Keith Gillard is a former Fortune 100 executive who has founded, led, invested in, and successfully exited dozens of sustainability-focused companies. He is Co-Founder and CEO of Sustaero, which is building Canada’s first billion-litre sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production capacity. He is also CEO and Co-Founder of UpperStage.Capital, an impact-focused lower middle market private equity firm, and Co-Founder and Chair of Foresight Canada, Canada’s largest cleantech accelerator.
An experienced operator and investor, Mr. Gillard brings decades of hands-on leadership across companies, investment funds, and nonprofit organizations. He is a proven fundraiser, dealmaker, and business development strategist with an extensive international network spanning North America, Asia, and Europe.
Through Sustaero, he is advancing Canada’s premier sustainable aviation fuel infrastructure. Leveraging Canada’s responsibly managed forests, hydroelectric renewable energy, and abundant fresh water, Sustaero aims to produce high-quality, low-carbon SAF from sustainable wood waste. As global regulatory and market pressures push the aviation industry toward higher SAF blending mandates, Sustaero’s goal is to supply Canadian airports with one billion litres of SAF annually by 2035, positioning Canada as a global leader in sustainable aviation.
Previously, Mr. Gillard served as President of BASF Venture Capital America, where he established the Silicon Valley office and oversaw direct and fund investments. He also spent five years with Mitsubishi Corporation, managing venture investments and business development initiatives with a focus on cleantech. He was General Partner at Pangaea Ventures, an impact investor specializing in advanced materials and deep technologies. Earlier in his career, he was a serial entrepreneur in software and media and began in investment banking, structuring lower middle market M&A transactions and manufacturing technology joint ventures in China.
As Co-Founder and Chair of Foresight Canada, he has helped scale the organization nationally over more than a decade, supporting over 1,300 cleantech companies. He is a Venture Partner with Pioneera Ventures, serves on the board committee of the Canadian Venture Capital and Private Equity Association, and is involved with Canada’s Best Private Boards and the Scotiabank Women Initiative as a mentor.
Mr. Gillard has served as Chair of Vestaron and as Director of companies including Talius, Keela, Hazel Technologies, NewLeaf Symbiotics, Advanced BioNutrition, Sciona, and SDCmaterials. He has also served on advisory boards for ARCH Venture Partners, Chrysalix Venture Capital, and NGEN Partners. He advised the World Economic Forum on sustainability and collaborative innovation in chemicals and materials and spoke at Davos in 2020. He is the co-author of Inside The Minds: Best Practices for Energy Venture Capital.
Outside of his professional work, Mr. Gillard is an avid cyclist, dedicated father of three, and an internationally charting, twice-nominated Canadian Independent Music Award recipient.
