By 1973, the demands of his role at MDA caused him to leave the university and work full time with the fledgling technology company. He served as president and CEO of MDA until 1982, and as chairman of the board from 1982 to 1998. In addition to professorships in electrical engineering at MIT and UBC, MacDonald has served in an advisory capacity to the government and on the board of directors of numerous companies. In 2001, MacDonald co-founded Day4 Energy, a company that designed, manufactured and sold high performance solar electric modules. Day4 Energy went on to have one of the largest IPOs in Canada in 2007, at over $100 million and grew to almost 300 employees. In 2014, MacDonald retired from Day 4 Energy. Honours MacDonald was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in November 1988 and invested in April 1989. In 2008 MacDonald was awarded the British Columbia Technology Industry Association (BCTIA) Impact Award for Person of the Year in recognition of his contributions to science and the BC High Technology Industry. Day4 Energy also won the Impact Award for Emerging Company of the Year. He was a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), founding Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Engineering, and Fellow of the Canadian Aeronautics and Space Institute MacDonald died on 26 December 2019 at the age of 83. References 1936 births 2019 deaths Canadian chief executives Canadian electrical engineers Engineering educators Canadian corporate directors University of British Columbia alumni MIT School of Engineering alumni Officers of the Order of Canada Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty University of British Columbia faculty University of Northern British Columbia faculty People from Prince Rupert, British Columbia