The Cascadia Innovation Corridor: Progress and Prospects for the Future
President
Microsoft Corporation
Lunch and Program: 12:00 - 2:00 p.m.
Brad Smith,
President, Microsoft
Don't miss this special presentation by Microsoft's President Brad Smith!
Vancouver and Seattle are less than 200 km apart and share the same DNA in terms of quality of life, academic institutions, progressive public policies, and skilled workforces. We now have an opportunity to contribute to a region that is stronger than its individual parts.
By focusing on research, economic development, and transportation, the Cascadia Innovation Corridor is driving greater connectivity, productivity, and innovation for the nearly 12 million people living in British Columbia and Washington State.
Vancouver is on the cusp of becoming a global innovation centre, with a skilled workforce, renowned research universities, and deep commitment by local and provincial governments. With the burgeoning Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality market expected to eclipse $100 billion by 2025, Vancouver has the opportunity to leverage its strength in gaming and digital media to become a world-class hub for cutting-edge technology.
As we head into the one-year anniversary of the Emerging Cascadia Innovation Corridor Conference, Brad Smith, President and Chief Legal Officer of Microsoft, will discuss how business, academic and government leaders from both sides of the border can deepen collaboration and seed new initiatives for our two regions to become a world-class economic zone driving regional growth and fostering international collaboration.
About the Speaker
As President of Microsoft Corporation, Brad Smith is responsible for the company's corporate, external, and legal affairs. He leads a team of more than 1,300 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals working in 55 countries. These teams are responsible for the company's legal work, its intellectual property portfolio, patent licensing business, corporate philanthropy, government affairs, public policy, corporate governance, and social responsibility work. He is also Microsoft's chief compliance officer. Smith plays a key role in representing the company externally and in leading the company's work on a number of critical issues including privacy, security, accessibility, environmental sustainability and digital inclusion, among others.
Smith joined Microsoft in 1993, and before becoming general counsel in 2002 he spent three years leading the Legal and Corporate Affairs (LCA) team in Europe, then five years serving as the deputy general counsel responsible for LCA's teams outside the United States.
Smith has overseen numerous negotiations leading to competition law and intellectual property agreements with governments around the world and with companies across the IT sector. He has played a leading role within Microsoft and in the IT sector on government surveillance, privacy, intellectual property, immigration and computer science education policy issues. As the senior executive responsible for ensuring Microsoft fulfills its corporate responsibilities, he has helped the company achieve its consistent ranking in the top 2 percent of the S&P 500 for corporate governance scores. He has played a leadership role locally and nationally on numerous charitable, business and legal initiatives. In 2013 he was named by the National Law Journal as one of the 100 most influential lawyers in the United States. In 2014, the New York Times called Smith "a de facto ambassador for the technology industry at large."
In addition to his work at Microsoft, Smith is active in several civic and legal organizations and in the broader technology industry. In March 2015, Smith joined the Netflix board of directors. He also works to advance several significant diversity and pro bono initiatives, serving as chair of the board of directors of Kids in Need of Defense (KIND) and as chair of the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity (LCLD). In addition, Smith chairs the board of the Washington State Opportunity Scholarship program, at the appointment of the governor.
Preferred Media Partner:
Sponsorship Opportunities
Do you want to gain direct access to the senior-level audience at this event? As a sponsor, you will benefit from enhanced visibility, which can lead to new business and increased brand recognition. We offer a wide range of opportunities. To discuss how we can help boost your business, call Lisa at 604-640-5484 or email .