John D. Tennant, B.Comm, LLB (Hon. Causa)
John Tennant was raised and received his early education in Medicine Hat and in Lethbridge in Southern Alberta. He received a Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm) degree from McGill in 1963 and was honoured with an Honorary Doctor of Laws from Wilfrid Laurier University in Waterloo in 2025.
Wilfrid Laurier University, in granting the Honorary Doctorate, cited John as a “strategic business consultant and foreign service leader” who “has impacted not only the development of Waterloo Region, but also Canada’s relationships around the world.”
“Prior to serving as a strategic economic development consultant for the past 15 years, Tennant was CEO of Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc., where he established collaborative economic development and investment attraction initiatives and developed close links between research, talent and institutions of higher learning. Before he settled in Waterloo Region, Tennant’s 39-year foreign service career featured roles with Global Affairs Canada, including international postings in Japan, West Africa, Central America, the Eastern Caribbean, Australia and the United States. His work centered on international relations, investment, export trade development, trade negotiations, economic policy, science and technology, and interaction with international executives with Canadian business interests. Tennant has been a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at Wilfrid Laurier University’s Lazaridis School of Business and Economics for 15 years and chair since 2017. “
Foreign Service Career: John was a member of Canada’s Foreign Service for 39 years, encompassing nine international assignments in Australia, the Eastern Caribbean, Central America, West Africa, Tokyo, Japan (twice, latterly as Minister Economic/Commercial) and in Chicago, New York City and Detroit in the United States. He was Canada’s Consul General in Detroit from 1998 to 2002, including at the time of the 9/11 tragedy. In Ottawa, he served as Chief of the Japan Division and Director General for Asia/Pacific. During the earlier part of his career, his responsibilities centred particularly on investment retention and attraction, export trade development, trade negotiations, economic policy, science and technology, and interaction with “C” suite business leaders with existing or prospective business interests in Canada. John is a member of the Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association (AMBCANADA).
Economic Development Consulting: John participated in, and often led, over thirty highly varied consulting assignments his own firm, W2N2 Partnership, and the Global Investment Attraction Group which he and two other partners formed in 2013. These engagements focused on strategy, investment retention and attraction, economic development, the strategic implications of mega trends, target sector identification, value propositions, innovation ecosystems, regional economies, interactions among economic development partners including with post-secondary institutions, and specific investment attraction and retention strategies to respond to a prior global economic crises. John currently has an Ontario registered sole proprietorship, John Tennant – Advisory.
Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc: Between 2002 and 2008, John was CEO of Canada’s Technology Triangle Inc (CTT Inc), the predecessor public-private regional partnership to the Waterloo Economic Development Corporation (WEDC). John led strategy development, the attraction of signature investments by the CTT Inc team, the establishment of trendsetting collaborative economic development and investment attraction initiatives, and the fashioning of close research and talent linkages with institutions of higher learning. While at CTT Inc., John was involved in the design of the business models for the David Johnston Research + Technology Park and the Accelerator Centre.
Personal: In his younger years, John was an MVP hockey goaltender in Lethbridge Minor Hockey and with the Senior Lethbridge Maple Leafs. At McGill, he was also honoured as the MVP with the McGill Varsity Redmen hockey team and named to the Ontario/Quebec University All-Star Team. He was a member of the undefeated Lethbridge Collegiate Institute (High School) ‘Rams’ football team for three years. During his high school and university years, John worked as a part-time news and program announcer in commercial radio in Lethbridge (CJOC) and Montreal (CKGM). John was President of the Student Union of his Junior High School in Lethbridge. John was a Queen’s Scout and attended the 1957 World Scout “Jubilee” Jamboree in England. The Lethbridge ‘Ys Men’ named John as its first “Boy of the Month”.
Memberships: Royal Canadian Military Institute (RCMI), the Japan Society, the Canadian Ambassadors Alumni Association (AMBCANADA) and the Canadian International Council (CIC).
John and his wife, Barbara Campbell, have resided in Kitchener in Waterloo Region in Ontario since 2002.
John is listed in Who’s Who in Canada.