The PEI BioAlliance on Tuesday named Penny Walsh-McGuire the new Executive Director of the Canadian Alliance for Skills and Training in Life Sciences, or CASTL.

Walsh-McGuire is best known as the CEO of the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, where she led the organization’s operations on behalf of more than 1,000 members. As executive director of CASTL, she will be responsible for leading and developing the organization as a key part of the local and national bioscience ecosystem.

CASTL is a partnership between academia, industry, and government that aims to address the future skills needs of Canada's fast-growing bioscience sector. CASTL offers multiple applied learning streams to help people gain academic knowledge and technical and professional skills to have a successful career in life sciences.

"I have always been very impressed with Penny’s leadership, intuition, and relationship-building skills," said BioAlliance CEO Rory Francis in a statement. "We are thrilled that Penny will now lead the development of CASTL as an essential and unique part of our local and national bioscience sector ecosystem."

Over the past 15 years, Walsh-McGuire has held such roles as CEO, executive director, and chief marketing officer for several not-for-profit organizations. At the Chamber of Commerce, she convened a group of 20 business organizations and industry associations in developing a private-sector-led economic development action plan through the PEI Partnership for Growth.

Walsh-McGuire will start her new role in June.