Pioneers

Mr. Walter Booth

In 2004, Mr. Walter Booth donated $1 million to establish the Walter G. Booth Chair in Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation. This Chair led the development of the Engineering Entrepreneurship & Innovation Centre, and has a management focus that emphasizes the creation of new enterprises through innovative, opportunity-oriented leadership.

Mr. Walter Booth is Chairman and CEO of the Timberland Group, a group of three companies that specialize in winching and hoisting products that are sold around the world. Booth graduated from McMaster with a bachelor of engineering in mechanical engineering in 1962 and obtained his master's in engineering in 1965.

This gift is Booth's way of saying thanks to two McMaster professors - former engineering dean, Jack Hodgins, and Jim Siddall - honouring their willingness to be academic leaders of innovation. Mr. Booth said both men were instrumental in his academic life and pursuit of a meaningful and successful career as an entrepreneur.

"Both men took a chance on me at crucial times in my life, and entrepreneurship and innovation are about taking chances and taking risks," he said. "I see the need in our own organization and in Canada for this type of engineering person who has an entrepreneurial bent and strength."

Mr. Doug Lord

In 2004, Mr. Doug Lord announced a cash infusion of $1 million to McMaster toward the construction of a new Centre of Innovation and Entrepreneurship within the School for Engineering Practice at the university.

Mr. Doug Lord holds an Honours degree in Economics and Political Science from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario that he received in 1973. Upon graduation, Lord was appointed special assistant to the Federal Minister of Labour on Parliament Hill. He remained in Ottawa in this assignment through 1976.

Doug Lord joined Xerox Canada in 1976 as a sales representative in Hamilton, Ontario. He completed a variety of progressively more senior sales assignments culminating in being named district sales manager for Manitoba and Saskatchewan from 1984 - 1987.

Lord joined the Xerox Canada headquarters in 1987 and completed a variety of roles in many cross functional assignments including Marketing, Human Resources, Supply Chain, Administration, Customer Service and Quality. He was appointed vice president of Xerox Canada in 1990.

In 1996, Lord was appointed vice president and general manager of the GTA Customer Business Unit where dramatic growth in profit, revenue, and market share was recorded during his tenure.

Relocating in 1998 to Xerox corporate headquarters in Stamford, Conn., Lord was appointed vice president, Marketing, America's Customer Operations, which became Developing Markets Operations (DMO) in 2000. DMO included Mexico, Central America and South America, China/Hong Kong, Russia, India, Eurasia and the Middle East and Africa. Lord's role within the new organization was vice president, Industry Solutions Operations.

Lord has volunteered in numerous not-for-profit organizations. Currently he is Chairman of the Canadian Council for Aboriginal and Minority Procurement. He is married to Michelle with three children, Frances, Julie, and Andrew. They live in a village near Toronto.