Ken Tencer, CEO
Ken is recognized internationally as a business and innovation thought leader who helps organizations, investors and business families to bring their ideas to market faster and continuously.
A successful entrepreneur and business developer, Ken has built international-scale companies spanning manufacturing, product development, distribution and professional services. As CEO of Spyder Works, he helps companies with both corporate and innovation strategy.
Ken is the co-author of two books on innovation – The 90% Rule and the bestseller Cause a Disturbance which are being avidly read by business leaders in the U.S., Canada and Europe. Business journalists with leading publications and networks including The Globe & Mail, INC, CNBC, Forbes and Bloomberg have recognized the timeliness and power of these important works. Ken is currently working on his highly anticipated third book set to close the loop between dynamic team building, customer experience and intrinsic value – Never Be Satisfied: An Entrepreneur’s Guide to Intrapreneurship.
Ken’s insights on entrepreneurship and innovation have appeared in his guest columns for Canada’s National Newspaper, the Globe & Mail and CNBC. He is also an in-demand keynote speaker and workshop leader having delivered talks across North America, Europe and South America including such notable events as the World Innovation Convention in Cannes, France, and Unleashing Innovation in New York. Ken sits on a number of for profit and not-for-profit Boards including the Conference Board of Canada’s Council for Innovation and Commercialization, and the Sprott School of Business.
A lifelong learner, Ken is currently pursuing his Doctor of Business Administration focused on human ingenuity, innovation and intrapreneurship through the executive stream of ISM in both Paris and New York. Ken holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Hons.) from the Sprott School of Business at Carleton University and a Masters of Science in Management from Boston University through its campus in Brussels, Belgium. Ken is also a graduate of the Directors Education program offered jointly by the Institute of Corporate Directors and the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, and holds their ICD.D designation.