Platform Calgary Announces Departure of President & CEO Terry Rock; COO Jen Lussier Appointed Interim-CEO

Platform Calgary is entering a new chapter as we announce the upcoming departure of our President and CEO, Terry Rock, effective October 14, 2025. Terry will be moving into a new role within Alberta’s growing tech ecosystem. 

Celebrating Terry Rock’s Leadership

Since joining Platform Calgary in 2018, Terry has been a transformational leader—guiding both the organization and the broader innovation community through a period of unprecedented growth. His legacy includes:

• Opening the Platform Innovation Centre (2022): A central hub for Calgary’s innovators, welcoming more than 200,000 visitors since launch.
  
  
• Fostering a collaborative ecosystem: Uniting partners and resources to strengthen support for startups at every stage.
  
  
• Supporting remarkable growth: Today, more than 800 Platform member companies call Calgary home, contributing 6,750 jobs and generating $235 million in revenue in 2024 alone.
  
  

Terry’s impact has been both organizational and citywide, helping position Calgary as one of North America’s fastest-growing tech hubs. We are deeply grateful for his vision, leadership, and passion, and wish him the very best in his next chapter.

Welcoming Jen Lussier as Interim CEO

To ensure stability and continuity, Platform Calgary’s Board of Directors has appointed Jen Lussier as interim CEO, effective October 15, 2025.

Jen is a familiar and trusted leader within the organization and the broader Calgary community:

• Deep organizational experience: Since joining Platform in 2019, Jen has held progressive roles including Startup Advisor, Director, Vice President of Growth, and most recently, Chief Operating Officer for the past 2.5 years.
  
  
• 30 years of business and entrepreneurial experience: Her career spans marketing, brand, and entrepreneurship, including co-founding a Calgary-based tech startup in the construction industry.
  
  
• Active community leadership: Jen has contributed her expertise through board roles with Product Calgary, the Calgary Innovation Coalition, and currently serves on the Board of Trustees for Bethany Seniors.
  
  

Jen’s extensive background and deep understanding of Calgary’s innovation ecosystem make her uniquely equipped to guide Platform Calgary during this important transition.

Looking Ahead: Permanent CEO Search Underway

The Platform Calgary Board of Directors will launch an executive search process for a permanent CEO, considering both internal and external candidates.

Dean Prodan, Board Chair, shared:

“On behalf of the Board, I want to sincerely thank Terry Rock for his exceptional leadership and contributions to Platform Calgary and the growth of Calgary's innovation ecosystem. Terry has left a strong legacy, and we wish him the very best in his next chapter. The Board has absolute confidence in Jennifer Lussier's ability to step seamlessly into the interim-CEO role. Her deep knowledge of the organization and Calgary’s innovation community will ensure stability and continued support for Calgary innovators during this transition.”

About Platform Calgary

Platform Calgary is a purpose-driven organization dedicated to making Calgary the best place globally to start and grow a tech company. As a central hub, the Platform Innovation Centre, supports a dynamic community and accelerates connections between talent, ideas, and capital. We aim to triple the size of Calgary's tech sector within the next decade, driving a more diversified, resilient, and inclusive economy.

Calgary is rapidly gaining global recognition as a leading tech hub—ranked among the Top 50 Emerging Ecosystems in the Startup Genome Global Startup Ecosystem Report 2025, and boasting the fastest three-year tech job growth rate (61.1%) in North America (CBRE Scoring Tech Talent 2025 ). The Alberta Enterprise Corporation 2023 Alberta Technology Deal Flow Study revealed a 157% increase in local tech companies in Alberta since 2012, with 62.7% of them based in Calgary.

Together, we’re working to triple the size of Calgary’s tech sector within the next decade—building a more diversified, resilient, and inclusive economy.

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