Xerox’s departing research centre VP: Innovate or else
Thirty years ago, Iranian scientist Hadi Mahabadi fled oppression in his home country and sought a new life in Canada. The young chemical engineer landed a job at Xerox and eventually rose to become director of the U.S.-owned giant’s Canadian research centre in Mississauga. Over the past seven years, he has led the centre to big productivity gains, including doubling its annual output of patents to almost 150. Mahabadi has generated 86 patents of his own over the years. Now, at 65, he’s retiring to pursue a grand mission: extend Xerox’s research and innovation model to all of Canada.