Ilse Treurnicht’s career spans scientific research and commercialization, building health and cleantech firms, venture/impact capital and public policy. She is keenly focused on advancing innovation ecosystems that foster economic, environmental and social prosperity.
Ilse served as CEO of MaRS (marsdd.com) in Toronto from 2005-2017, overseeing the development of the nascent organization into a leading urban innovation hub. She joined MaRS from her role as CEO of Primaxis Technology Ventures, a seed stage advanced technology venture capital firm (1999-2005).
She was chair of the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance (2010), served on the Government of Canada’s Science, Technology and Innovation Council (2014-2016), Canada’s Advisory Council on Economic Growth (2016-2019) and on the boards of several technology firms and non-profit organizations. She is currently a member of the Advisory Committee on Open Banking and chairs the Impact Canada Advisory Committee. She is also executive chair of Triphase Accelerator Corporation (a cancer drug development firm), chair of the Public Policy Forum and a director of the Equality Fund.
Ilse holds a doctorate in chemistry from Oxford University, which she attended as a Rhodes Scholar.