A Company on a Mission

Geordie Rose

Co-Founder & CEO

Geordie Rose co-founded Sanctuary in 2018 and is our CEO. Prior to Sanctuary, Geordie founded D­-Wave, the world’s first quantum computing company, and was the CEO of Kindred, the world’s first robotics company to use reinforcement learning in a production environment. He has sold quantum computers and robots to Google, NASA, Lockheed Martin, Gap Inc., and several US government agencies. He was named the 2011 Canadian Innovator of the Year, was listed on Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers in 2013, and won the 2014 Canadian Technology Leader award.

Geordie holds a Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the University of British Columbia. He is a two-time Canadian national wrestling champion, is a member of the McMaster University Hall of Fame, and was the winner of the 2010 NAGA masters white belt Brazilian jiu-jitsu world championships in both gi and no-gi categories.

Olivia Norton

Co-Founder, CTO & CPO

Olivia Norton co-founded Sanctuary in 2018 and is our Chief Technology Officer and Chief Product Officer. Prior to founding Sanctuary, Olivia led the Vancouver-based Artificial General Intelligence group at Kindred AI and previously worked in consulting for the energy industry and R&D at the Institute for Biomechanics at ETH Zurich. Passionate about creating and scaling impactful technology, Olivia lends her voice and expertise to a variety of organizations and groups in the Vancouver tech ecosystem. She is a member of the Advisory Board at the Vancouver Economic Commission and a founding member of the Frontier Collective. She is a regular guest speaker at the University of British Columbia, Simon Fraser University, the University of Calgary, and Science World. Olivia is a 2018 BC Business 30 under 30 award recipient and a 2019 Schulich School of Engineering Alumni Award winner. 

Olivia holds a Master of Engineering in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of British Columbia and a Bachelor of Science with Distinction in Computer Engineering, specializing in Biomedical Engineering, from the University of Calgary. Olivia has her level 2 International Sommelier Guild Certification and has completed yoga teacher training. She continues to practice yoga and is a hobbyist photographer, runner, gardener, and dog lover.

Paula Gil

Chief Operating Officer

Paula Gil was one of the first employees at Sanctuary AI, returning in September of 2022 as Head of Special Projects, and then taking the helm as Sanctuary AI's Chief Operations Officer. Paula has held various operations leadership positions during her 26-year career in the technology industry. She is no stranger to cutting-edge and innovative technology having spent time in the fast-paced gaming industry with Electronic Arts, as VP of Program Management at D-Wave, and VP of Special Projects at Kindred.ai, to name just a few.

Paula holds a Master of Arts degree in Political Science and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies from Simon Fraser University. She also holds formal qualifications in public contracting, software engineering, and project management. When not bringing operations excellence to all at Sanctuary AI, Paula can be found training at the gym or developing the latest innovations in goat farming.

Ben Reed

Chief Marketing Officer

Ben Reed joined Sanctuary in 2021 after spending 17 of his 24-year technology industry career at Microsoft Corporation in various strategy, marketing, and communications leadership positions. He built and led the communication teams responsible for launching Microsoft Surface, Microsoft HoloLens, and the Microsoft Mixed Reality platform. He has a proven track record in business strategy, management, communications, marketing, and agency and vendor management with experience at organizations of all sizes. 

Ben holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Electronic Engineering from the University of East Anglia. Ben has a wide and eclectic range of interests and hobbies but holds a special passion for piano, storytelling, and people.

Philip Smith

Chief Financial Officer

Philip Smith joined Sanctuary in 2021 after 30 years of experience in banking and capital markets. Prior to joining Sanctuary, Philip had a 27-year-long career at Scotiabank, most recently as the Head of Investor Relations. He also served as Global Head of Debt and Equity Capital Markets; prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of Global Banking and Markets. During his time with Scotiabank, Philip held a variety of increasingly senior roles in finance, capital markets, investment banking, and wealth management.

Philip holds an MBA in Analytic Finance from the University of Chicago and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. In his spare time, Philip enjoys cycling, alpine skiing, and hockey. In addition to enjoying sports personally, he also teaches them as a coach for children.

James Wells

Chief Commercial Officer

James Wells joined Sanctuary in 2019 with previous experience as a venture capitalist in both operator and investor capacities. He specializes in the commercialization and financing of breakthrough hardware technologies that can impact the world on a planetary scale, previously working with ventures on carbon capture, water treatment, and clean hydrogen production. During his ten years in the venture industry, James co-created 3 companies with founding investments, served on numerous boards, and contributed towards a top quartile performing fund.

James received his Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry from the University of British Columbia, has raised money for the Parkinson's Society of Canada by cycling across Canada, and completed an N of 1 experiment in mindfulness by completing an IRONMAN by training only with yoga.