Special Advisor to the President and Provost on Global Futures
Dr. Richard Florizone is the Special Advisor, Global Futures to the President of the University of Waterloo, providing strategic direction and advancing initiatives aligned with the five interconnected Global Futures. Richard is the Chair of the Waterloo Region AI Coalition, President Emeritus of Dalhousie University and the past CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD).
Part scientist and part strategist, Richard has a track record of creating major partnerships to achieve transformative change and growth. He has provided trusted strategy and policy advice to senior leaders in public, private and international institutions for over two decades, shaping billions in investment in science, innovation and infrastructure.
Prior to his appointments at IISD and Dalhousie University, Richard held leadership and advisory roles with the Boston Consulting Group, Bombardier Aerospace, the International Finance Corporation of the World Bank Group, Cambridge University, and the University of Saskatchewan.
Born in Prince Albert Saskatchewan, Richard is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and earned a Ph.D. in Physics from MIT. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, and of the Balsillie School of International Affairs.
