Dan Wicklum, PhD
Executive Advisor
Dr. Dan Wicklum has spent more than 25 years performing and managing research, driving innovation, and fostering collaboration between industry, government, academia, and civil society. As the founding CEO of the Transition Accelerator, he spent seven years building it into Canada’s most influential energy competitiveness and industrial strategy organization before stepping into the role of Executive Advisor in January of 2026.
Prior to his time with the Transition Accelerator, he held several positions including CEO of Canada’s Oil Sands Innovation Alliance, Director General in the Government of Canada where his responsibilities included managing all water science for Canada and serving as Canada’s lead negotiator for a United Nations treaty, and CEO of the Canadian Forest Innovation Council. He earned a PhD in Aquatic Ecology from the University of Montana after his initial career in professional football, as a linebacker for the Calgary Stampeders and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.