The Digital Research Alliance of Canada (the Alliance) is pleased to announce that David Tweddell has been appointed Interim Vice President, Strategy & Planning, for a one-year term, effective Feb. 12, 2024.
Reporting to CEO George Ross, Tweddell will oversee:
- Program design and project management
- Performance monitoring, analysis and reporting
- Enterprise architecture and risk management
- Ecosystem relations and national and international partnerships
Tweddell joined the Alliance in January 2023 as a Senior Advisor in the Office of the CEO. He has played a central role in the advancement of major strategic initiatives, including the Alliance’s Multi-Year Funding Proposal (MYFP), 2025-30 future-state planning, and the consultative development of a more robust ecosystem engagement model.
With over 25 years of strategy, leadership and project management experience in academic research administration, automotive manufacturing and engineering software, Tweddell previously served as the Executive Director of Research Strategic Initiatives at the University of Waterloo and held senior roles at Western University, where he administered funding for the Compute Canada Federation.
“David is ideally equipped for this role,” says George Ross, CEO. “He knows our organization and ecosystem and has a unique ability to set strategy, foster relationships and enhance organizational performance. He is a skilled, thoughtful, and collaborative leader who will help solidify our operating model, systems and processes over the next year while building momentum toward our ambitious vision for the future of DRI, to the benefit of Canada’s researchers."
Tweddell replaces Mark Leggott, who has returned to his role as Director, National & International Relations after serving as Interim Vice President, Strategy & Planning since June 2023. Leggott has announced he plans to retire in June 2024 and will prepare to transition the function to his successor in the coming months. The role will be publicly posted soon.
We thank both Mark and David for their contributions and commitment during this significant period of organizational growth and ecosystem development.