Prior to leading Strata, Robert had a diverse industry experience gained over 22 years. He has been the Chief Operating Officer and a founder of the entertainment/education company Beeware Enterprises Inc., focusing the idea into a targeted business plan and a successful launch into the U.S market. Before that, Robert was Chief Operating Officer and a founder of the biotech company, DNA Genotek Inc., taking it from initial scientific concept to its first commercial sales. He has been a “virtual” COO and CFO for start-up companies, a consultant in mergers and acquisitions, and was the Chief Financial Officer of a private international printing group operating in the U.S. and Canada with sales over $50 million and 600 employees. His career has also covered working at Price Waterhouse as an audit officer to leadership positions at CIBC in corporate finance, commercial banking at the National Bank of Canada, and international corporate risk management at Export Development Corporation. Robert is an active member of the Ottawa business community having served on the advisory committee of the Ottawa Economic Development Corporation, the United Way Campaign Cabinet, and twice as chairperson of The Entrepreneurship Centre. He is active in his home community, as a past chair and vice-chair of his children’s school councils and a member of the Ontario, Ministry of Education’s Provincial Parents Board. 

John comes to our Associate group with thirty plus years of business experience. His combination of the Professional Engineer and Chartered Accountant designations gives him a unique perspective into the strategic operations of companies. The majority of his unique business career has been devoted to small and medium sized corporate turnarounds as the senior executive. His turnaround experience encompasses ship repair, bulk transportation, light and heavy metal manufacturing and engineered prime power generating systems for critical applications. This latter enterprise was turned around from $ 2.0 million in sales to a very profitable $ 28.0 million in revenue until he sold the Company as the controlling shareholder. Subsequent to selling this business, he has worked with the senior management of several companies on their strategic direction, business plans and acquisitions. John has interspersed his management experience with Deloitte & Touche (Eastern Canada) and Ernst & Young specializing in general and financial management consulting. John devotes his spare time to the Canadian Cancer Society as a volunteer and enjoys cottaging and scuba diving.

Over the past twenty plus years, Mike has developed an extensive professional background and a wealth of hands-on experience in the field of international intellectual property and business issues. He advises on regular and complex trade-mark, copyright and patent matters in Canada and internationally through a world-wide network of qualified associates. Mike works with numerous knowledge-based businesses, in part using licensing, syndication and branding strategies to protect, leverage and expand their domestic and international growth and revenues. He has been an adviser and counsel to domestic and international clients ranging from small business owners to Fortune 100 companies. Mike has significant negotiation and transactional expertise with clients involved in prime time television, new media, Internet, and leading fashion and consumer product businesses. He is also a founder of several successful start-up companies including BioDentity Systems Corporation, a leader in biometric identification systems for border management and airport security, and Romona Keveza Collection a prominent designer, manufacturer and retailer of haute couture bridal gowns and related products. He has also played a major role in the expansion of MenEssentials Corporation, a brand leader and the number one online retailer of men’s skin care, grooming and related products.

Marco joins Strata’s Associate group with over 20 years of business experience in a number of industry sectors. He currently is President of Hovey Industries Ltd. a precision metal engineering and fabricator to companies throughout the NAFTA countries. Previously as Vice President, Finance, he helped to build a local software company, Global IQX Inc., into a group serving the insurance industry across North America. Marco began his career by articling and obtaining his Chartered Accountant designation while with the major accounting firm Deloitte, Haskins & Sells (now Deloitte & Touche). Marco then moved into the private sector where he spent eight years working with Mechron Power Systems, an engineering and manufacturer of diverse power generating equipment. He held several leadership roles, including Controller and CFO in which he oversaw all financial and HR matters in addition to leading several business purchase and sale teams. In the last ten years, Marco has focused his energy on small and medium size enterprises. He has assisted a variety of companies with business planning, budgeting, financing, accounting, and operational logistics. He is well versed in the SR & ED application process for those companies seeking to apply for research and development credits under both federal and provincial programs. An active volunteer, he has chaired the finance committee for the Canadian Cancer Society Relay for Life and dedicated time to the Royal Ottawa Hospital, the Muscular Dystrophy Softball Tournament, the annual St. Patrick's Day Parade, as well as, being a member of his children’s School Council.

Rick comes to the group with over 25 years of business experience spent mainly in the software sector. He has most recently been involved as a founder and principal of Attivo Capital Management and as President and CEO in the latter stages of Symbium Corp., an Ottawa provider of enterprise management products. Rick began his career by building on his computer science education from University of Waterloo. He worked his way through IBM Canada from engineering and sales to become Country Manager of their multi-million dollar PC Software division. Taking the experience he gained from IBM Rick moved to Silicon Valley in California to be EVP of Business Development at Geoworks Corp. There he worked on developing licensing relationships with handheld device manufacturers Toshiba, Sharp, Casio, Canon and HP, among others. Rick moved on to be Co-founder and President of Strategic Communications Corp., a wireless data service provider to banks, with funding from Silicon Valley investors. After SCC was bought by Skytel Communications, Rick moved on to being EVP of Sales and Marketing at Certicom Corp., a world leader in wireless security. He eventually became their CEO taking the company from $1.5 million to $27 million in sales, raising $125 million in institutional money, and going public on the NASDAQ.

John brings a mixture of public and private company experience to the Associate Group. He has spent the better part of the past twenty-five plus years working in the publishing industry with approximately half of them as the President and CEO of the TSX listed McGraw-Hill Ryerson. John’s background of building and growing teams to success and profitability is indicative of his ability to implement strategies around growing revenue and managing costs. He has been President of the Canadian Publishers Council and is one of the founding officers of BookNet Canada, a “game-changing” industry data mining/supply chain association. He obtained his Certified Director (C.Dir.) from McMaster University in 2006, the designation much in demand for outside directors of public companies and good corporate governance. John currently sits on the Board of Directors for the software company, Recognia Inc. and is on the Advisory Board of Humber College School of Creative Arts Publishing.

Peter joins our Associate group strategy with over 25 years of marketing strategy, sales, and management experience in technology companies. He gained early experience in the technology industry at IBM Canada where he quickly established a successful track record in the sales and marketing of applications & product lines. Through his roles as a Marketing & Sales executive or management consultant, Peter has directed the growth of numerous early stage companies such as Megalith Technologies/Dataware and PS Software/Open Text. In companies such as Northwood, senior management used Peter’s “Funnel Value” sales management methods to manage and correctly forecast rapid, global revenue growth leading up to their acquisition by Marconi Wireless. Peter is known for having a deep knowledge of chasm-crossing techniques for innovative technologies. His revenue-building experience includes a broad diversity of technologies across dozens of companies, such as Dipix Technologies, Dynex Power and SiGe Microsystems. Peter has also published over 60 articles and presented seminars on technology marketing skills. He is active with Westpark Technology and as a co-founder and VP Market Development of Avoca Semiconductor Inc.

Les joins our Associate group with over thirty five years as a member of the High Technology community. He has gained extensive international business experience having worked in the UK, USA and Canada but also having travelled or lived on all continents except South America. In the last ten years, Les created the software company, Quadrillion Corporation. Quadrillion identifies yield improvement opportunities in semiconductor 'fabs' and foundries. He has the ability to meaningfully address most elements of the high-technology, electronics and software industries from both a technical and managerial perspective. Les began his career in electronics engineering at Hewlett Packard with a particular emphasis in measurement techniques which evolved rapidly into sales, marketing, and training particularly in the areas of Semiconductor, RF, and Microwave. He has been an active member of the Boards of Directors of Corel Corporation during its formative years (pre IPO) and Watchfire Corporation. Les is the recent past – Chair of Recognia Inc.’s Board of Directors, a Board member of HLB Decision Economics, as well as advisor to several other private corporations. On a personal level Les has enjoyed and been active in a number of sports. He started sailing as a teenager, and still races regularly.

Ann’s over 25 years of executive experience in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry brings a wealth of hands-on expertise and knowledge in business development, partnerships, and strategies to expedite the commercialization process. A large part of her career has been spent with Johnson & Johnson. Ann worked at J&J’s Janssen-Ortho as Vice-President Marketing and Sales, in their Biotech and Oncology business units and the New Product Development group. She was also was a long serving member of their Executive Management Board. Ann established J & J’s biotechnology business unit and was the creative marketing force behind their most successful commercial launch and Canada’s largest biotechnology drug, EPREX, with revenues in excess of $100 million. She has extensive experience working with clinical and academic administration at the most senior level including a significant initiative with Hospital CEOs in Ontario. Ann has actively supported the Canadian biotechnology industry, both as a past board member of BIOTECanada and continues to have an excellent understanding of the current policy environment through her involvement in numerous government and Ontario biotechnology task forces and committees. Ann is located in Toronto but is always looking for an excuse to travel to BC to work with clients and to spend time at their apartment in Whistler.

Keith joins our Associate Group with over 30 years of business experience in Canada, the United States, Europe, and the Far East. He has an extensive background in corporate and international trade finance and merchant banking. The first part of Keith’s career was spent in progressively senior roles with the Bank of Montreal, RoyNat and U.S. Bancorp with a primary focus on managing teams structuring banking, and subordinated debt – equity transactions for SME’s in Ontario, Alberta and Ohio. Upon his return to Canada, Keith worked with Export Development Canada in Ottawa where he was directly involved in transactions around the world and eventually headed their team with responsibility for the recommendation/approval of loans and venture capital investments. More recently Keith spent 5 years working as a Vice President at Nortel Networks in Brampton where he led the global customer credit management, risk management and structured finance teams. He was also responsible for the overhauling of Nortel’s risk assessment and approval processes, procedures and governance around customer and counterparty (treasury market) risk. Keith is now living in Victoria where he is also active in the United Way and a golfer.

Naomi is an Ottawa-based business and financing lawyer focused on serving the legal needs of entrepreneurial and knowledge-based businesses.  Over the past 12 years, her clients have included public companies listed on various Canadian stock exchanges to small to medium-sized companies, founders and investors.  Naomi also has significant experience advising her clients on issues relating to corporate governance, debt and equity financings, mergers and acquisitions, restructuring transactions, technology commercialization and joint venture arrangements. Naomi speaks regularly at conferences and other forums on topics relating to small and medium-sized businesses and was recently re-appointed to the Ontario Securities Commission’s Small Business Advisory Committee for a second two-year term. She is also a director of Calotto Capital Inc. (TSXV: TTO.P), vice-chair of the board of Volunteer Ottawa, corporate secretary to a number of public and private companies, and an active volunteer with The Entrepreneurship Centre. Naomi was a Toronto-based partner at a national law firm prior to moving to Ottawa.    

Geoffrey brings a diverse background of information systems, sales, and marketing experience to the Strata team of Associates. His career has seen him working as Chief Information Officer (CIO) of General Electric Canada and later of GE’s $5.5 billion Appliance group in the United States. Geoff has also held the position of Senior V.P. of Information Systems for Liberty Health/Maritime Life Insurance where he migrated into new systems handling claims, payments, and implemented a problem solving mentality into the unit’s culture. He has applied these experiences into being at one time the Director of Services Marketing for IBM Canada where he was responsible for all marketing activities of the $1.3 billion business. Geoff continued his move into other business functions by being the V.P. Sales Ontario and Chief Strategy Officer for Montage.DMC where he helped the founder to grow the business and position it for a $105 million acquisition by AT&T. He has also provided consulting services through his own company and as Partner-In-Charge of the then Peat Marwick, Toronto Information Systems Consulting. Geoff has served on committees to the Conference Board of Canada and enjoys snowboarding and golf.

Susan comes to Strata’s Associate Group having worked with a unique combination of knowledge-based clients. She has been an advisor over the last 5 years to businesses from small independents to large enterprises in the technology and life science sectors while also working with artists, designers and others in the fashion and entertainment industries. Susan works with clients to ensure their business structures maximize the benefits of both direct and indirect government tax support programs. She also provides insights into the effective structuring of staff and executive compensation and benefits programs. Susan is CFO of Calotto Capital Inc. (TSXV:TTO.P) a capital pool company that successfully raised the maximum $2,000,000 in seed and IPO funding.  Formerly a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte Haskins & Sells in Saskatoon (now Deloitte & Touche), a tax litigator with the Federal Department of Justice and a tax associate with a boutique business law firm. Susan is now an active member of the Ottawa business and cultural community through her memberships in Ottawa C.A. Association, and National Art Gallery, and her volunteer work with local artists.

Terry has spent close to 30 years in the design, use, and the migration to sales of silicon and related methodologies. A large part of this time was spent with Nortel Networks, where he performed a variety of duties in different divisions with his last position being Managing Director of Strategic Alliances and Design Systems. Terry also introduced a Customer Owned Tooling (COT) flow to enable component reuse and control the movement of intellectual property at Nortel and represented them as an elected board member of both SI2 and VSIA. He has since been the Vice President of Strategic Alliances at Virtual Silicon Technologies, the Vice President of Engineering for the IC division at Chrysalis-ITS, where he was responsible for growing a team of 40+ engineers, and Vice President of Engineering at ADA where he contributed to development of the company’s product and subsequent successful acquisition. Terry is currently on the technical board of Elliptic Semiconductor. Terry holds both a B.Sc. and PhD from the University of London where he was one of the early researchers into artificial intelligence.

Rob comes to our Associate group with a strong mix of innovation, entrepreneurism, and practical business experiences. A full year before Netscape released the first mass-market web browser, Rob founded Thunder Rd. Communications, one of the first Internet service providers in Ottawa. He evolved the company into a developer and deliverer of custom software applications over the Internet that was acquired by Animatics Interactive. Under its new name Filament Communications, Rob as its Chief Net Officer, put his unique blend of technological skills and communications expertise to work for clients as diverse as Nortel Networks, Infospace, Xerox, and the Royal Bank. Rob has also been the President of getHOW!, a B2B streaming video provider where he secured a first-round financing that lead to the completion of its software development and took it to initial revenue generation. Rob has run the Ottawa Capital Network and its successful Ottawa Venture Fair for the past 2 years with the latter judged as one of the top 3 venture fairs in North America. He currently is president & CEO of Rove Mobile, a provider of network administration software from mobile devices and computers. Rob is a doting father of two boys and a big Springsteen fan.

 

Gord comes to our Associate group with over twenty years experience in global corporate finance and strategic business planning. He is currently the CFO at Overlay TV leading its strategic financial direction and global financial management. Prior to joining Overlay, Gord was CFO at TenXc Wireless and at Tropic Networks, during his time at tropic, raising over $160 Million US in debt and equity while shepherding its reporting, planning, systems, and governance growth from an early stage. He has also worked in the software sector with OLAP@Work, establishing and running the financial and administrative departments and ultimately directing its successful acquisition by Business Objects. Gord held several senior international financial management positions during his 12 years with Cognos Incorporated. His responsibilities included implementing a worldwide application of Oracle Financials and heading financial operations for such diverse regions of the world as Northern Europe to Asia/Pacific. Gord earned his CA designation while with Ernst & Young. He is a member of the CFO Leadership Group, and the University of Ottawa’s The Leadership Forum. Gord was named in 2003 as one of Ottawa's "Top Forty under 40" balancing business achievement, expertise and community giving. He enjoys participating in karate with his children as a black belt and chairing their school’s Parent Council.