Dr. Pierre Coulombe

President, National Research Council

Dr. Pierre Coulombe joined the National Research Council as NRC President on 14 February 2005. In announcing his appointment, the Honourable David L. Emerson, Minister of Industry stated, "With a wealth of experience in university, public and private sectors, Dr. Coulombe is well equipped to support the commercialization of science, making Canada more innovative and competitive in the development, deployment and use of new technologies. I look forward to the continued growth of Canada's research base and the success of the NRC under his leadership."

Prior to heading up the federal government's leading science and technology organization, Dr. Coulombe worked as a private industry executive, a consultant, a professor of medicine and a senior official for the Québec government.

His former roles include being Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Centre de recherche industrielle du Québec, as well as President and CEO of both the Centre de recherche informatique de Montréal and Infectio Diagnostic Inc (IDI). During his private sector experience at IDI, he helped showcase Canada's leadership in medical research and diagnostic technology, completing rounds of private equity financing and negotiating major research contracts.

Dr. Coulombe various public service positions with the Québec provincial government culminated in his Assistant Deputy Minister appointments for Technology with the ministère de l'Industrie et du Commerce and for Operations with the ministère du Commerce extérieur et de la Technologie. Earlier in his career he was Director for Technological Innovation with the ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur et de la Science and he was a senior executive with the ministère de la Science et de la Technologie, a department he helped to establish in 1984.

In the academic world, Dr. Coulombe was a Medical Research Council scholar and an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Université Laval in Quebec. His educational background includes earning three degrees from that same university: a Ph.D in Experimental Medicine; a B.Sc. in Applied Sciences (Physics Engineering); and a B.A. Dr. Coulombe completed his research training at the Yeshiva University of New York and the University of Minnesota. He has authored numerous publications and communications in the area of endocrinology.

Over the years, Dr. Coulombe has served on numerous boards of directors and committees. He is also a member of l'Ordre des Ingénieurs du Québec, l'Ordre des Administrateurs Agrées du Québec, as well as Associate member of the CFA Institute.