Barry G. Bisson is a distinguished engineer, educator, and leader whose career spans the public sector, academia, entrepreneurship, and the non-profit innovation ecosystem.

Barry began his career in the federal public service with Transport Canada, where he held various regional and national roles focused on air transportation operations and policy. In 1983, he joined the Faculty of Engineering at the University of New Brunswick (UNB) as a Professor of Civil Engineering and Coordinator of the UNB Transportation Group. In 1994, he was appointed the Dr. J. Herbert Smith Chair in Technology Management and Entrepreneurship in the UNB Faculty of Engineering, a role he held until 2004. Throughout his academic career, he also advised numerous corporations and government agencies as a consultant, gaining significant experience across both the private and public sectors.

In 2005, Barry became President of Shad Valley International (now SHAD Canada), the national non-profit organization that delivers the renowned SHAD program at universities across the country. The program empowers exceptional high school students by cultivating leadership, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking, skills essential for success in a global, knowledge-based economy. Barry had previously served as the founding Director of the SHAD program at UNB in 1985–86 and again from 1998–2004. He retired from SHAD in 2016 and returned with his wife to Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Retirement didn’t last long. In 2017, Barry was appointed CEO of Propel ICT, where he continued to pursue his passion for innovation, entrepreneurship, and digital learning. During his tenure, he led the organization through a major transition to a fully virtual business model.

Barry has contributed extensively to community and organizational governance, serving on the boards of SHAD Canada, the UNB Board of Governors, Propel ICT, the PEI Startup Zone, and Pine Grove Nursing Home in Fredericton.

He holds BSc and MSc degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of New Brunswick and an MBA from Harvard Business School. In 2009, Barry was named a Fellow of Engineers Canada (FEC), and in 2013 he was awarded the title of Professor Emeritus in the UNB Faculty of Engineering.

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