Shirley Speakman

Managing Partner, Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC)

Shirley Speakman is a senior investment professional who is leading Climate Tech Fund and Sustainability Venture Funds at BDC.

The Climate Tech and Sustainability Venture Funds are a $1.2B platform dedicated to investing in Canadian companies that drive our transition to a cleaner future whether that’s driving GHG reductions, climate impact, a sustainable future or Canada’s net zero ambitions. Combined the funds have $400M to invest to catalyze global champions providing solutions to the world’s most pressing climate and sustainability challenges.

Prior to BDC she was a senior partner at Cycle Capital. Based in Toronto, she has sat on the boards of portfolio companies located across North America. These companies covered investment across plastics and polymers reuse and transformation industry, the Internet of Things, storage and energy efficiency.

Prior to joining Cycle Capital, Shirley was Director of Investments for MaRS Investment Accelerator Fund (IAF), a venture capital fund of over $40M established by the Government of Ontario to invest in early stage technology companies based in Ontario. She was also a strategic and financial advisor to companies in the biotechnology, agtech, advanced manufacturing techniques and new materials sectors. She has led numerous investments and mergers and acquisitions transactions, participated in the establishment of a $40M cross-border fund in the life sciences sector as well as in the closing of a Canadian fund of $40M in the agtech sector.

Shirley she has supported the development of an ecosystem conducive to innovation in Canada as a member of the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada and as part of her engagement with MaRS and the Center for Ontario Innovation (CIO). She is also actively involved in mentoring women entrepreneurs and investors with Canadian Women in Private Equity and as Chair of the Research Innovation and Commercialization Center. Her knowledgeable expertise in responsible investing developed with the Catalyst Fund and SVX make her a valued resource.

Recognized as one of the 16 Canadian personalities of Clean16 and among the personalities of Canada’s Inspiring Fifty she holds an ICD.D from the University of Toronto, an MBA from Wilfrid Laurier University and a BA in Economics from the University of Waterloo.