Dr. Jacob Apkarian founded Quanser in 1990 to enhance and advance control theory education. Since that time, he has taken the company to world-renown in the academic and research realms and to recognition as a global leader in the development of real-time control systems and services for industry. As Quanser’s CTO, Dr. Apkarian is responsible for the company’s R&D direction. With Paul Gilbert, CEO, he shares the vision development for the company’s overall business, but his main interest remains in research and development where he has the opportunity to explore new ideas in control and create imaginative new systems for Quanser’s clients. With Dr. Apkarian at the helm, the mandate of the Quanser team is to enjoy innovation, impart knowledge and produce quality control technologies and solutions for both the industrial and educational marketplaces.

Under Dr. Apkarian’s direction, a world-class team of highly specialized engineers, at both the Ph.D. & Masters levels with mechanical, electrical, electronic and controls expertise, devote almost 100 percent of their time to research and development activities.

Dr. Apkarian holds a Ph.D. in Bio-Medical Engineering and Masters of Science in Control Systems from the University of Toronto, as well as a Bachelor of Engineering from McGill University. He also holds an appointment as adjunct professor at the University of Toronto.

Dr. Apkarian began his career teaching Electrical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Before launching Quanser, he held positions as Robotics and Assistive Devices Director at Lyndhurst Hospital and Senior Engineer at Spar Aerospace, where he contributed to the development of several key projects, including control systems for the Canada Space Arm and components of the Space Station.

Paul Gilbert joined Quanser in 2002.  As CEO, Mr. Gilbert is responsible for the development and execution of the company’s business vision. His mission is to expand the base of Quanser's systems into critical controls research and industrial applications, as well as educational institutions throughout the world. Together with Dr. Apkarian, he has managed to expand the privately-held company to its current size – with global representation, affiliate companies and clients in more than 30 countries – purely through organic growth with no external financing.

A leader in the field of industrial business and management, Mr. Gilbert has two decades of experience working with key customers and suppliers in North America, Europe, Asia and South Africa. Prior to joining Quanser, he held positions as CEO for FTT Ltd., a skills-based training company focused on the North American manufacturing market, and President of Strapex Canada, a plastic extrusion company, where he successfully turned the company around from a position of significant losses to revenue growth and profitability. Mr. Gilbert has also held senior engineering positions in the Aerospace Division of Schlumberger UK and led the company’s Canadian Sales and Marketing team in the Electricity Management sector.

Mr. Gilbert holds an MBA from the Ivey School of Business as well as a Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southampton, U.K.  In addition, he has acted as an advisor for the Queens University Executive MBA program and a Knowledge Angel for the Queens Centre for Enterprise Development.