Board of Directors

With a unique combination of technical expertise, an entrepreneurial spirit and an open and collaborative leadership style, Paul Andersen, P.Eng. has proven himself to be a valuable member of the global Internet community. His commitment to giving back to the Internet community for the benefit of all Internet users is evidenced by the numerous boards and committees he has served on over the years.

Paul served on the Board of Trustees of the American Registry for Internet Numbers from 2003 to 2021, including as its Chair. In 2000, Paul joined the board of directors of the Canadian Internet Registration Authority, a role he would retain for 10 years, the last five as chair. From 2007 to 2010, he was a director at the Toronto Internet Exchange, Canada’s largest Internet Exchange Point.

Paul founded EGATE Networks Inc., an Internet Service Provider, in 1996, and has grown EGATE into a leading connectivity, hosting and technological solutions provider to businesses in Canada and around the world. He currently serves as the organization’s president.

Execulink Telecom Inc. is a privately held, multi-generational family business and a local provider of Internet, Television, Home Phone and Mobile services in Southwestern Ontario. With a goal of connecting people to everything that matters, Ian has been a leader in the transformation of Execulink from a traditional telephone company to an IP-based full service provider.

Although Ian has a graduate degree in Telecommunications Engineering, he has been deeply involved in all facets of the business, including customer-facing roles, various management positions, memberships in industry trade associations, and of course the current CEO.

Ed has more than 35 years of experience in the telecommunications industry. Previously, for 10 years he was with Freedom Mobile in various roles as it evolved from a start-up with no customers or network to Canada’s 4th largest mobile carrier with over a million customers, including as Vice President Regulatory Affairs and Carrier Services.

Prior to Ed’s involvement with Freedom, he was a partner at the law firm Papazian, Heisey, Myers where he maintained a telecommunications law practice. He has also held various positions at AT&T Canada (a successor to “Unitel”) including as Regulatory Vice-President. Ed joined AT&T Canada/Unitel in 1992 immediately after the Canadian long-distance market was opened to competition and was involved in establishing many of the rules and processes to support the current Canadian carrier interconnect regime.

Ed began his career at Bell Northern Research in 1982 as a software developer working on telecommunications switching gear. In addition to holding a Juris Doctor Degree from the University of Toronto (1991), Ed has also received a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) (1981) and a Master of Engineering (Electrical / Systems) (1983) from Carleton University. He has also taught Communications Law at York University’s law school as an Adjunct Professor.

A senior C-suite executive with a legal background, George is a leading advocate for enhancing competition in all areas of telecom and broadcasting in Canada.

George was formerly second in command and a member of the board of directors of Alliance Communications Corp. (later Alliance-Atlantis), at the time Canada’s largest fully integrated media and entertainment company. During his tenure, the company grew in capitalization from $90 million to $500 million, which it achieved prior to the merger with Atlantis.

Prior to joining Alliance in 1994, George was a senior partner, Corporate Finance and M&A, at a major national law firm. For eight years ending in summer 2018, George was also a member of the board of directors of Canada Deposit Insurance Corporation (CDIC), and Chair of the Governance and Nominating Committee.

Education: University of Toronto Law School, LL.B.; University of Sydney, LL.M.; Institute of Corporate Directors, ICD.D.

Leonard has more than 30 years of experience in the Canadian telecommunications industry. As Director, Regulatory Affairs, Telecommunications at Cogeco Communications Inc., he represents the company’s interests before the CRTC and federal government. Cogeco provides Internet, video, and voice services to more than 1.5 million residential and business customers across Canada and the United States.

During his 16+ years at Cogeco, Leonard has led diverse teams in Carrier Relations, IT, Sales, and Regulatory Affairs. Prior to joining Cogeco, he held roles at Fido Solutions Inc., Lemay-Yates & Associates Inc., the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC), and Innovation, Science and Economic Development (ISED).

He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Communications Regulatory & Policy focus) from Simon Fraser University and a Master of Fine Arts from Concordia University.

Colin Legendre is the President and Chief Technology Officer of Coextro, an independent Internet Service Provider offering high-speed Internet, mobile, TV, and related services across Ontario and expanding into the United States (Michigan, Illinois, and Wisconsin). A lifelong entrepreneur and co-founder of the company, Colin drives its technological strategy, network operations, and overall growth as a competitive telecom provider.

With over 25 years in the telecom and technology sector, Colin is a hands-on leader focused on delivering reliable, high-performance services to residential and business customers. He actively participates in industry forums, including CRTC proceedings, and advocates for competitive access and innovation in Canada’s telecommunications market.

Based in the Toronto area, Colin brings extensive operational and entrepreneurial expertise to support Coextro’s continued expansion.