Officer of the Order of Canada
Awarded on: 2013-11-21
Invested on: 2015-05-08
For his leadership in the information technology sector, and for advancing research partnerships between industry and academia.
John Thompson has made leading contributions in the information technology and business sectors. A former senior executive at IBM headquarters, he played a key role in the company’s radical reorientation from a focus on mainframe computers to business services and software. He was also a catalyst in the creation of advanced centres to foster collaboration between leading academics and industry partners. More recently, he served as the board chair of Toronto-Dominion Bank, overseeing a period of significant growth for the institution. He is also a notable leader at Western University and with the board of trustees of the Hospital for Sick Children.