Denzil Doyle

		Occupation Chairman, Capital Alliance Ventures Claim to Fame The Father of high tech in Canada Age 69 Birthplace Ottawa, ON Currently residing in Ottawa, ON

Unlike high tech companies themselves, it’s difficult to pinpoint the actual founders of a high tech hot bed like Silicon Valley. But for Ottawa’s Silicon Valley North, there’s almost an exception. That exception is Denzil Doyle, the father of Silicon Valley North, the archangel of the Ottawa valley, and the grandfather of high tech in Canada.

Doyle’s rise to archangel status began as the founding president of Digital Equipment Corporation Canada. During his 18 years at the helm, it evolved into a multi-faceted company with annual sales of over $160 million.

Since then, Doyle has been involved as an investor, director and leader of dozens of some of Canada’s biggest high tech success stories including Newbridge Networks (acquired by Alcatel in 2000), itself a veritable pillar of Ottawa’s technology community. As chairman of Capital Alliance Ventures, he has overseen the investment of more than $40 million in over 30 companies in the telecommunications, software and semiconductor sectors.

He has been vocal on — and instrumental in influencing — issues ranging from capital gains tax reform to increasing access to early stage capital through angel investors, and he continues to be consulted regularly by governments and associations at all levels on related issues. His book, Making Technology Happen, has served as a veritable bible for thousands of tech investors, entrepreneurs. And, while admitting that the U.S. is more attractive to tech entrepreneurs today than it was in the 70s, Doyle cites the unique, high quality standard of life that Canada offers as a key motivator in staying on this side of the border.

In his (limited) spare time, Doyle enjoys woodworking — or wood-butchering as he calls it — while cottaging outside of Ottawa, and he always likes to rise at the crack of dawn. He is an electrical engineer from Queen’s and holds an Honorary Doctorate of Engineering from Carleton.