Last year, at the 2024 AGM, we heard that CIRA transferred its core software to another jointly held corporation (transferring Canadian developed IP to a foreign co-owner!). While CIRA swears to being accountable and transparent it has done the exact opposite, only being transparent in motive.
What we know is that the deal was announced in Hamburg in October 2023. No doubt there would have been an LOI in 2023 with broad terms, such as a transfer price. The CEO took the Board Chair and possibly others with him to Hamburg then for the announcement. A year later, CIRA announced that the CEO again took the Board Chair, along with an entourage, to Istanbul this time in November 2024 to promote that deal. No doubt many festivities and much to celebrate!
So why hasn’t CIRA released any of the details of the deal and especially who benefits? Are there any robber barons in this deal? Does any of this pass the smell test, especially for a not for profit corporation?
Transferring the key software, according to the CNCA, may be illegal. The only way to really find out is a lawsuit that will disclose the details that are currently secret. If untoward activity, then there will be breakup costs if stopped. Of course, if everything was above board, wouldn’t CIRA simply answer questions that were posed at the 2024 AGM? Could they be hiding something including who benefits?
We also found out that a Board Director resigned on the exact day, mid term, that the election was finished. That allowed the Board – not members – to appoint one of their own without an election. Do you remember Andrew Chang’s comments at 2 AGM’s about bypassing the democratic process and how untoward that was and upset he was!
CIRA was established, before the current CEO came on board in 2008, as a not-for-profit corporation to benefit Canadians. If it is not to pay corporate taxes it must have a public purpose, a societal one.
That begs the question - does this look like a secret society and who is in and who is out?
If you have strong social media skills we would like to hear from you. Lets work together to fix CIRA .
Alex Beraskow, P.Eng., MBA, ICD.D
Fellow CIRA member
