Governor General Innovation Awards to celebrate excellence in Canadian innovation, inspire Canadians, especially youth, to be entrepreneurial innovators, and foster a culture of innovation.