A national research facility of the University of Saskatchewan, the CLS is one of the largest science projects in Canada’s history and a critical tool for Canadian research and development.
More than 1,000 academic, government, and industry scientists from around the world use the CLS every year, developing innovative solutions in health, agriculture, environment, and advanced materials.
We hope our website will spark your interest in light source-enabled research. Our aim is to provide you with the most up-to-date information on our scientific programs, operations, and services available to current and prospective users.
Please do not hesitate to contact any member of our team if you have any questions, or would like to explore further how CLS can advance your research or R&D objectives. We are committed to strengthening our capacity, our scientific programs and our industry engagement, to ensure the success of our clients and maximize our impact.
Bill Matiko, CPA, CA, CBV
Chief Executive Officer
Bill joined the CLS in April 2019 as Chief Financial Officer (CFO). With the retirement of the CLS’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in September 2020, Bill took on the additional role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) until February 2023, when he was appointed CLS CEO.
Prior to joining the CLS, Bill was the COO and CFO at Suncorp Valuations, a global provider of appraisal, business valuation and risk management services. Bill started his professional career with Deloitte where he obtained his Chartered Accountant and Chartered Business Valuator designations. Approximately 20 years of his career was with the Deloitte Financial Advisory team, where he eventually became a Partner. He also led the Business Valuation and Litigation Support services practice for the province of Saskatchewan. At Deloitte he served clients in the public, private, government and not-for-profit sectors across Canada, the US and Mexico.
Dr. Chithra Karunakaran, PhD, C.Mgr, MBA
Science Director
Chithra became CLS Interim Science Director in September 2023. In this role, she provides leadership in the development and implementation of CLS’ science strategy, and ensures CLS experimental facilities and scientific programs remain current with significant developments in related technology, and are competitive with third-generation synchrotron facilities worldwide.
Since 2005, Chithra has been in different roles at CLS, most recently leading and growing the CLS plant imaging and innovation research program and promoting the innovative use of synchrotron techniques for agricultural and food sciences research, as Science Manager (Environmental & Earth Sciences).
Chithra completed her Masters and Ph. D in Biosystems Engineering from the University of Manitoba. In 2016 she became a Chartered Professional Manager (C.Mgr.) and in 2021 obtained her MBA from the University of London. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Manitoba.
Mark Boland, PhD
Machine Director
Mark has been with the CLS as the Machine Director since September 2017. The hallmark of his career has been to collaborate with the best in the field of synchrotrons and accelerator physics to achieve excellence in science, research and operations. His expertise has been recognised with several awards, fellowships and leadership positions, including research grants in Australia, Canada and the European Union, a Fulbright Fellowship in the USA, a JSPS Fellowship in Japan and the Chair of the world’s largest and premier conference in particle accelerators IPAC 19.
Mark has a track record for research innovation and excellence in operational performance of scientific infrastructure. He has been the collaboration leader for both Australia and Canada in the global research effort for new particle accelerators for scientific discovery in particle physics through the Compact Linear Collider and the Future Circular Collider projects at the CERN laboratory in Switzerland.
As a physicist, Mark was involved with the commissioning of three light source facilities from 2003 to 2006: the CLS, the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource and the Australian Synchrotron.
Lisa Olson, B.Comm, CPHR
Director of Human Resources
Lisa joined CLS on November 28, 2022, and holds primary responsibility for all aspects of human resource management for the organization, including ensuring compliance with HR-relevant legislation and regulations.
Prior to joining the CLS, Lisa was HR Director for the Saskatoon Police Service. She has been an HR practitioner for over 25 years with extensive experience in employment, training, performance management, organizational development, disability assistance and occupational health and safety.
Lisa holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Saskatchewan, a Diploma in Strategic Human Resource Management for Police Organizations from Dalhousie University, and a Labour-Management Certificate and Advanced Human Resources Diploma from Queen’s University.
David Patola, CPA, CA
Director of Finance
David joined CLS in June of 2023 and provides strategic leadership for the Finance Division and its related systems. His responsibilities include core financial services, procurement, corporate reporting, and contracts.
Prior to joining CLS David was the Finance Business Advisor for the College of Nursing at the University of Saskatchewan. David spent a large part of his career with Saskatchewan Blue Cross where he held executive leadership positions in Finance, Administration, and Operations for nearly 18 years. He also worked as Controller for Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
David is active as a volunteer in the community and currently sits on the Board of Directors of Emmanuel Health Inc which oversees 12 non-profit health care organizations around Saskatchewan.
Dustin Wasyliw, BSc
Director of Information Technology
Dustin joined the CLS in 2019 as Systems Technology Infrastructure Lead and in 2020 was promoted to System Technology Manager. He is an experienced IT professional with a strong background in enterprise resource management, lifecycle management, large-scale data warehousing and aggregation, and process and manufacturing automation. With more than 20 years of experience in all aspects of IT service delivery and integration, Dustin is a well-respected expert in his field.
He holds a Computer Systems Technology diploma from SIAST and a Bachelor of Computer Science degree from the University of Saskatchewan. Dustin has achieved many certifications, including ITIL, MSCE, and MCSD; he is currently working on his PMP and CISSP. His diverse educational background has given him a well-rounded perspective on business and technology, enabling him to bring unique insights to his work.
Tim West, PhD
Director of Operations
Tim joined the CLS as General Manager in 2020. He previously served as the Director of Patient and Staff Safety with the Saskatchewan Health Authority and as the Director of Safety and Infection Prevention and Control with the Saskatoon Health Region. Both client-centred roles had a strong focus on safety culture, quality, and continuous improvement and required considerable operational and strategic management. As a former pharmacy owner with Target Canada, Tim also brings his experience in the private sector to the CLS.
Over the last ten years Tim has earned several certificates in lean, rapid process improvements, and quality improvement and most recently received his Project Management Professional Certification. He is leading the Project Management team at the CLS to ensure organization-wide continuous improvement.