The Team

SunCentral has assembled a small team of entrepreneurs, scientists and lighting experts to bring the vision of cost effective natural lighting systems to reality. Our team has many years of experience both with respect to development of new technologies and companies and it has specialized experience in the commercial and architectural lighting industry.

Directors

Lorne A. Whitehead, Chair of the Board of Directors

Dr. Lorne A. Whitehead is a Professor and Chairholder of the NSERC/3M Industrial Research Chair in Structured Surface Physics at UBC. He is currently the Chair of the Board of Directors for SunCentral Inc., as well as a founder and the primary inventor of SunCentral’s Core Sunlight System. Dr. Whitehead’s research interests involve optical, electrical and mechanical properties of microstructured surfaces, and he holds more than 100 patents, and he has a substantial amount of expertise in technology transfer. In 1984, he founded TIR Systems Ltd., subsequently purchased in 2006 by Philips Lighting, to commercialize his invention of the prism light guide. This led to an invention using a microprismatic film to double the efficiency of light fixtures. This UBC-owned patent, subsequently purchased by 3M Company, was critical to the commercialization of 3M's Brightness Enhancement Film™, which is felt to have revolutionized the flat panel display industry. More recently, he has helped spin off several other companies, including Brightside Technologies, a company arising from his invention of the high dynamic range display and acquired in 2006 by Dolby Laboratories. Dr. Whitehead is currently the president of the Canadian National Committee of Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage, the international organization responsible for setting standards on all matters relating to the science and art of light and illumination. As a result of his expertise, he is routinely invited to give presentations on topics related to illumination at international conferences as well as to a wide range of industry and university groups.

Peter Busby, Director

Mr. Peter Busby, Managing Director of Busby Perkins+Will and a key participant in the design and sustainable direction of each project the firm engages. Overseeing offices in Vancouver, British Columbia and Seattle, Washington, Peter directs more than 100 employees working on projects across Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Middle East. A founding member of the Canada Green Building Council, Peter is recognized internationally as a leader in green building design and Busby Perkins+Will is considered one of North America’s leading green practices with the largest portfolio of built green projects in Canada.

Mark Grist, Director

Mark Grist, brings over 20 years experience growing new ventures in clean tech and energy markets. He has successful startup experience as VP Business Development & Marketing for BrightSide Technologies – a Vancouver based startup that achieved success in the field of high dynamic range imaging technology and was later sold to Dolby Laboratories. Mark’s additional business development experience includes companies such as C-I-L, The Marmon Group, Methanex and QuestAir. He holds an MBA from Queen’s University and a B.Comm from UBC.

Hector MacKay-Dunn, Director

Hector MacKay-Dunn, Q.C. is a Senior Partner at Farris which is among Canada’s leading law firms, where Hector has advised both early-stage and growth private and public companies in a broad range of industries on domestic and cross-border private and public securities offerings, mergers and acquisitions, tender offers, and international partnering transactions. He is frequently quoted in the media and considered a leading advisor to his clients. Among his notable achievements, Hector has been recognized by Lexpert, the most respected legal publication in Canada, as among the Top 100 Canada/US Cross-Border Corporate Lawyers in Canada and among Canada’s leading lawyers in mergers and acquisitions, technology, and biotechnology. Hector holds the highest (“AV” Pre-eminent) legal ability rating from Martindale-Hubbell, an authoritative and global source for identifying leading lawyers and law firms and the Best Lawyers in Canada ranks him as a national leader in Technology and Biotechnology. Hector was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 2003. Hector is the immediate past Chair of the BC Innovation Council, the Province’s lead agency with the mandate to advance ideas into investment-ready companies in the areas of science and technology, a director of British Columbia Leading Edge Endowment Fund, British Columbia’s $56 million program to attract top researchers to B.C., a former director of Genome British Columbia and has been a long serving member and Past Chair of the United Way of the Lower Mainland and President of the Vancouver Red Cross.

John C. Madden, Director

Dr. John C. Madden, an accomplished technological innovator and business executive, having held positions as President of Microtel Pacific Research, Chairman of the Board of Governors for Science World in Vancouver and member of the Board of Governors for Simon Fraser University. Dr. Madden has played a key role in a number of successful high-tech spin off companies and his wide range of skills and experiences have been and will continue to be invaluable to the technological and commercial development of SunCentral.

Terry Sumner, Director

Mr. Terry Sumner, Chartered Accountant and long-time leader in administration and finance, most notably through his recent role as Vice-President, Administration and Finance at UBC, a position that he held for 12 years where he was responsible for a budget of $1.6 billion, the management of $1.8 billion of endowment and pension assets, a physical plant of $4 billion and a capital construction program of $1.2 billion. Under his direction, the University tripled fundraising to over $120 million per year and developed the Campus Sustainability Office – recognized as a leader in sustainability in North America. His financial management and administrative experience, as well as his strong commitment to sustainability, will be key to SunCentral.