The Kanata North Business Association has brought Jaclyn Eisenmann aboard as director of ecosystem strategy and operations.
“It’s always been in the back of my mind that if there was an opportunity one day where I could come and support this park and this team, I’d take it,” Eisenmann told OBJ on Tuesday. “It’s such a tangible representation of the ecosystem and this space. I always knew that if there was ever something that aligned with my skillset, I would love to do that. And, very fortunately, that opportunity came up recently.”
KNBA represents 570 member businesses in Kanata North, the largest tech park in the country. In a release about the appointment last week, KNBA said its tech corridor has garnered more attention from the provincial and federal governments in the past year, with work underway to introduce a transit pilot, youth education program and major events in 2026 such as Tech Connect Canada. It will also be releasing an updated economic impact report in the coming weeks.
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In her new role, Eisenmann said she will be taking on a variety of responsibilities, including finding opportunities to collaborate with government and companies, bringing new business to the park, and ensuring KNBA is meeting the needs of firms as the tech industry evolves.
“A big part of our business out here is the corporate services that go into supporting companies,” she said. “It’s a full-fledged ecosystem. We’re that hub to the spokes of everything that’s happening around us.”
Eisenmann spent a decade of her career at CHEO, where she started as an accounts payable specialist in 2008 before moving up to the role of finance officer from 2015 to 2018. From there, she switched to the world of tech, joining the Ottawa office of Swedish telecommunications firm Syntronic as finance officer in 2018, with help from Kanata MP Jenna Sudds, a former Ottawa city councillor who advocated for the creation of the KNBA.
“We were on a board together, millions of years ago, and Syntronic was looking to make a change in their finance department,” recalled Eisenmann. “Jenna just thought I would love it. She suggested to the head of Syntronic that he should call me about a finance role. I started and fell completely in love with engineering.”
That was also her introduction to the tech park and KNBA, she said.
“I didn’t know much before I ended up at Syntronic,” she said. “They do everything; they’re totally end-to-end. I had no idea about all the stuff that was being designed and built in this little circle of the world. It’s not just the hardware, but the software, the broadband stations, the network itself, fibre optics and vehicles. They’re doing work in defence and work in AI. I really fell in love with the industry.”
Eisenmann stayed at Syntronic, taking on the role of business development officer for three years, until 2025. From there, she spent just shy of a year at Wesley Clover Services and GRC Concierge as operations manager, before leaving this month.
With the Kanata tech park seeing an influx of residential development in coming years, Eisenmann said she’s looking forward to supporting the organization as it works to keep up with the growth.
“(Development) comes with not only being work-focused but also community-focused,” she said. “If we’re doing development, what else do we need out here? It’s so exciting. I’m excited and anyone who knows me knows I love the tech park. It’s a privilege to be here representing them.”
Other people on the move
Ottawa branding consultancy Alphabet Creative has welcomed a new CEO. The company announced this week that industry veteran Nadine Morris stepped into the role this month. Morris spent 15 years at Johnson & Johnson, starting out as a marketing manager and moving up to senior roles in business development, sales strategy and marketing. She held marketing roles with the Oilers Entertainment Group and Powerhouse Marketing Consulting between 2015 and 2020 before joining DDB Canada (now TBWA Canada) in a leadership capacity. Most recently, she held the role of senior vice-president of business leadership. Alphabet said in a post on LinkedIn that it will be exciting to see her two decades of experience make a difference for its clients.
Pierre Côté has been appointed president of Stratford People & Culture, one of Stratford Group’s three business units. Côté, who brings 30 years of experience in human resources strategy, organizational effectiveness and people solutions, succeeds Mike D’Amico, who is stepping down and will continue as an executive adviser. Côté previously held another role within the company: vice-president and practice leader for HR strategy, advisory and business partnership. In his role as president, he will work to strengthen the company’s contributions within Stratford Group, while deepening client relationships and evolving the business strategy.
Charles Eagan, former chief technology officer at BlackBerry, has joined XTC Mobile as chief strategy officer, the company announced this week. In his new role, Eagan will lead the company’s long-term strategy and product roadmap, working to advance its LynX Phone and XFoneOS smart phones. The company said his appointment strengthens its executive leadership during a new phase for the business that involves scaling the adoption of its products for business use. Eagan, who is based in Ottawa, held leadership roles at BlackBerry from 2011 to 2015, then returned in 2018 until 2024.
Hats off!
Saunders Farm is celebrating its 50th anniversary by launching a new spring festival to mark the occasion. Tulipfest presented by Saunders Cider will launch in May, kicking off the new season with almost half-a-million tulips sourced from the Netherlands in more than 100 varieties. According to a press release, the three-week festival will take place within the farm’s six-acre apple orchard in Ottawa’s rural west end.
