Sir Terry Matthews, one of Canada’s premier technology entrepreneurs, will visit campus on Oct. 15 as part of the Principal’s Forum distinguished lecture series. Sir Matthews will lead an engaging and interactive discussion about his experiences as an entrepreneur and business magnate, with the theme, “Go Global Fast.”

“I am delighted to welcome Sir Terry Matthews to Queen’s. His tremendous success in business and lifetime of experience in entrepreneurship makes him an excellent choice to take part in this forum,” says Dr. Steven Liss, Vice-Principal (Research). “It is my hope that the members of the Queen’s and greater Kingston community will leave his talk with a much better idea of just how much can be accomplished with hard work and a vision."

Sir Terry is the founder and chairman of investment management firm Wesley Clover International. Since 1972, he has either founded or funded more than 100 companies, including Newbridge Networks, which he started in 1986 and has since grown to be a leader in the worldwide data networking industry, and Mitel, a current world leader in the design and manufacture of enterprise communications systems and software. 

In addition to being the chairman of Wesley Clover, Sir Terry is also chairman of a number of private and publicly traded companies, including Mitel, Solace Systems and CounterPath. He also sits on the board of directors of several other companies. In 1994, he was appointed an officer of the Order of the British Empire and, in 2001, as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours, he was awarded a knighthood. A resident of Ottawa, Sir Matthews maintains close ties with his native Wales.

Sir Terry’s public talk will take place in the Goodes Hall Commons in the Smith School of Business (143 Union St.) from noon to 1 pm on Oct. 15. The event is open to the public and free to attend.

Established in 2012, the Principal’s Forum is a public lecture series that takes place on Queen’s campus. It enables the principal to invite distinguished visitors to campus to speak on issues of interest to the Queen’s community. Past speakers include The Rt. Hon. David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, and The Honourable Elizabeth Dowdeswell, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario.