Officer of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 8, 2014
• Invested on: February 13, 2015

For her contributions to telecommunications engineering and for her leadership in establishing the global regulatory framework for radio spectrum management.

Veena Rawat is a trailblazer for women in telecommunications. An engineer at Industry Canada in the 1970s, she rose through the ranks to become president of the Communications Research Centre. She led international negotiations related to the management of radio frequency spectrum and chaired the multilateral body that sets worldwide best practices in the field. Her leadership has helped build the framework to regulate the radio spectrum used for broadcasting, mobile communication, navigation, satellites and more. Throughout her career she has also sought to increase opportunities for women in science and technology.