Balsillie appointed to five-year term as chair of federal technology group

Former BlackBerry executive Jim Balsillie is being appointed to a five-year term as chair of Sustainable development Technology Canada, a federal agency that helps companies in the emerging clean-tech industry. Mr. Balsillie, pictured, and Mike Lazaridis were co-CeOs and co-chairs of Research In Motion, now called BlackBerry, which grew from a small startup in Waterloo, Ont., into one of the world’s leaders in electronic mobile communications. Mr. Balsillie has also had a high profile through his unsuccessful attempt to bring another NHL professional hockey club to southern Ontario. He has also had less public roles, including on a united Nations panel for global sustainability.