Having joined the CIRA Board in 2016, working on both the FAIR (Finance, Audit, Investment and Risk) and Governance Committees, I am seeking re-election for another term. My candidacy for the CIRA Board is rooted firmly in my
- 3 decades of governance experience, working with Not for Profit as well as For Profit organizations,
- broad experience in business as a successful entrepreneur and SME owner,
- significant IT experience
- as well as my core belief in the importance of the Internet, for both economic and social prosperity.Most importantly, I believe my value to the CIRA Board also includes my experience as an entrepreneur who successfully transitioned a growing business into a stable and financially sustainable enterprise. I understand firsthand what it takes to grow quickly and to build the infrastructure required to manage that growth – in difficult economic times and when the environment is in flux.
In 1992 I established IT/net. That consulting firm became Canada’s most awarded consulting firm. As a management consultant I completed projects in strategic planning, risk management, and business case development. As the CEO, I led the company along with my partners. At its peak IT/net had 2 branches and over 200 staff. After selling it, I transitioned my career to that of corporate governance.
My governance background
- University of Ottawa.Committees: Executive, and Pension
- Committees: FAIR, and Governance
- Committees: Finance and Audit, Governance, Legal Affairs, HR and Compensation
- Committees: Executive, and Investment (Chair)
- BBG Management. Advisory Board
- Rideau Club. Committees: Executive, Finance and Audit (Chair)
I have also been on the boards of both CATA and ITAC. As a strong advocate of the importance of ICT to the prosperity of Canada, I have appeared before parliamentary committees as well as being part of lobbying groups promoting the ICT industry.
My professional and academic background:
- Recognized as Business Person of the Year by The Greater Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.
- A Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) who has been directly involved in the Information Communications and Technology (ICT) industry for the past 4 decades
- Experience and expertise in the ICT industry, in having executive level responsibility for 5 different firms over 3 decades
- MBA degree in finance and accounting
- Graduate of the Institute of Corporate Directors (ICD) Program
- Owner of three successful Management Consulting Firms, including Canada’s most awarded consulting firm (and selling 3 to international firms)
- Financially literate; previous board responsibility for finance and audit for 3 boards
In personal terms:
- Inquisitive, hardworking, committed to continuous learning
- Thrive in environments that question the status quo and that value disparate viewpoints
- Adept and comfortable managing risk and assessing options
- Enjoy working on highly functioning teams to solve important problems
- Fully bilingual, raised and schooled in Quebec and now resident in Ottawa
- Long distance cyclist (Cairo to Cape Town, LEJOG, and New Zealand) and world traveler
In summary terms, I understand the Internet, the technology that underpins it and the reason that business demands it. With both a technical and business background, I understand full well the importance of the internet as a significant infrastructure – in the first world through the third world. It is important to get it right, especially on a global scale (“build, connect, secure”). With explosive growth of ubiquitous computing and connectivity, it continues to drive all economies along with social and political change around the world. The registration process of “property” is a cornerstone of the Internet, (just as property rights are a cornerstone of capitalism).