Ross McKenzie

Ross McKenzie is the Managing Director of WatCAR, the University of Waterloo Centre for Automotive Research. The centre engages industry in research projects with the university. WatCAR is Canada’s research leader in automotive and mobility with 415 campus researchers, including 125 faculty.

For the last decade, Ross has served on the ITS Canada board. In 2017, he cofounded Open High-Definition Maps, a precision mapping platform for autonomous vehicles. Ross currently serves on the Government of Canada’s ITS Architecture Advisory Committee. He has been widely quoted in Canadian and international media on connected and autonomous vehicles.

In 2016, Ross addressed the G7 Transport Ministers in Japan, summarizing Canadian activity in connected and autonomous vehicles. In 2017, he was recognized for significant contributions to road safety by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, receiving their Partnership Award.