Vice-Chair, RIM Board of Directors; Founder and Board Chair, Perimeter Institute for Theoretical Physics Mr. Lazaridis is known in the global wireless community as a visionary, innovator, and engineer of extraordinary talent. He traces his passion for his ideas and hard work to his boyhood home of Windsor, Ontario, Canada, where his love of science and fascination with electronics were nurtured in supportive family and school environments. While a student in Waterloo, Ontario, an entrepreneurial community that has emerged into a high tech hotbed and knowledge economy focal point, he founded RIM, launching the smart phone phenomenon with the BlackBerry. Today he is responsible for product strategy, research and development, product development, and manufacturing. Mr. Lazaridis, born in Istanbul, is also a passionate advocate for education and scientific research. He supports his community, province, and country through his many insights, global perspective, and his generous philanthropic gifts made possible by success in business.