Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia
President & CEO Digital Nova Scotia
- Halifax NS
Multilingual senior level ICT executive with over 20 years in the private, public and academic sectors, spanning five geographic regions.
Social
Biography
Ulrike thrives on challenges! With a proven track record in International Marketing, Business & Economic Development, Channel Management, Government/Stakeholder Relations, Board Governance, Fundraising, Organizational Growth & Public Speaking, she's a true game-changer. Having lived, worked & studied in the USA, the UK, the Netherlands, Germany, Israel & now Canada, Ulrike has combined her passion for inclusive diversity, entrepreneurship, innovation, new technologies & STEAM-education with her keen ambition to help individuals & businesses succeed in local & global markets.
Ulrike has worked in executive leadership roles at the headquarters of prominent technology multinationals, SMEs & Startups, including RAD Data Communications, Intel, Compaq/HP, Commtouch Software, McAfee, Madge Networks & Seaside Wireless. Her diverse sector expertise in software, hardware & networking products in ICT companies & software development in med-tech, aerospace & defense industries, provides her with first-hand experience & insight into the multi-sectoral facets of the ICT sector & its magnitude of opportunities.
2016 & 2015: WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award; 2015: RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award, WCT Top 15 Leadership Excellence Award: Innovator & Atlantic Business Magazine's Top 50 CEO Award. 2014: Progress Women of Excellence Award: Innovator/Entrepreneur & named 1 of Canada’s top 40 Change-Makers by Canadian Living. Mannesmann Teaching Award & Fulbright Scholarship while pursuing her M.A.
Ulrike is an elected member of the International Women’s Forum & sits on Industry Advisory Boards with Dalhousie University's Faculty of Computer Science & the Saint Mary's University Sobey School of Business.
Ulrike is married and has two children. She moved with her family from Israel to Nova Scotia in 2002.
Industry Expertise
Areas of Expertise
Accomplishments
2016 & 2015 WXN Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award
Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards celebrates the professional achievements of strong female leaders across the country in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. The Awards are given to remarkable women in nine different categories. Ulrike was honoured with this prestigious Award for two consecutive years in the RBC Champions category.
2015 RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Award
The RBC Top 25 Canadian Immigrants is a peoples’ choice award that recognizes inspirational immigrants who have come to Canada, achieved success and made a positive difference living here. Whether it’s a community advocate or volunteer, a successful entrepreneur or a cultural icon, this is the first Canadian national award program that recognizes immigrants’ achievements from all walks of life.
2015 Women in Communications and Technology Top 15 Leadership Excellence Award: Innovator
The WCT Annual Awards Gala is an industry tradition attended by a who’s who of the Canadian communications and technology sectors.
2015 Atlantic Business Magazine Top 50 CEO Award
Since 1999, Atlantic Business Magazine has dedicated one of its six issues per year to profiling Atlantic Canada’s most accomplished business leaders.
Nominations are submitted by readers and nominees are judged according to: their corporate, community and industry involvement; their company’s growth in recent years; and, their responses to various managerial challenges.
2014 Progress Women of Excellence Award
The Progress Women of Excellence Awards takes place each November. Hosted by the Canadian Progress Club Halifax Cornwallis. It honours 19 inspirational women who play an important role in our community. Women at the pinnacle of their professions are recognized in the following categories: Arts and Culture, Communications/Public Affairs, Education and Research, Entrepreneur/Innovator, Health Sport and Wellness, Management and the Professions and Young Woman of Distinction.
2014 Canadian Living Magazine Canada's Top 40 Change-Makers
Featured as 1 of Canada's Top 40 Change-Makers Canadian Living Magazine - 40th Anniversary Edition
2016 WXN Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award
2016-11-24
Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Awards celebrates the professional achievements of strong female leaders across the country in the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors. The Awards are given to remarkable women in nine different categories.
Education
University of Houston
MA
Film, Literature & Linguistics
1993
Activities and Societies: President, Academic Honor Society "Delta Phi Alpha"
Rice University
MA
Comparative Literature: Film, Literature & Linguistics
1992
Joint M.A. program with the University of Houston
Universität Siegen
BA
Political Science
1990
Affiliations
- International Women's Forum (IWF): Member
- Saint Mary's University Sobey School of Business: Industry Advisory Board Director
- Dalhousie University Faculty of Computer Science: Industry Advisory Board Director
- Halifax Chamber of Commerce task force "Grow & Nurture the Skilled Workforce": Member
- FUSION Halifax: Mentor
Languages
- German
- English
- Hebrew
- French
- Spanish
- Dutch
- Latin
Media Appearances
Three leaders honoured in first provincial digital diversity awards
The Chronicle Herald
2016-06-07
The province’s digital industry association honoured three leaders Tuesday for their work in promoting diversity.
Jenelle Sobey of Norex, Jenn Priske of REDspace and UIT Startup Immersion of Cape Breton University received the inaugural Digital Diversity Awards from Digital Nova Scotia.
ENTREVESTOR: Digital Nova Scotia works to boost women in tech
The Chronicle Herald
2016-01-29
When Ulrike Bahr-Gedalia read about Deloitte Canada’s recent report on the status of women in tech, she had to agree with the dismal findings.
Deloitte looked at the way women are recruited and hired, their retention rates, pay, and paths to promotion, and found cause for concern in all areas.
WXN Reveals Full List of 2015 Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners
Marketwired
2015-11-25
Women's Executive Network (WXN) has announced the 2015 Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 Award Winners, who will be recognized during a gala celebration at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre on November 26.
NowNS: Digital economy and women focus of roundtable
The Chronicle Herald
2017-03-27
Digital Nova Scotia hosted a gathering in March designed to encourage more women leadership in the digital economy.
Redefining Leadership with Disruption and HumanITy
TEDxKelowna June 2017 online
2017-02-15
Theme TODAY- Long has the notion captured the thoughts of great minds that perhaps the most important time of our lives is today. Tomorrow and yesterdays rarely serve as the muse of philosophers for a reason.
Today, is the best day to begin. Today, is the best day to quit. Join TEDxKelowna’s 2017 speakers to explore what is happening today that will change our tomorrow.
Elbert Hubbard said, "The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today." Let’s start, today.
NowNS: The new frontier is here to stay
The Chronicle Herald
2017-04-04
Introducting young learners to opportunities emerging in the information and communications technology industry is key to filling future labour demands in Nova Scotia. Halifax alone will require nearly 3,000 new ICT professionals by 2019.
Tech CEOs top WXN’s 2016 list of most powerful women
ITWorld Canada
2016-12-02
Women’s Executive Network (WXN) has revealed its latest list of Canada’s most powerful women — and a number of them rank as leaders in some of the country’s top tech firms.
WXN Unveils 2016 Canada's Most Powerful Women: Top 100 to Celebrate and Inspire Female Leaders
Newswire Canada
2016-11-23
Launched in 2003, the Top 100 Awards celebrate the incredible accomplishments of Canada's leading female executives who have raised their voices, overturned obstacles, empowered the voiceless and paved a path for the next generation. The Awards also applaud the organizations and networks that support them.
Event Appearances
Panelist: "The positive influence new Canadians have made on our economy, community & culture"
First Annual Sobey School of Business Commerce Society Business Leadership Breakfast Halifax, Nova Scotia
2016-03-04
Speaker: "Positive Disruption. The Business Case for Gender Diversity"
9th Edition - Women in Leadership Conference: Rising to Challenges Halifax, Nova Scotia
2015-11-12
Panelist
Leadership Matters 2015 - Workplace Safety CEO Summit 2015 Halifax, Nova Scotia
2015-11-09
Employer Panel: "Diverse Recruitment -- A Corporate Competitive Edge"
Campus Recruitment Summit Halifax, Nova Scotia
Keynote - "The ICT Talent Tap: Diversifying Skill-sets and Capacity in the Digital Economy"
National Business Technology Management (BTM) Conference Halifax, Nova Scotia
Presenter: "Building Leadership for Business Growth: Developing Competitive Advantage in the Digital Economy"
Professional Development Summit (PDS) Halifax, Nova Scotia
2015-04-28
Panelist: "Revolutionary Ideas Change the World
2015 Starting Point Student Entrepreneurship Conference Halifax, Nova Scotia
Keynote: "Global Perspectives for Global Markets: Developing a Diverse Workforce for the Digital Economy".
Corporate Networking Breakfast - Theme: "Fostering Innovation through Diversity" Halifax, Nova Scotia
Keynote
CODE: Debugging the Gender Gap Wolfville, Nova Scotia
2016-09-20
