After spearheading Calgary’s tech renaissance for seven years, Terry Rock will step down as President and CEO of Platform Calgary on October 14th. Chief Operating Officer Jen Lussier will assume the role of interim CEO.
Since joining Platform Calgary in 2018, Rock has played a pivotal role in shaping one of Canada’s most vibrant innovation ecosystems. Under his leadership, Platform Calgary opened the Platform Innovation Centre in 2022, which has since welcomed more than 200,000 visitors. He also championed a collaboration-first culture that united partners to support over 800 startups. Those companies added 6,750 jobs and generated $235 million in revenue in 2024 alone.
Calgary.tech has confirmed Rock will join Alberta Innovates as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, where he will continue driving growth across the province’s innovation economy.
To ensure continuity, Platform Calgary’s Board of Directors has appointed Lussier as interim CEO. She joined Platform in 2019 as a startup advisor and rose through the ranks to Director, Vice President of Growth, and most recently COO, a role she has held for 2.5 years.
With more than three decades of experience in Calgary’s business community — spanning marketing, branding, and tech entrepreneurship — Lussier also brings deep community ties through past board roles with Product Calgary and the Calgary Innovation Coalition, as well as her current position on the Board of Trustees for Bethany Seniors.
“Jen’s impressive track record and deep understanding of the startup community positions her to maintain momentum during this transition,” the board noted.
Platform Calgary’s Board of Directors has launched a search for a permanent CEO, considering both internal and external candidates to guide the organization into its next chapter.
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