Theodore Wildi, C.M., M.A., BSc EE, P.Eng., graduated from McGill University in 1944 and began a career with the Electric Tamper and Equipment Co. of Montreal. In 1948 he began lecturing at Laval University and his association with Laval continued throughout his career. In 1951 he was the Founder and President of the School of Industrial Electricity, an institution devoted to the training of technicians in electricity, electronics and communications.

Gentec Inc., a company specializing in the repair and maintenance of electrical and electronics apparatus as well as manufacturing peak demand controllers, was founded in 1959 by Mr. Wildi, who was the President of that company until 1969. In 1963 their Peak Load Controller was recognized as the "Most Outstanding Canadian Product" at the IEEE Canadian Region Conference in Toronto. His career continued through association with Lab-Volt Ltd. as Director and Vice President in 1969 and as a Consultant in 1978.

Mr. Wildi has been a member of many committees during his career, including the Metric Practice Committee, the Patent and Copyright Committee of Laval University, the Technical Consulting Committee of IREQ, as well as a Board Member of CRIQ, INRS, CAUBO Account Research, CIDA and a Trustee of the Society of University Patent Administrators (USA).

Theodore Wildi became a member of IEEE in 1957, achieved Senior Member status in 1971 and is now a Life Senior Member. He served on the Education Activities Board from 1980 to 1982. In 1984 he was awarded the IEEE Centennial Medal. In 1987 he received IEEE Canada's highest honour - the IEEE Canada McNaughton Gold Medal. In 1999 he was inducted as a Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.). He is a member of the Order of Engineers of Quebec and the American Society of Engineering Education.

As the holder of 11 patents and author of 10 books, Mr. Wildi has made outstanding contributions in developing technical, electrical and electronics training systems which are sold to many colleges and university laboratories throughout the World.

Wallace Stanley Read C.M., B EE, P.Eng., was born in Newfoundland, Canada and received his Bachelor of Engineering from Nova Scotia Technical College in 1951 before entering the pulp and paper and hydro-electric power industries in his native province. Between 1964 and 1984, he held senior positions with Newfoundland and Labrador Hydro and its subsidiary companies. In 1985 he joined the Canadian Electricity Association (CEA) serving as its first full time President. In that position, Read worked to promote the interests of Canadian electric utilities and the customers they serve. Upon retirement in 1995, Read formed REMAS Inc., a provider of electric power consulting services to utilities and governments.

His professional affiliations include being a Life Member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Newfoundland and Labrador, a Fellow of the Engineering Institute of Canada and a Life Fellow of the IEEE. He was inducted into the Canadian Academy of Engineers as a Fellow in 2001. In 1996 Read was elected President of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the world's largest engineering professional society with over 370,000 members in 150 countries.

Over the years, he has received numerous awards including IEEE's General A.G.L. McNaughton Gold Medal, the Engineering Institute of Canada 's Julian C. Smith Medal, the CEA's Distinguished Service Award, the Canadian Standards Association's John Jenkins Award, the IEEE Power Engineering Society's Power Life Award, the Canadian Council of Professional Engineers Gold Medal, the IEEE Standards Association International Award and the Charles Proteus Steinmetz Award. In addition to these honours, Doctor of Engineering Degrees (Honoris Causa) were conferred upon him by the Technical University of Nova Scotia and by Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 2003 Dr. Read was elected a Member of the Order of Canada.

TELUS has generously sponsored the IEEE Canada Fessenden Medal - awarded to outstanding Canadian engineers recognized for their important contributions to the field of telecommunications engineering - by an endowment to the IEEE Canadian Foundation. TELUS also sponsors the annual IEEE Canada TELUS Innovation award - details