Jim Balsillie (B.Comm. Toronto, FCA Toronto, MBA Harvard) is a former Chairman and co-CEO of Research In Motion (BlackBerry), a Canadian company he scaled from an idea to $20 billion in sales globally.

He is a co-founder of the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET) based in New York City and Council of Canadian Innovators based in Toronto. He currently chairs the Board of Directors of Sustainable Development Technology Canada. He is also the founder of the Centre for International Governance Innovation, the Balsillie School of International Affairs and Arctic Research Foundation.

Mr. Balsillie was the only Canadian ever appointed to US Business Council and the sole private sector representative on the UN Secretary General’s High Panel for Sustainability.  He is the only Canadian member of the US Council on Competitiveness and an internationally renowned voice on innovation strategy, competitiveness and international economic policy.

His awards include: several honorary degrees in Canada, Mobile World Congress Lifetime Achievement Award, India’s Priyadarshni Academy Global Award, Time Magazine World’s 100 Most Influential People, three times Barron’s list of "World’s Top CEOs".