Funding
Services
Coaching & Support
Tools & Resources
Impact
Strategic Vision
About
Who We Are
What We Do
Innovation Ecosystem
Group of Companies
Not sure where to start?
Home > About > Who We Are > Leadership
Meet the Alberta Innovates Leadership Team.
Dr. Michael Mahon, Chief Executive Officer
With over 35 years of experience in Alberta and Manitoba’s post-secondary sectors, Dr. Michael (Mike) Mahon brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record of research and innovation leadership to Alberta Innovates as the CEO.
President of the University of Lethbridge for 13 years, Dr. Mahon spearheaded the University’s largest capital campaign, during his tenure, for construction of the Science Commons, a major science and innovation facility.
Before his appointment in Lethbridge, Dr. Mahon served as a Dean at the University of Alberta for 10 years during which time he also served in a dual role of Chair of the Health Sciences Council. Prior to that Dr. Mahon led a Health and Sport Performance Research Institute at the University of Manitoba and served as an Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies. Dr. Mahon has contributed leadership provincially and nationally including as Chair of Universities Canada. His own research is focused in Disability Studies and Health and has been funded by federal and provincial granting agencies along with foundations and federal and provincial governments.
In 2012, the Kainai Nation honored him with a Blackfoot name, iipisowaahsiiyi, for his work with Indigenous communities. He received the Queen’s Diamond and Platinum Jubilee medals. Dr. Mahon holds a Ph.D. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an M.Sc. from the University of Alberta, and a B.P.E. from the University of Manitoba.
Kari Bilyk, Vice President, People and Culture, Alberta Innovates
Kari Bilyk serves as the Vice President of People and Culture at Alberta Innovates, where she oversees all aspects of human capital strategic development as part of the senior leadership team. She is passionate about fostering engaging, inclusive, and high-performance work cultures, while also supporting the communities in which we live and operate. Proudly born and raised in Alberta, Kari has a deep commitment to her roots.
Prior to her current role, Kari led Organizational Change Management at Canadian Western Financial Group (CWBFG). In this position, she was responsible for creating and executing their award-winning culture and engagement strategy, as well as their inaugural diversity and inclusion strategy, which has been nationally recognized as a key cultural differentiator for the bank. Kari also has extensive experience in leadership roles focused on organizational effectiveness and HR programs, with a strong track record in labour relations and HR business partnerships within the energy and utilities sector, spanning over 20 years.
Kari holds an MBA with a focus on organizational leadership and has completed various research projects aimed at enhancing organizational commitment. She is a sought-after thought leader in change management and organizational culture. Additionally, she serves on the Board of Governors at Waterstone Human Capital, where she annually selects best-in-class organizations recognized for fostering cultures that enhance performance and create a sustained competitive advantage.
Dr. Terry Rock, Senior Vice President, Operations and Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Terry Rock is a senior innovation and economic development leader serving as Senior Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer at Alberta Innovates. He supports province-wide innovation strategy, organizational performance, and the advancement of research, commercialization, and scaling initiatives across Alberta.
Previously, he was President and CEO of Platform Calgary, where he led the growth of Calgary’s startup ecosystem and helped align partners around the goal of creating 1,000 new technology companies and 30,000 jobs. Earlier roles include founding CEO of the Calgary Arts Development Authority, Executive Director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association, and senior positions in civic innovation and economic development.
Dr. Rock holds a PhD in Management and a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing, with Distinction.
Mark Summers, Vice President, Strategic Industries
Mark Summers is Vice President, Strategic Industries at Alberta Innovates, overseeing the organization’s investment strategy across a portfolio of established and emerging industries, including energy, aerospace, defence, advanced materials, bioindustry, construction engineering, circular plastics, food, agriculture, and environment. The Strategic Industries name signals a mandate to be adaptive, aligning with industrial and provincial priorities that will shape Alberta’s long-term prosperity.
Mark has more than 15 years in Alberta’s innovation ecosystem, including executive roles at Emissions Reduction Alberta and Alberta Innovates. He serves on Team Edmonton in the current cohort of MIT’s Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (REAP), which partners with regional teams to develop high-performing innovation ecosystems.
Mark has advanced innovation initiatives and has served in volunteer roles across Alberta’s post secondary and innovation community. He is a Professional Engineer with a BSc in Engineering Physics and a PhD in Nanostructured Engineering from the University of Alberta. His background in advanced materials research helps shape his approach to innovation strategy.
Find Mark on LinkedIn.
Tom Whalen, Senior Vice President, Applied Research, Engineering and Specialized Testing Services
In this role, Tom oversees both C-FER and our sister company, InnoTech Alberta, in derisking technologies through applied research and specialized testing. He continues to act as the Managing Director of C-FER Technologies, a position he has held since January 2023. In this position, he acts as C-FER’s Chief Executive Officer and reports directly to C-FER’s Board of Directors.
Find Tom on LinkedIn.
Cindy Fox, Vice President, Finance
Cindy provides executive leadership and financial stewardship across the organization. Since joining Alberta Innovates in 2012, she has held progressively senior roles and brings more than 20 years of experience in financial management, governance, and public‑sector accountability. She oversees financial planning, budgeting, reporting, audit, and compliance, and plays a key role in supporting organizational strategy through disciplined financial oversight and decision support. Cindy holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting) and is a Certified Professional Accountant.
Cheryl Holden – Vice President, Health Innovation
Cheryl Holden is a senior leader with experience spanning the public, private, and non-profit sectors in healthcare, including roles in the pharmaceutical industry and supporting SMEs to commercialize life sciences innovations. She spent 17 years with the Government of Canada, where she held senior positions across public health, economic development, investment attraction, and global trade.
In public health, Cheryl helped shape the science and policy agenda at the Public Health Agency of Canada and contributed to the global Ebola response. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she also led a national personal protective equipment (PPE) response team.
At Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, Cheryl led the flagship “Mines to Mobility” electric vehicle battery manufacturing strategy.
Cheryl holds an Honours Bachelor of Science in Molecular Biology and Genetics and a Master of Science in Physiology (Neuroscience).
Erin Pisko – Vice President, Intellectual Property
Erin Pisko leverages her extensive experience as a leader in the IP field to support the protection and commercialization of Alberta’s IP. She’s spearheaded numerous initiatives that advocate for the importance of IP Strategy across the innovation ecosystem.
Prior to joining Alberta Innovates, Erin was a Vice President at IAC and worked at major Canadian law firms and as an in-house IP Strategist in both small Canadian startups and a large multinational organization.
Erin is a registered patent agent in both Canada and the United States and holds a BEng in civil engineering and in MSc. in environmental engineering.
Michelle Cooze – General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer & Corporate Secretary
Michelle Cooze serves as the as General Counsel, Chief Privacy Officer & Corporate Secretary. In this role, she will serve as our chief legal authority, acting as a trusted advisor to the Board, with enterprise-wide leadership across legal, governance, and privacy. Her mandate covers regulatory compliance, commercial and funding agreements, intellectual property, risk management, and privacy strategy.
Michelle brings more than 25 years of legal experience across corporate, commercial, construction and employment law, with deep roots in the energy and natural resources sector spanning traditional and renewable power generation, carbon capture and sequestration, and oil and gas. Recently, her career has included General Counsel and Corporate Secretary roles for both public and private companies, including Rife Resource Management Ltd. and Pieridae Energy Ltd. (now Cavvy Energy Ltd.). She has also held senior legal counsel roles at TransAlta Corporation, PHX Energy Services Ltd., and Inter Pipeline Canadian Marketing LP.
Michelle holds a Juris Doctor from Dalhousie University and a Bachelor of Science from Memorial University. She is an Independent Board Member, a Member of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD), and has served since 2022 as a Member of a Municipal Government Appeals Board.