Rhonda Barnet is the Interim CEO of DIGITAL, Canada’s Global Innovation Cluster for digital technologies, and a Canadian business leader, entrepreneur, and corporate director who has spent more than 35 years helping organizations grow, innovate, and navigate change. From leading on the factory floor to the boardroom, her career has been defined by building resilient businesses, developing future-ready talent, and creating opportunities that strengthen Canada’s economy. As former CEO of Palette Skills, she led the launch of Upskill Canada, connecting untapped talent with employers in high-demand industries. Before that, as President and COO of AVIT Manufacturing, she helped scale a globally competitive manufacturing company while leading through growth and transformation.
Rhonda has always believed that great businesses succeed by investing in people. As the first woman to chair Canadian Manufacturers & Exporters (CME), she championed workforce development and helped expand opportunities for women in manufacturing, contributing to more than 41,000 new jobs. Her leadership has also shaped national innovation and industrial policy through roles with Canada’s Industry Strategy Council, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), and other leading organizations.
Today, Rhonda continues to champion Canadian innovation, commercialization, and talent development. Whether leading organizations, advising boards, mentoring executives, or contributing to global conversations through the World Economic Forum and World Manufacturing Forum, she is passionate about building organizations, and an economy, that are innovative, inclusive, and built for the future.