Student Showcase: Howard Shearer

Howard ShearerAs Chief Executive of Hitachi Canada, Howard Shearer is where the buck stops. His portfolio includes business development, government relations, and helping the company’s fifteen business units collaborate effectively. It’s a role that suits him well. An electrical engineer by training, he’s been with Hitachi for 34 years.

“Gone are the days when engineers just sit in their labs and make great inventions,” he says. “In today’s world you require collaborative solutions for customers.” And with the rapid infiltration of technology into almost every aspect of life, Howard felt that the GPLLM would give him a leg up. “If you’re moving toward a knowledge economy, I think it’s important for CEO’s to have a good feel of all governance issues surrounding the use of data. How you share it and how you protect it.”

The Innovation, Law and Technology concentration “totally played to my space,” he says. “It looks at the impact of technology on society, governance of issues around it, and forces you to exercise your judgments and thought as a CEO. What things should be considered? What can you expect? How you weigh the risks and how you weigh the benefits. I love it.”