Vice-President, Global External Research and Intellectual Property
Nortel Networks
(profile at the time of induction in 1999)
Dr. Claudine Simson, Vice President of Global Technology Research and Intellectual Property at Nortel Networks, is often called the Ambassador for Science and Technology in Canada because of her frequent speaking appearances and other work to promote science.
Eleven years ago, Dr. Simson created the National Chair for Women in Engineering to research and understand what prevents young women from taking science and technology courses and from pursuing careers in those fields. The Canadian government has since created five similar chairs in regions across the country. Since the establishment of the National Chair, the percentage of female engineering students has jumped from 12 to 23 percent.
While she has been influential in shaping the lives of young women, Dr. Simson has also had international influence in science and technology. The youngest person to be awarded a Ph.D. in France in 1978, she started her career in Canada as a device physicist at Bell-Northern Research (then the R&D arm of Nortel Networks). She helped propel Nortel Networks into the world of digital switching, developing the silicon process technology that enabled the world's first single-chip filter codec for DMS subscriber line cards. She was rapidly promoted to various R&D management positions and became general manager of the largest Canadian microelectronics organization.
In 1997, Dr. Simson was promoted to her present position. She is responsible for technology foundation investment strategies, alliances with the world's leading universities and advanced IP Networks consortia, strategic guidance for intellectual property assets, corporate standards and environmental product compliance.
Dr. Simson is a recipient of the Order of France, three honorary doctorates, and many awards from Nortel Networks and the international science and technology community. She is involved in influential government bodies such as the Advisory Council for Science & Technology to the Prime Minister of Canada and the National Research Council of Canada. She was Canada's representative to the U.S. President's Advisory Committee on International Cooperation Policy and is Honorary Chair of the U.S. National Task Force on Intellectual Property and Knowledge Management. She serves on many boards of academic and research institutions internationally.
Dr. Simson is married and the mother of two daughters.
