Ottawa, March 2, 2012—The Honourable Christian Paradis, Minister of Industry and Minister responsible for the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), today announced the appointment of Mr. Vijay Kanwar to the Council.
"Mr. Kanwar is accomplished in his fields of medical, health-related and scientific research," said Minister Paradis. "His thoughtful approach to innovation and entrepreneurship will be important to the work of the Council."
Mr. Kanwar is the co-founder, President and Chief Financial Officer of KMH Cardiology and Diagnostic Centres Inc., President and Director of Lambardar Inc. and founder and President of Transamerica Medical Inc.
Mr. Kanwar serves on several boards of directors including Canada's National Ballet School, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, the Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment Team Up Foundation and Youth Empowerment Canada, to name a few.
In 2009, Mr. Kanwar was awarded the New Pioneers Entrepreneurship Award by the non-profit organization, Skills for Change. He was previously named the 2006 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for Health Services in Ontario.
Mr. Kanwar holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Panjab University (Chandigarh, India). In 2007, he was granted the Institute Certified Director Designation (ICD.D) by the Institute of Corporate Directors.
NSERC is a federal agency that helps make Canada a country of discoverers and innovators for all Canadians. The agency supports some 30,000 post-secondary students and post-doctoral fellows in their advanced studies. NSERC promotes discovery by funding more than 12,000 professors every year and fosters innovation by encouraging more than 1,500 Canadian companies to participate and invest in postsecondary research projects. For more information, visit the NSERC website.
For further information (media only), please contact:
Richard Walker
Director of Communications
Office of the Honourable Christian Paradis
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001
Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502
