Donald A. Chisholm
B.A. Sc., M.A., Ph.D.
Past-president (1971-1976) Bell-Northern Research
Achievement: Father of the Digital World

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Donald Chisholm joined the Northern Electric Company (now known as Nortel) in 1969 as a vice-president of research and development, in charge of Northern Electric Laboratories. He had already worked at the Bell Telephone Laboratories in New Jersey for fifteen years after earning his degree at the University of Toronto. in 1971, at age 44, Dr. Chisholm was appointed the first president of a new Northern Electric R&D subsidiary - Bell-Northern Research (BNR).

Under his leadership, BNR grew into a creative, innovative powerhouse that would continue to make telecommunications history - beginning with the 1976 development of the world's first complete line of fully digital telecom systems, called Digital World. As the "Father of Digital World," Dr. Chisholm steered the introduction of Nortel's family of DMS central office switching systems and the meridan line of digital private branch exchanges - products that continue to be ranked number one in their respective product categories.

Led by Dr. Chisholm, BNR became Nortel's innovation engine. For example, during the 1960s, less than 10 per cent of Nortel's product sales were of its own proprietary designs. By the mid-1970s, that figure had increased to 75 per cent.

Dr. Chisholm retired from Nortel in the mid-80s and died in 2004. During his tenure at BNR, he was credited with creating an atmosphere of creative freedom that attracted some of the industry's most creative and talented people.