Randall Yatscoff

Executive Vice-President, Business Development

As Executive Vice-President, Dr. Yatscoff coordinates the activities of the Executives-in-Residence and business development associates in providing services to over twenty TEC Edmonton portfolio companies and projects. During Dr. Randall Yatscoff’s ten year tenure with Isotechnika, he was part of an executive team that raised close to $200 million through various equity financings. He also brings extensive experience in medical device development and regulatory affairs, having worked closely with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Health Canada and European regulatory agencies. Isotechnika began as a spin-off company from the University of Alberta. Prior to joining Isotechnika in 1996, Dr. Yatscoff spent 16 years in academic appointments at the University of Western Ontario, University of Manitoba, and the University of Alberta. He retains a position as Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Alberta. He has over 200 publications in peer-reviewed journals and holds more than 20 patents. He sits as a board member for a number of companies and non-profit organizations.

Reg Joseph

Executive-in-Residence, Life Sciences

Sector Focus: Life Sciences

Mr. Joseph has 15 years experience in the biotechnology and high technology sectors. He has worked with large publically traded firms, start-ups, academia, and an investment bank. He has a particular interest in the life sciences, molecular biology, and medical devices. Mr. Joseph’s prior experience includes serving as an equity research associate analyst with Boston-based Leerink Swann & Co., where he covered the life science tools sector including such companies as Thermo Fisher Scientific, Affymetrix, Illumina, Life Technologies, Millipore, and PerkinElmer. Mr. Joseph also spent 4 years at US-based Invitrogen Corp (now Life Technologies) in a variety of roles with his most recent being the business area manager responsible for Invitrogen's bioproduction segment ($50M) with an emphasis on designing novel products and services targeted to the early stage process development market.

Steve Jakeway

Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Natural Sciences

Dr. Steve Jakeway brings more than ten years of development, operational, and business experience primarily in life sciences and engineering sectors. Prior to joining TEC Edmonton, Steve spent eight years at a micro- and nanotechnology firm, Micralyne, where he had a number of roles including Product Line Manager and Director of Business Development; he was the project lead in both R&D and manufacturing projects. Steve has significant expertise in chemistry through working with Raylo Chemicals (now Gilead Alberta) and receiving three Chemistry degrees (BSc from the UofA, MSc from the UofT, and PhD from Imperial College, University of London (UK)). He is currently a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His projects have included technologies in SCADA, remote monitoring, advanced building materials, gas capture, treatment of osteoporosis, radiopharmaceutical production, wound closure, medical diagnostics and assisted mobility.

Darrell Petras

Manager, Technology Transfer, Natural Sciences
Entrepreneur-in-Residence, Ag-Biotech

As the manager of TEC Edmonton’s Natural Sciences and Technology Transfer Team, Darrell oversees the assessment of approximately 60 invention disclosures per year and the associated negotiation and drafting of commercial agreements. Darrell has extensive licensing experience pertaining to genomics, clinical software applications, clean technology, and bitumen extraction. He has 10 years of experience in intellectual property assessment and technology licensing and 4 years of experience securing financing for technology-based start-ups.  Darrell is a Professional Agrologist and a member of the Association of University Technology Managers and the Licensing Executives Society, as well as a former business owner. 
 

Jason Ding

Executive-in-Residence

Jason Ding has over 10 years of professional services experience focusing on business and technology valuations, licensing and corporate finance for technology companies.  Prior to joining TEC Edmonton, Jason was a national leader with Deloitte’s Life Sciences & Healthcare practice and also worked for KPMG in Vancouver and Edmonton in their ICE & biotechnology audit and assurance practice.  Jason has experience valuing life sciences and technology companies and their assets globally and also has worked to advise companies in licensing, partnering and alliance deals including strategy, valuation, deal structuring, pricing and management. In the last several years, Jason has been involved advising in over $4 billion in transactions.  Jason co-authors a bi-annual report on the state of the life sciences industry in Alberta and is currently Co-Chair of BioAlberta’s Partnering Committee.  He has been a keynote speaker at a number of life sciences and accounting forums, conference panels and webinars, including for Deloitte Recap, BioFinance and for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta.  Jason was previously an Ombudsman with the University of Alberta, and as a science reporter for CBC Radio.

Derek Hudson

TEC Executive-In-Residence

Derek Hudson is an executive in residence with TEC Edmonton.  He spent 13 years as CFO of Micralyne, an Edmonton-based high tech manufacturer, and almost a year as Interim CEO.  As CFO, Derek was responsible for finance, accounting, risk management, human resource, legal, quality and information technology.  He is currently providing executive-level consulting services to iCCAN, Innovative Trauma Care Inc. and Alberta Rhodiola Rosea Growers Organization.  Derek spent 12 years at PwC where his focus was on helping a wide range of companies improve business performance, especially within the finance function of national and multi-national corporations.  He assisted clients in telecommunications, utilities, financial services, forestry and oil and gas. Derek is a chartered accountant and certified management consultant.

Andrew Pryor

Manager, Business Development

Andrew has more than five years of experience conducting market research and analysis for technology-based companies. In his role as Business Development Manager at TEC Edmonton, Andrew is responsible for managing the market research activities at TEC Edmonton. He has experience conducting assessments for various chemicals & materials, manufacturing, ICT and health sciences companies and has several years of experience in SME business operations and management. Andrew has a Bachelors of Science with Honours from the University of Queensland and an MBA from the University of Alberta.

Jim Armstrong

Entrepreneur–in–Residence

Jim is an executive with a proven ability to develop and implement technology strategies that support business and financial objectives. He has started, led, and sold several technology companies including Edmonton based Mecca Media Group, which received the Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year Award and Alberta Venture's Award for the third fastest growing company in Alberta.  Jim has pioneered and implemented a broad range of technology solutions across a wide variety of industries including aerospace, oil & gas, pulp & paper, 3D animation, e-Marketing and most recently in the sports and entertainment industry where he has worked with organizations such as Disney and the PGA Tour.  Jim has consulted with both established businesses and start-ups focusing on risk and opportunity assessment in all areas related to technology and has first hand experience in the area of mergers and acquisitions.

Paul Braconnier

Executive–in–Residence

Paul is a chartered accountant with a broad background in business of more than 30 years, more than 25 of which has been spent in the service industry.  He spent 10 years with one of the large international accounting firms, developing a broad base of  industry knowledge, and specialized in reviewing and assessing client’s computer environments.  Thereafter he spent five years in the manufacturing industry as a member of the senior management team.  He subsequently moved to the software/service industry as VP Finance and Chief Financial Officer of a publicly traded company.  During his tenure, he was responsible for the financial negotiations related to several acquisitions and divestitures of technology based products.  He then put his entrepreneurial skills to practice by joining a start-up clinical contract research organization with a proprietary electronic data capture system as President and CEO from its inception (in 2000).  Under his tenure, the company ran a large variety of studies in Phases I through IV, from single site studies to an international study with more than 2,000 patients screened and 1,400 enrolled in 100 sites across 5 countries.