INFLUENCERS
Inspiring presence PAGES 12-13
Inside Ottawa’s galas, fundraisers and networking events
Sharing his own story of living with mental illness has allowed lawyer Gordon Cudney to help others > PAGES 8-9
February 26, 2018 Vol. 21, NO. 9
OBJ.social PAGES 14-17
For daily business news visit obj.ca
Public advocate
CPAC president Catherine Cano thrives on the challenge of leading the non-profit television service that gives Canadians a window on Parliament. > PAGE 3
Startup champion Tech entrepreneur Nick Quain left his job at a Toronto wireless firm to come home and mentor a new generation of Ottawa business-builders. > PAGE 6
Regine Paquette, co-owner of Westboro’s Victoire boutique, says she’s had trouble getting funding from traditional lending institutions. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Female owners size up funding gap Focus on giving capital to tech firms holding back many women entrepreneurs, study says Ottawa researchers’ latest report calls on governments and financial institutions to reassess criteria for grants and loans > PAGES 4-5
LOOK TO THE FUTURE Thinking about changing careers or climbing the corporate ladder? Read OBJ’s Focus on Graduate Management March 26, 2018, to learn more about graduate programs for those looking to further their education
Coming March 26
Marchth . 310rda.m &. -4 4p.m
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SO MANY REASONS TO ATTEND • ALL INCLUSIVE ADMISSION PRICE • SPLASH’N BOOTS ON THE MAIN STAGE • PRINCESSES , STAR WARS CHARACTERS AND SUPER HEROES • INFORMATIVE DEMONSTRATIONS & PRESENTATIONS • GAMES, INFLATABLES AND SO MUCH MORE! • MORE THAN 70 EXHIBITORS IN EDUCATION, RETAIL, HEALTH & FUN • RAFFLE PRIZES IN SUPPORT OF ROGER NEILSON HOUSE • JOIN OUR MAILING LIST FOR EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENTS ON THE MAIN STAGE PERFORMERS
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PROFILE FIVE THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT CATHERINE CANO
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She loves music. She learned the pipe organ as a child and still cherishes the sound of the instrument. “When I travel, I always go see the churches for the organs.”
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Cano lost both her sisters. Her younger sister died in infancy while her older sister died of cancer at 38. Cano remains close to her three brothers and is godmother to her sister’s daughter.
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She walks eight kilometres every day, loves ice skating and skiing, and takes dance lessons. Among the boards she sits on are Journalists for Human Rights, the Michener Foundation, Canadian Council for World Press Freedom and Centre d’études sur les medias.
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She’s also a role model and mentor for aspiring female leaders, as evidenced by her involvement in the International Women’s Forum and Women in Communications and Technology.
CPAC president and general manager Catherine Cano says she always wanted to be a journalist. PHOTO BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS
Trailblazing journalist carves out newsworthy career CPAC boss Catherine Cano thrives on challenge of keeping cable channel relevant in the digital age BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca
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the Atlantic by boat in 1952. He hitchhiked from Halifax to Chicoutimi, where he met and fell for Gauthier. Cano’s father followed in the footsteps of the early French fur traders by running his own business selling furs. Her mom went back to school at age 46 to get a university degree, followed by her master’s and then her PhD in psychoanalysis. At age 82, she’s just published her fourth book. It’s semi-autobiographical.
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LIFELONG AMBITION Cano remembers always wanting to be a journalist. As a child, she was allowed to stay up late to watch the nightly news. She first came to Ottawa through the Forum for Young Canadians and was selected the following year to be part of the page program in the House of Commons. “I had MPs asking me things in English and I had no idea what they were talking about,” she says. The 19-year-old also enrolled in political science and communications at the University of Ottawa. But it’s what she decided to do next that most people would
find terrifying; she took all her courses in English when she could speak only French. “I didn’t think I was going to get through the first year,” she says. She completed her studies at the University of Ottawa while also teaching French and working as a DJ at a Frenchlanguage radio station. That Cano was able to master a new language and graduate while also holding down three part-time jobs speaks volumes about her determination and ability to take on new challenges. At age 24, Cano began a three-year stint as press secretary for former prime minister John Turner, who was leader of the Opposition at the time. She took a gamble by leaving for Washington, where her boyfriend, a news bureau chief, was being posted. She hoped the move would allow her to segue into journalism. Her instincts proved correct; she quickly got a low-level production job with Radio-Canada, was promoted to associate producer of TV news and has never looked back. Continued on page 11
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love this job; I really do,” Catherine Cano says passionately from her downtown corner office, with its imposing view of nearby Parliament Hill. Cano, 55, is the president and general manager of CPAC (Cable Public Affairs Channel), a privately owned, not-forprofit television service that provides Canadians a window on the workings of Parliament. It’s the perfect fit, the right role with the right team at precisely the right time. What sets Cano apart as a senior executive is that she has a proven track record of guiding news organizations in their transition to the digital world and helping them adapt to the changing media industry. “I deal with a budget that’s decreasing – that’s the reality for everybody in our business,” says Cano. “You have to be creative and nimble and think of how you’re going to survive in today’s environment.
“But I’m somebody who likes challenges.” She’s also helping to further position CPAC into a Canadian leader in democratic literacy. Cano has been the driving force behind Route 338, a multimedia project that CPAC launched last year with the Royal Canadian Geographical Society. It features a giant, interactive floor map for students to learn about our country’s 338 federal ridings. She’s an unabashed champion of innovative ways of piquing young Canadians’ interest in democratic institutions. At TedxKanata on March 1 at the Brookstreet Hotel, she’ll talk for 18 minutes, without notes, in front of a large audience about democratic youth engagement. “Democracy is so fragile,” Cano says. “We cannot take it for granted.” One of six children born to Antoine Cano and Mona Gauthier, Cano originally hails from Chicoutimi, about two hours north of Quebec City. Her father, a French national, saved up enough money to cross
WOMEN IN BUSINESS Focus on tech funding holding female entrepreneurs back: Study Governments and lending agencies must broaden perceptions of innovation to give more women-owned businesses access to capital, new report from Ottawa researchers says BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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wners of a pair of buzzworthy fashion boutiques, Katie Frappier and Regine Paquette epitomize the growing role of women in the Canadian economy. Victoire boutique, the retail company the longtime friends launched 12 years ago, now does more than a million dollars in annual sales and employs eight people at its locations in Westboro and downtown Toronto. Yet despite all their success, the owners say they’ve run up against nothing but brick walls when it comes to scoring capital. “We’ve kind of totally given up on traditional financing,” says Paquette, a commerce graduate of the University of Ottawa. “I think we’re a successful business, but we really just don’t fit into what the banks are looking for.” According to a new study from two prominent Ottawa researchers, Frappier and Paquette are hardly alone among Canadian women entrepreneurs. The report, sponsored by the federal government and Bank of Montreal and released in mid-February, says women own half of all new businesses and lead nearly 50 per cent of all small and medium-sized businesses in the country. It also notes their businesses tend to have higher survival rates than those owned by men. Yet for all that, the study says, female entrepreneurs still have trouble accessing the financing they need to grow their enterprises. Nine out of 10 women-owned companies are in the service industry, and Canada’s focus on funding companies in the maledominated tech sector is working against many female business owners, the report’s authors say. “To be clear, tech is wonderful and we want to see more women in tech,” says co-author Janice McDonald, owner of consulting firm The Beacon Agency. “But because 90 per cent of women’s businesses are in service industries and this whole kind of thinking that tech equals innovation, there is this sense that they’re excluding all the other kinds of exciting innovations that are happening in women’s businesses right across the country.”
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS: FOR GOVERNMENTS: Include women entrepreneurs in the design, development, implementation and management of all programs, policies and grant development Ensure superclusters and innovation hubs are inclusive and welcome women entrepreneurs from all sectors FOR FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS: Offer additional knowledge and resources to increase women’s confidence and likelihood of loan acceptance Track and monitor women entrepreneurs’ loan rates and payback rates and share this information FOR ENTREPRENEURS: Establish a relationship with financial institutions well before loans are needed Take steps to increase knowledge in investment opportunities, exits and the range of financial instruments available for funding Join networks that provide access to information about financing, investment and grants McDonald and her research partner, Clare Beckton of Carleton University, conducted interviews with 146 female entrepreneurs across Canada. Their report, titled Everywhere, Every Day Innovating, makes 40 recommendations aimed at governments, financial institutions and female entrepreneurs themselves. The study calls on governments to include more women in the development of policies, programs and grants for entrepreneurs, while urging innovation hubs, incubators and accelerators to open their doors more widely to women business owners. Meanwhile, it’s asking banks and other lending institutions to reassess their strategies for lending money to female-owned businesses and calling on women entrepreneurs themselves to seek stronger relationships with banks, grow their business networks and think globally when looking to expand their operations. “This study shows us what women already know to be true: that there is much more that we all can do to support women entrepreneurs and business owners,” Federal Small Business Minister Bardish Chagger, who attended the news
Regine Paquette is co-owner of Ottawa-based Victoire boutique. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
conference when the report was released, said. “As innovation changes our economy, women entrepreneurs will be key to our future success. We need more women in business – for our economy, and more importantly, for our society.” The study’s authors also argue funding agencies need to do a better job of gathering data to determine exactly what share of grants and investment capital is being doled out to female-owned companies. “We need to assess and track who actually is getting the grants and the loans because we want to make sure that women are benefiting equitably,” McDonald says. “If we’re not measuring who’s getting them, we don’t even have that ability to start with a baseline and say, ‘We’re improving or things are getting worse.’” The report argues that women entrepreneurs across Canada are innovating every day in a myriad of ways that go beyond breakthrough technologies from software firms and the like, but the focus on tech has obscured this reality. “In sum, it seems like the very definition of innovation – as understood by policy and decision-makers in Canada – prevents women from accessing recognition and funding for their
“We’ve kind of totally given up on traditional financing. I think we’re a successful business, but we really just don’t fit into what the banks are looking for.” – REGINE PAQUETTE, CO-OWNER OF OTTAWA-BASED FASHION RETAILER VICTOIRE BOUTIQUE
innovations,” the report says. Paquette, who was one of the business owners McDonald and Beckton interviewed, agrees. She and Frappier have introduced a number of creative policies to encourage employees to stick around in an industry notorious for its high turnover rate, she says, including coaching them on everything from devising social media campaigns to creating window displays. ‘DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT’ “We offer a really dynamic, creative environment that’s kind of tailored to their skill sets and where they want to grow personally,” she says. But Paquette, who helped launch a women’s networking group called the Guild, also says it’s incumbent on female entrepreneurs to work together and use their connections to help navigate their way through such challenges.
Shelley True, owner of Ottawa’s TRUEdotDesign and another woman interviewed for the study, agrees entrepreneurs need to help each other push past barriers to securing capital. “I’m a big advocate of networking and leveraging my connections and talking to other leaders … and asking, ‘Have you ever used other funding and how do you get access to that?’” she says. “This is what we need to be talking about. It’s there – I know it’s there – we just need to know which opportunities will fit with our businesses and growth and how to access that.” Terri Storey, founder and CEO of SnapClarity, says her Invest Ottawa-based tech startup has landed more than $1.5 million in angel funding and recently received a $500,000 grant from the federal government’s Build in Canada Innovation Program. “Honestly, I didn’t have a lot of barriers
to financing,” says Storey, whose firm has created a mobile app designed to make it easier for users to access mental health services. “The funding programs and the network around me were incredible.” Storey, who was not interviewed for the study, says it’s vital for entrepreneurs to do their homework before seeking funding, no matter what industry they’re in. “I went out to who I thought was aligned with our mission. It’s really about you need to know the landscape, and I would say good products get funded.” The report’s authors say they’re hopeful that governments, financial institutions and the business establishment are taking the issues highlighted in the report seriously. “If we look at the value and importance of a study like this, it really does attract the attention of policy-makers,” McDonald says. “They see there are ways to make this right.”
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Robust offering connects employers with Telfer’s deep well of talent
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HOW CAN EMPLOYERS ACCESS TELFER’S TALENT? WORKSHOPS, where employers can teach professional skills to students while building awareness of their brand. CO-OP AND INTERNSHIPS, where students gain practical work experience while spending time within an organization. MENTORSHIP, where individuals can help facilitate the growth of the next generation of professionals.
internship programs to the lesser known, including industry focused programs and Academic Projects. A central focus of the school’s many unique initiatives is networking. Telfer offers employers the chance to attend networking events, as well as run workshops or information sessions as a way to meet students. “It’s important that students find the right fit for themselves, so it becomes a solid opportunity for them,” says Hannah. Conversely, it benefits employers to meet a number of students, as a way of ensuring they
ACADEMIC PROJECTS, where MBA and Executive MBA candidates help employers tackle real-time organizational needs and challenges. MBA RÉSUMÉ BOOK, where employers can review CVs of graduating MBA students. JOB POSTINGS, which are shared exclusively and directly with Telfer students and alumni. meet their organizational needs. As Hannah explains, part of Telfer’s role is to create initiatives that include experiential learning, to ease the transition into the workplace for both students and employers. “As a student, the opportunity to
have experience with the business community is a very key part of a life at Telfer.” LOOKING TO HIRE? Head to telfer.uOttawa.ca/employers to view a full list of offerings for employers.
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MUTUAL GAINS Telfer’s diverse offering ranges in scope, from the more familiar CO-OP
FACTBOX:
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
hen recruiting, many employers go straight to the source: universities. For everyone involved, the benefits of this approach are myriad. Employers gain access to a pool of talent keen to gain real-world experience. Students are connected with established professionals in their areas of interest. And school staff and faculty know they’ve facilitated relationships that could jumpstart their students’ careers. Given the calibre of Bachelor of Commerce and graduate programs alumni that come out of the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management, it has set up an array of offerings aimed at helping employers connect with its students even before they graduate. “If you’re looking to attract talent to your organization, Telfer has a number of unique ways to get involved,” says Caroline Hannah, relationship manager at Telfer’s Career Centre.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP Invest Ottawa’s new mentor-in-chief feels right at home Westboro resident Nick Quain steps down as CEO of Toronto’s CellWand to take on new role: helping build the next generation of Ottawa startups BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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fter nearly two decades of shuttling back and forth between Ottawa and Toronto building wireless communications firm CellWand into a national force, Nick Quain is turning his attention to a new challenge: Helping nurture the next generation of Ottawa startups. The 47-year-old entrepreneur thinks he’s found the perfect vehicle to do that as Invest Ottawa’s vice-president of venture development. In his new role, officially announced Feb. 21, Quain will oversee the government-funded agency’s efforts to grow young companies into viable enterprises that can compete on the world stage. “We’ve got a ton of really good entrepreneurs-in-residence and mentors, and really my job is going to be helping make sure we pair up companies with the right mentors and experts,” he told OBJ. Quain said he believes the hard lessons he’s learned as a co-founder and CEO of a fast-growing tech outfit can help him guide other business owners along the often-rocky road from being a startup with big ideas to becoming a stable, profitable business. “I’ve had to bootstrap a company for many years before raising money. I have raised several million dollars in capital,” he said. “I think bringing that experience to the table in terms of structuring how we work with these early stage companies is going to be really helpful in terms of providing value to these companies.” Invest Ottawa CEO Mike Tremblay – who has made no secret of the fact he wants to boost the number of globally competitive firms that graduate from the agency’s startup incubator – said Quain’s business acumen and experience in building and exiting companies made him the ideal fit for the job. “He’s a seasoned entrepreneur. We’re really lucky to have Nick in the role,” Tremblay said, adding Invest Ottawa received more than 250 applications for the new position. “We need more companies that we can scale globally. When companies come to us, whether they’re tech or service-related, we just need to ensure that they’re companies that can be taken to global markets.”
Invest Ottawa’s leadership team now includes (clockwise from top left) vice-president of infrastructure services Richard Quigley, vice-president of venture development Nick Quain, CEO Michael Tremblay, vice-president of marketing and communications Sonya Shorey, vice-president of finance and corporate services Lana Legostaeva and vice-president of global expansion Blair Patacairk. PHOTO COURTESY INVEST OTTAWA
“Someone who hasn’t launched a business before, they have an idea that they want to raise money, but they don’t really know what that means or what the roadmap for a startup looks like.” – NICK QUAIN, INVEST OTTAWA’S NEW VP OF VENTURE DEVELOPMENT
Quain, a University of Ottawa commerce grad, said one of his priorities will be ensuring that fledgling firms in Invest Ottawa’s incubator are armed with all the tools they need to scale up their operations and weather the inevitable storms that will happen along the way. FUNDING OPTIONS He said the economic development agency needs to do a better job of helping young companies find their footing in the marketplace. Quain said that includes things such as connecting founders with experienced mentors, educating them on various funding options available to them and introducing them to angel investors. “Right now, unless they have a fair bit of market traction, either in terms of sales of sales or they have built a product, it’s a bit more difficult for them to get the type of support that they need at that early
stage to really build the foundation of that business in a better way,” he explained. “Someone who hasn’t launched a business before, they have an idea that they want to raise money, but they don’t really know what that means or what the roadmap for a startup looks like.” In addition to heading up the agency’s incubator and accelerator services, the newest member of Invest Ottawa’s executive team will also oversee its small business education centre that offers practical advice and training to all types of SMEs, from bakeries to barbershops. The 2003 Forty Under 40 recipient said he wants to see the agency do more to help bricks-and-mortar businesses successfully make the leap into the realm of e-commerce. He pointed to Invest Ottawa’s Main and Digital program, a bootcamp aimed at helping small companies beef up their online and
social media components, as a prime example. “You’ll see more and more of that coming out within the traditional side of our business group,” he said. Married with three children, Quain said he decided to step back from the CEO’s role at CellWand, which is headquartered in Toronto, so he could spend more time with his family at his Westboro home and give back to the Ottawa business community. He said he’s enjoyed mentoring other entrepreneurs as an adviser to companies such as OPIN Software, where he served on the board for five years, and is looking forward to tackling that task full-time at Invest Ottawa. “I just realized that I really loved that aspect of what I was doing,” Quain said. “It was a bit of a natural transition for me to move into that role more formally.”
At the
Gladstone Theatre this Month
2018
EVENT LISTINGS
The Normal Heart – March 1st - 10th A searing drama about public and private indifference to the AIDS plague and one man’s lonely fight to awaken the world to the crisis.
Stage Kiss – March 23rd - 31st A clever comedy that pits the excitement of romance against the reality of a longstanding relationship.
St. Patty’s Day on Preston
Did you know that St. Patrick is actually Italian? Join us this St. Paddy’s to debate this dubious claim. Avoid the hustle and bustle of the downtown core and come down to one of the many world class pubs and restaurants on Preston Street. Have a pint, laugh with friends, speak blarney, curse in Gaelic, toast good health, and be Irish for the day! Celebrate the luck of the Irish with good friends, green beer, prizes, and some Italian hospitality thrown in.
BUONA PASQUA!
Easter is just around the corner, so be sure to book your eggcellent Easter brunch or dinner on Preston Street. Celebrate this joyous holiday with your loved ones in one of Preston Street’s diners, restaurants, or cafés and ring in the season and the beginning of Springtime. Easter is one of the most important dates in the Italian year so let us share with you a little tradition, delicious food, and some chocolate Easter eggs at one of our family-owned bakeries and cafés. For those who wish to solemnly mark the holy day, join us for a traditional procession from St. Anthony’s Church in Little Italy celebrating the way of the cross on Good Friday.
March Break museum fun for the kids DreamWorks Exhibition – Ongoing until April 8th
Features rare and never-before-seen artwork and interactive displays from DreamWorks much-loved animated classics. Hours online. Children ages 3 to 7. Museum of History; 100 Laurier St., Gatineau.
Featuring children’s activities inspired by the DreamWorks Animation film How To Train Your Dragon: Handmade Fun: Dragon Training Shields – March 1st - 18th
Handmade Fun: Dazzling Dragon Eggs – March 19th - April 1st
Decorate your own dragon egg and sculpt a baby dragon to tuck inside — maybe a Zippleback, a Gronckle or a Fury.
Dragon Egg Hunt – March 19th - April 1st
Go on a quest to find magical dragon eggs. Search the Children’s Museum to find all 12 of the hidden dragon eggs. If you can sniff out every last one, we’ll give you a yummy chocolate egg as a reward.
Exhibit on display this March. Starts March 8th 6-9 PM. Santini Gallery, 169 Preston St.
Canadian Swingfest
– March 3 from 7:00 - 11:30 PM The LeBreton Gallery is being turned into a Second World War era dance hall! Put on your dancing shoes and 40s-inspired outfits for a swell evening of dancing. Tix: $15-$20. Canadian War Museum; 1 Vimy Place.
Massage your funny bone
@ Absolute Comedy this March March 1st - 4th – Derick Lengwenus w/ MC Trixx | March 6th - 11th – Trixx w/ MC Craig Fay | March 13th - 18th – Ward Anderson w/ MC Tim McDonald | March 20th - 25th – David Pryde w/ MC Darryl Purvis | March 27th - 31st – Glen Foster w/ MC Tommy Savitt. Absolute Comedy, 412 Preston St.
March into fitness
Start or finish all of your March activities in Ottawa’s most delicious neighbourhood.
Rejuvenation yoga session – March 3, 2018
from 3:30 - 5:30 PM Join us for a flow/yin class and melt tension away. New/ experienced yogis.
FLOW 101 Yoga – March 18,
2018 from 1:30 PM - 4:00 PM Looking for more ease & flow in your life? Take part in this 2.5 hour workshop to get on your way.
Visit: myyogatown.com Tix online. Yogatown, 300 Preston St.
Kettlebell Cross Training
This hybrid class built around dynamic and athletic movement will challenge your core, strength, and mobility alongside a phenomenal group of people. Visit: N1thai.com. N-1 Thai Boxing Academy, 401 Preston St.
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Visit prestonstreet.com for more details. To have your event listed, contact us at prestonbiainfo@gmail.com
Coming into View Exhibit by Mary McIninch & Lisa Mace
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Make your own colourful Viking shield and take it with you for protection on your adventures. Children ages 3 to 7.
Tix online. Tuesday - Saturday at 7:30 PM, Sunday matinee at 2:30 PM. The Gladstone Theatre, 910 Gladstone Ave.
PHILANTHROPY ‘It was about being accepting’ Ottawa lawyer Gordon Cudney has used his own battle with depression to shine a spotlight on mental health issues while helping raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the cause BY CAROLINE PHILLIPS caroline@obj.ca
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t’s not every day that a partner at a multinational law firm openly acknowledges living with depression. That Gordon Cudney has been helping to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Royal Ottawa Foundation for Mental Health is impressive. But that he’s also been sharing his own mental health story in an effort to boost awareness and end stigma is not only commendable; it’s courageous. On March 2, Cudney, a partner at the Ottawa office of Gowling WLG, will be one of eight individuals honoured at the Royal Foundation’s signature Inspiration Awards Gala, an annual black-tie awards
dinner that brings together hundreds of Ottawa community and business leaders to celebrate the contributions being made to the mental health cause. Cudney is vice-chair of the foundation’s board. He sat as a member of its cabinet for the $25-million campaign for mental health. He also co-chairs the Royal Ottawa Foundation’s annual golf tournament and has helped it grow from a charity event that netted $64,000 in 2009 to one that hauled in $217,000 last year. “I’m just so honoured and thankful,” Cudney, 39, says of being chosen for the Volunteer Leader for Mental Health Award. “The Foundation team has been amazing to work with. The dedication from the staff is truly inspiring.” Cudney, who advises clients on matters related to mergers and
acquisitions, corporate finance, secured transactions and business succession planning, has one of the largest business law practices in Gowling’s Ottawa office. Within the firm, Cudney is recognized as a leader. He serves as a mentor to young lawyers and is a role model for all, says Gowling WLG senior partner Scott Fletcher. CHANGING ATTITUDES Cudney was just starting out as a young lawyer when he got involved with the Royal Ottawa Foundation, led at the time by the late Andrée Steel, who became his mentor. It was his golfing buddy, Daniel Alfredsson, then captain of the Ottawa Senators and a champion for mental health, who got him interested. The Inspiration Awards, now in their
15th year, are a sign of how far Ottawa has come in shifting the attitudes that people have toward mental health, Cudney says. “Back when I was first diagnosed, I don’t think you’d find many 40-yearold partners in large law firms putting themselves out there like this. I can’t speak to any statistics, but I would bet that the city of Ottawa – thanks to initiatives like D.I.F.D. (a youth mental health campaign) and the You Know Who I am campaign – is way ahead of the class on anti-stigma and awareness. “I’ve seen it, I’ve lived it.” Cudney faced hardships early in life. He and his sister were primarily raised by a single mom, Sheila Cudney, who was the daughter of Sen. Duncan Kenneth MacTavish and Janet MacTavish, from the prominent Southam family.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
EMOND HARNDEN IS PLEASED TO ANNOUNCE THAT MÉLISSA LACROIX HAS JOINED THE FIRM AS A NEW PARTNER.
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Originally from Northern Ontario and fully bilingual, Mélissa practices in all areas of labour and employment law. Since joining the firm in 2010, Mélissa has represented the interests of both public and private sector employers in grievance arbitrations, collective bargaining, labour relations board proceedings, wrongful dismissal and contractual dispute litigation, human rights and harassment complaints filed with the Human Rights Tribunal, complaints filed with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, employment standards and judicial reviews. She also advises clients with respect to employment contracts, development and implementation of policies, restructuring, attendance management, accommodation and not-for-profit governance obligations. Her clients value her vigour, strategic input and practical advice.
ABOUT EMOND HARNDEN As a boutique labour and employment law firm, Emond Harnden has represented the interests of management in both official languages since 1987.
Emond Harnden helps clients resolve workplace challenges in a cost-effective and strategic manner. It represents a critical resource for navigating the ever-changing human resources landscape.
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Sheila was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1983 at age 39. She fought a valiant battle, but her cancer returned in 1999. She died four years later in Ottawa, when Cudney was only in his mid-20s. In the aftermath of his mother’s terminal illness and death, Cudney became anxious and withdrawn. He couldn’t sleep and suffered from a loss of appetite. He attributed his symptoms to a physical ailment that he couldn’t diagnose, despite repeated trips to the doctor for blood tests. “I never considered that it was mental,” he says. Thanks to the support (and gentle prodding) of his then-girlfriend, now wife, it was agreed he should explore the possibility that his symptoms were the result of mental illness. Cudney sought treatment, received medication and eventually recovered. He learned to co-exist with his mental illness.
“I am able to pay more attention to my clients and recognize when something is taking a toll on them.” – GOWLING WLG PARTNER GORDON CUDNEY, ON HOW SUFFERING FROM DEPRESSION HAS HELPED MAKE HIM A BETTER LAWYER
“I felt like it got easier after I got over my feelings of shame. It was about being accepting,” says Cudney, who graduated from Dalhousie University law school. Cudney and his wife, Alex Taggart, who’s also a lawyer, have three children ages four, six and eight. It’s important to him that he maintains open and healthy discussions with them relating to mental health issues. A mental illness such as depression could be viewed by some as a sign of weakness in a field that’s as demanding and competitive as law, concedes Cudney, a 2017 Forty Under 40 award recipient. Suicide rates among lawyers are
higher than in many other professions, and substance abuse, particularly with alcohol, is common. “For a client, you’re their leader, their strong voice, their advocate. They could say, ‘Why would I want that guy? We’re about to go into the trenches and he’s feeling a little off and admitting that he’s not sleeping at night,’” says Cudney. Yet he says he’s found that his illness has made him a better, more empathetic lawyer. He tends to notice when a client is in distress. “I am able to pay more attention to my clients and recognize when something is taking a toll on them,” he says. “I see it as value-add.”
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Female empowerment a central tenet in Hydro Ottawa’s diversity and inclusion plan
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OUR WORKFORCE REFLECTS THE DIVERSITY OF THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. REPRESENTING OTTAWA Hydro Ottawa aims to promote a workforce that mirrors the diversity of the communities it serves. “That includes women, visible minorities, new Canadians, people with disabilities, the LGBTQ+ community, and youth,” says Newell. “Attracting, engaging and retaining diverse talent spurs innovation and drives growth; and reflecting the communities that we serve means that we can offer additional value to our customers.” And the efforts to empower its employees have paid off; 2018 marks the tenth consecutive year that Hydro Ottawa has won a Top Employer award for the National Capital Region. In the coming years, Hydro Ottawa hopes to see more women join and advance within the organization. “We’re certainly seeing a difference, but we still have some work do to,” says Newell.
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COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY The utility recently launched its second multi-year diversity and inclusion plan. Under the program, which is slated to run until 2020, gender diversity is one of several key areas of focus. Newell explains Hydro Ottawa has undertaken several “bold initiatives” aimed at encouraging
women to pursue work in traditionally maledominated occupations. At the beginning of 2017, the utility signed onto the Leadership Accord on Gender Diversity for the Electricity Industry as a founding partner. Signatories commit to not only open the doors to more women in their ranks, but to actively implement practices that enable women to move up the ladder. The accord was put forth by Electricity Human Resources Canada. “It’s a commitment to breaking down some of the barriers and working towards integrating more women at all levels of the workplace,” explains Newell. As outlined in the accord, it’s not enough for organizations to simply hire more women; true diversity will only come as more women are welcomed into leadership positions, serving as role models for the generations that follow. “It comes from the top down,” as Newell puts it. With that in mind, Hydro Ottawa offers a Taking the Stage program delivered by the Niagara Institute, which is designed to nurture women within the organization to prepare them for leadership roles. This marks the third year the utility has been offering the program to its female leaders and emerging leaders.
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ny company looking to stake its place in today’s market knows that diversity in hiring has become a key business imperative. For organizations that serve the public, it’s all the more important to reflect the population they serve. As the region’s largest utility provider, Hydro Ottawa has made the hiring of a diverse workforce a top priority. “The electricity sector has historically been very male-dominated,” says Cindy Newell, Hydro Ottawa’s Director of Organizational Development. As an employer committed to diversity, Hydro Ottawa does more than pay lip service to diverse hiring; the utility takes active measures to work towards building a workforce that reflects the communities it serves. “Currently, we are focused on normalizing the presence of women in the trades,” says Newell.
COMMENTARY A deeper look inside China’s innovation boom Micheal Kelly says two recent business books are must-reads for anyone who wants to understand how China’s tech renaissance is reshaping the world’s economy China’s Next Strategic Advantage: From Innovation to Imitation by George Yip and Bruce McKerm. The MIT Press, 2016; Business Ecosystems in China, Alibaba, and Competing Baidu, Tencent, Xiaomi and LeEco by Mark J. Greeven and Wei Wei. London: Routledge, 2018.
universities, institutes, suppliers, government agencies and others. There is also an excellent chapter on one of the key concerns of western companies in China – the protection of intellectual property, which while improving, according to the authors, needs to be addressed both legally and strategically. Business Ecosystems in China is an excellent companion to China’s Next Strategic Advantage. Written by Mark Greeven, a professor at Zhejiang University in China, and Wei Wei, the founder of an innovation management consultancy, the book provides in-depth portraits of the networks supporting some of China’s leading technology companies. While few of these companies are yet household names, they are all less than 20 years old and are massive conglomerates that are rapidly emerging on the global scene.
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hina is currently in the midst of a technology and innovation renaissance. A recent U.S. National Science Foundation report concluded that the country is on the verge of becoming a global scientific and technical superpower. Similarly, the World Intellectual Property Organization has reported that China is poised to become the world’s largest user of the international patent system. In an increasing number of areas – including fintech, electric vehicles, artificial intelligence, gaming and more – China is becoming a world leader in technological innovation. Many of the trends emerging there are now beginning to have a significant impact on the global technology landscape. If you still think of China as just a large unsophisticated market, populated by unprofitable state-owned enterprises and copycat companies, these two books will open your eyes to this new competitive reality.
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GLOBAL TECH LEADER China’s Next Strategic Advantage by George Yip, a professor at Imperial Business School in London, and Bruce McKern, the former co-director at the Centre on China Innovation at the China Europe International Business School in Shanghai, charts the re-emergence of China as a global technology leader. Based on interviews with hundreds of innovation-related executives and CEOs of both foreign multinational and Chinese firms, the book is an in-depth guide for globally minded companies on navigating this new world innovation hub. According to the authors, China’s evolution from a producer of copycats and knock-offs to a leader in state-ofthe-art innovations has been fuelled by a number of factors. These include consumers who are among the fastest to adopt new products and applications; a home
market that lets firms attain huge scale before going abroad; a large number of low-cost and rising-quality scientists and engineers; massive investments by the government in the national innovation infrastructure to support business R&D; and tens of billions of dollars in venture capital investment. Fierce internal competition is also forcing Chinese companies to compete on the basis of innovation as cost advantages disappear. The authors argue that western companies today must look beyond the traditional view of China as a place to sell products. Increasingly, they need to think about how to take advantage of the growth of advanced knowledge and technology in the Chinese market. This means figuring out how to embed themselves in the Chinese technology ecosystem. By doing so, they will have a front-row seat on which universities and institutes are producing leading-edge knowledge, which startups are worth partnering with or acquiring and which venture capitalists and companies are creating innovative businesses. They would also be better positioned to understand and respond to the aspirations of leading Chinese technology companies to conquer global markets. The book provides great advice for participating in the Chinese innovation boom, especially the rapidly growing open innovation system which includes
DISRUPTING MARKETS The companies profiled in this book are the Amazons, Googles and Facebooks of China. For example, Chinese internet leaders Tencent and Alibaba currently have a combined valuation of US$1 trillion. Baidu, Xiaomi and LeEco are rapidly amassing size as they diversify, incubate new ventures, innovate, acquire and internationalize. They are using their profitability from their domestic sales, government assistance and their innovation capabilities to attack foreign markets. Today, China is creating companies and business ecosystems that are disrupting markets in both China and the rest of the world. Every senior executive of a western company needs to understand the Chinese drive for innovation that is about to hit western markets and position their companies to deal with this new and sophisticated competition. These two books provide some useful insights and guidance to help in dealing with this challenge.
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“I deal with a budget that’s decreasing – that’s the reality for everybody in our business. You have to be creative and nimble and think of how you’re going to survive in today’s environment.” – CPAC PRESIDENT CATHERINE CANO
Best Western Plus Ottawa Downtown Suites The surprising downtown Ottawa hotel you might have missed. 377 O’Connor Street, Ottawa, Ontario 1-800-465-7275
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Continued from page 3 Cano has worked as a journalist, producer, news analyst and media consultant. She’s travelled the world and covered elections, international economic summits and the Olympic Games. She’s been a deputy news director in Qatar. At age 42, she became the first female news director in Quebec at Radio-Canada. When she left the public broadcaster in 2016 to join CPAC, she was executive director of news programs. She also oversaw the integration of all CBC/RadioCanada news operations, on all platforms, in Ottawa. As well, she crossed over to the “dark side” for several years by working in the private sector as managing partner of the Toronto office of NATIONAL Public Relations. If it wasn’t for that job and all it taught her about business, she doesn’t believe she’d be running CPAC today. Last year, WXN – a networking and mentoring organization for women executives – put her on its list of Canada’s Most Powerful Women: Top 100 for the second time, and fellow networking group Women in Communications and Technology named her its Innovator of the Year. The female trailblazer has also taken home a pair of Geminis and the Michener Fellowship. In May, Cano will receive the Meritas Tabaret Award for Alumni, the highest honour handed out to a former graduate of the University of Ottawa. Created in 1992, CPAC is owned by six cable companies – Rogers, Shaw, Videotron, Cogeco, Access and Eastlink – who have invested more than $50 million to provide the service. It provides free coverage of House of Commons proceedings, Parliamentary committees, Royal Commissions, inquiries and Supreme Court hearings. It also produces up to 30 hours a week of original content.
Fall in love with problems
CONNECTING TECH IN OTTAWA
SaaS startup advice straight from Silicon Valley Erin Blaskie, community manager with
Ottawa’s L-Spark accelerator, brings back perspectives, takeaways and unicorn-building lessons from SaaStr 2018
I wish I would have kept a record of the number of times I heard someone at SaaStr say the phrase, “solve problems.” Nearly every single person that took the stage echoed that sentiment loud and clear and applied their own unique viewpoint to it. For example, Karen Peacock, COO of Intercom, said: “You have to fall in love with problems, not solutions.” She went on to talk about how you need to watch what people do and not what they say, because you can easily fall into a trap of thinking that you are creating a solution people want when in reality, no one will use it. Her advice? “Focus on that magical time when a customer first comes to you and is interested in learning more about what you do. Watch how they move through that process and fall in love with the problems that pop up.” Allie Janoch, CEO of Mapistry, spoke about the importance of building in a customer success strategy and offered this advice: “Solutions are great because people will pay a whole lot more for them. Solutions solve a core problem for your customers’ business, but keep in mind that sometimes a solution isn’t enough. Sometimes you need a customer success strategy, too.”
2018 predictions
SaaStr ends with a talk from Byron Deeter of Bessemer Venture Partners. It’s called the State of the Cloud, and Deeter, along with his incredibly talented team, share their predictions for the year ahead. Here were Deeter’s very high-level predictions for 2018: 1. Rise of server-less computing 2. APIs will drive innovation 3. Blockchain will find a home in the enterprise 4. Payments-as-a-Service 5. Move from system of record to system of results 6. Explosion of screen-less software 7. Values create value; company values and the voice of the employee matter now more than ever 8. The cloud is flat; we’ll see innovation outside of the Valley Photo by Erin Blaskie
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t was the morning of day one: Chaos ensued as more than 7,000 SaaStrites descended upon the Hilton Union Square in San Francisco in early February, but, just like everything else in the softwareas-a-service space, the organizers pivoted quickly to regain control. SaaStr Annual is a conference designed to bring together the brightest in the SaaS space to share best practices, divulge industry secrets and remind everyone that the journey, while hard, is not one that you need to do solo. This was my first SaaStr conference, so I showed up with my laptop in one hand and a coffee in the other, ready to absorb as much information as humanly possible. My primary goals were to come away from SaaStr 2018 with a deeper understanding of the space, the ability to better support our accelerator’s cohort and with a renewed fervour to build some incredible companies right here on Canadian soil. I achieved all of that – and more.
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“Pivot from arrogance to humility. It will allow you to be confident in your idea but still seek out wisdom of people who have been there before.”
50-something-year-old entrepreneur who has achieved what many would call the pinnacle of success. It was her advice on humility that put me at ease and lessened, if only a little, the intimidation I had around The way we think some of these tech giants. We’ve heard it before – founders in Silicon “The biggest mistakes happen when Valley think differently. They will walk into people believe their own hype. When that a room, much like Michelle Zatlyn – cohappens, they lose focus on the business founder of Cloudflare – did, and announce itself. If you are the CEO of a small company, that their company is raising a $20-million you need to be committed to doing whatever round the same way we in Canada might it takes to make that business successful,” ask for $250,000. she said. This larger-than-life way of thinking may “Pivot from arrogance to humility. It will seem like it’s “just the way it is down in the allow you to be confident in your idea but Valley,” but that would mean forgetting that still seek out wisdom of people who have – Therese Tucker, CEO of BlackLine some people in the Valley, such as Zatlyn been there before.” herself, are Canadian. Being able to walk into a boardroom The content at SaaStr features a lot However, rippling through the undercurrents and demand your worth may seem like a of catchy titles and industry buzzwords is a shared experience that reminds us that juxtaposition next to advice on humility, but delivered by CEOs and founders of worldwe’re all human – regardless of which zip it seems like many of the Valley founders class companies, but what lies under the code we find ourselves in. carry contrasting mindsets. This way of surface is the psychology that motivates a lot One of those profound shared thinking, and the approach that many of the of the founders here. It’s palpable, infectious experiences came from Therese Tucker, speakers took to solving problems, became and, at times, downright intimidating. CEO of BlackLine, who is a sassy, my greatest source of learning.
While some of these ideas will ring true and some will not, it’s certainly interesting to see what is coming down the pipeline. My heart did swell with Ottawa pride when I saw Shopify used as an example throughout the report and as the basis for some of the 2018 predictions. If you work in the SaaS space or you’re building a startup that has a software-as-aservice or enterprise software component, sign up and go to SaaStr. Most conferences tout the value of the networking, which is completely true for SaaStr, but for me, the content here was king and the can’t-avoid-it-even-if-you-tried side effects of being bumped up against Silicon Valley’s build-a-unicorn energy will keep you going for a long time to come. Erin Blaskie is the community manager at L-Spark. She’ll be sharing more insights from SaaStr 2018 on the accelerator’s website, L-Spark.com.
Winners of the 2018 Bootstrap Awards Green Award: Riverwood Acoustics
Founder/CEO: Ben Seaman Riverwood Acoustics manufactures and sells premium wireless speakers made of 100% reclaimed birch riverwood.
Innovation Engineering & Technology Award: SanEcoTec Ltd.
Founder/CEO: Els Vanbeckevoort SanEcoTec Ltd. develops sustainable water treatment practices. The focus of its business to date has largely been on the development of AVIVE™, which provides an alternative to chlorine in secondary disinfection of drinking water; the AVIVE™ water treatment process involves the use of hydrogen peroxide, which is considered safer, more cost-efficient and healthier to the ultimate consumer.
Best Mobile Application: GoFor
Co-Founder/CEO: Brad Rollo GoFor is an Uber-like platform meeting the unique needs of the construction industry. The app allows users, both construction professionals and do-ityourselfers, to have small to medium-sized orders of building materials delivered immediately.
Best Guerilla/Social Marketing Campaign: Digitera
Founder/CEO: Jordan St. Jacques Digitera provides comprehensive digital marketing services that aim to, for example, increase traffic to a company’s website, strengthen a company’s social media presence and successfully implement blast/ email marketing campaigns.
Bootstrap Capital Award: Spatial DNA Informatics Inc.
Founder/CEO: Todd Lewis Spatial DNA Informatics Inc. is a systems integration firm, focussed on integration of location-based data into enterprise systems. Its “PeopleFlow” platform tracks the movement of people and things in indoor spaces for retailers, manufacturers and workplace experience professionals; it provides complete end-to-end service delivery of an installed sensor network and an analytics platform to understand flow / footfall in retail, manufacturing and workplaces.
Community Impact Award: KindVillage
Founder/CEO: Tanya Woods Kind Village develops software and organizational solutions to increase the social impact of businesses, employees/citizens, charities/non-profits and government in local communities.
Co-Founder/CEO: Elizabeth Audette-Bourdeau Welbi has developed an app that uses the data collected by wearable devices, such as Fitbit or Apple Watch, to build a specialized profile of each individual’s vital signs, day-to-day routine and habits – including heart rate, sleep quality, physical activity, weight, blood pressure and more – and to notify their caregivers of any changes that may indicate a problem.
Jason Lee’s journey from Siberia to SmartCone to make life safer by Craig Lord
T
ravelling through Bolivia, Siberia and the Middle East early in his career, Jason Lee realized the many security and communications projects he was working on all shared a common flaw. “During that 10-year journey, the one thing that really stuck out to me everywhere was there wasn’t enough help to keep people safe.” Lee recently joined Techopia Live to talk about how this critical missing piece for soldiers, first responders and construction workers drove him to found SmartCone Technologies, which manufactures a connected device in Ottawa that he hopes can make life safer for the people trying to save lives themselves. The SmartCone, as it stands today, is an easy-to-deploy device in emergency situations, in construction zones or anywhere sensors are needed to quickly gather data. Its array of sensors can detect anything from hazardous gases to approaching footsteps, and it connects to the cloud to deliver information to off-site managers. When Lee first started work on the project back in 2009, the Internet of Things hadn’t really been imagined yet – but that’s exactly what he was already working on. The problem is that while today developers have access to a variety of miniaturized tech to construct connected devices, those chips were tough to source a decade ago. Size was important to SmartCone, though. The device itself is placed in a tube just a few inches wide, Lee says, because “anywhere in the world” you can find a three-inch pipe. “So that gave our customers the ability to be able to mount it in an area. We wanted to give the freedom to people to do that,” he told Techopia Live. With the prevalence of IoT in today’s market, SmartCone has been able to accelerate development. The firm has partnered with IBM Watson and other large companies to implement the device in numerous applications. Lee says there are many use cases for the
SmartCone founder and CEO Jason Lee. Photo by Mark Holleron SmartCone, but the company is better off focusing on constructing reliable hardware and making sure the platform can plug in to whatever a prospective customer wants. “Inviting these companies to run with it and making it their own has been the secret to our success so far,” he said. One of those early customers is the City of Ottawa: SmartCone has been deployed at the O’Connor bike path and Waverley Street intersection to warn drivers about approaching cyclists. Lee says the device isn’t just about making Ottawa streets safer in the moment, it’s about the future of smart cities. The data collected by SmartCone includes information on near-misses, where a collision could have occurred. Reducing these is nearly as important as actual accident reductions, he said, because no one needs to be hurt to gather useful data. “As the planners begin putting new measures in, maybe a new signal or maybe brighter lights, we can track and map the difference it’s making. We’re saving lives without having to have an accident. That, to us, is the foundation to us of what the smart city is.” Lee told Techopia Live that the SmartCone can currently do about five per cent of what he wants it to achieve. With the increasing popularity of IoT and smart city applications, he believes the device can be a gamechanger in the lives of workers and everyday citizens.
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The 2018 Bootstrap Awards will be presented on Tuesday, March 6 at the Marshes Golf Club in Kanata. The awards are powered by The Ottawa Network, presented by Smart & Biggar and will feature special guest speaker Code Cubitt of Mistral Venture Partners.
Techopia Live brings Ottawa’s hottest startups and coolest tech execs to your screen every week. The live tech show airs at 12:15 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays on Techopia’s Facebook and Twitter channels. Check out our ever-growing video archive of 80+ Ottawa tech interviews at bit.ly/TechopiaLive, and if you’re reading our digital edition, click play below.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Founder of the Year: Welbi Technologies Inc.
TECHOPIA LIVE
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Stories and photos by Caroline Phillips
FUNDRAISER
Erik Karlsson with his wife, Melinda, who’s expecting their first child this spring, along with Neil Malhotra, vice-president of Claridge Homes, and his wife, Ainsley Malhotra.
Ottawa Senators head coach Guy Boucher with his wife, Marsha Akkerhuis, a board member with the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
Sens team up with community leaders to raise $278K for local youth
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How do you grab the attention of chatty gala-goers when you need them to head to the ballroom for dinner? Send in an eight-piece brass band. Its big noises will do the trick. And it was entirely appropriate for this year’s Senators Soirée, which showcased a fun and colourful Mardi Gras theme. The gala, held Feb. 11 at the Hilton Lac Leamy in Gatineau, brought together hundreds of business and community leaders and raised $278,000 in support of children and youth in our community. The evening involved the participation of the Ottawa Senators hockey players,
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coaches and management as well as owner Eugene Melnyk, who doesn’t regularly attend the annual fundraiser. On hand were the foundation’s president, Danielle Robinson, and board president, Goldy Hyder, president and CEO of Hill+Knowlton Strategies. Dan Greenberg, owner of Ferguslea Properties, and his wife, Barbara Crook, came dressed for the festive occasion. The Senators Soirée is the signature gala of the Ottawa Senators Foundation, the charitable arm of the hockey club. Its goal is to help children and youth reach their full potential by investing in social recreation and education programs that
promote both their physical and mental wellness. Melnyk took to the stage before dinner to deliver a big round of thankyous to the organizers and attendees, lead sponsors Ferguslea Properties and Bell, and to the hockey players, along with their wives and girlfriends, for taking time out of their busy schedules to volunteer for the foundation and the worthy causes it supports. “We’re doing such wonderful things in this city to make sure that it’s a place where people can work, play and really get involved with the youth of the city,” said Melnyk.
He acknowledged that it’s been a “very tough season” for the team. “But I can say without a doubt the future looks very, very bright for us. “I really believe in this organization and the city, and that the team itself is going to right this ship and do very, very well for all the fans and the city in the future,” said Melnyk, whose comments elicited applause from the audience. Returning to host the evening was radio personality and Ottawa Senators PA announcer “Stuntman” Stu Schwartz, who is never at a loss for what to wear to these things.
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Ottawa Senators goalie Craig Anderson with Monica Singhal and her husband Kevin Yemm from the family-owned Richcraft Group of Companies.
NEWS FROM CANADA’S LARGEST TECHNOLOGY PARK - KANATA NORTH WHERE WE LIVE: NEW BROOKSTREET GM NYLE KELLY CHECKS IN bit.ly/Brookstreet-GM
Alisha Hyder, 23, and her sister, Alaina Hyder, 18, are fans of Senators forward Bobby Ryan (second from left), while their dad, Goldy Hyder, is board chair of the Ottawa Senators Foundation.
CELEBRATING 20TH ANNIVERSARY, IRDETO’S CLOAKWARE PROTECTS CONNECTED CARS bit.ly/Kanata-Irdeto
TECH CEO LES RECHAN RETURNS TO KANATA NORTH TO LEAD SOLACE bit.ly/Rechan-Solace
From left, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion and Melanie Baillargeon with Steffanie Bilodeau and her husband, Frank Bilodeau, district vice-president for Scotiabank and an Ottawa Senators Foundation board member.
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one of the tables for dinner. The evening’s live auction items included: an Arctic cruise to Greenland and Baffin Island, courtesy of One Ocean Expeditions; a trip to New Orleans; an opportunity to bring a minor hockey team to the Canadian Tire Centre for a 45-minute on-ice practice led by head coach Guy Boucher; and a group round of golf with general manager Pierre Dorion at the Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland. Among the raffle prizes was a oneweek stay at the Grand Isle Resort and Spa in Exuma, Bahamas, donated by Peter Nicholson of The Foundation (WCPD).
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
“I know, you’re all looking at me going, ‘Is this guy dressed as a pimp?’” he joked on stage while conspicuously dressed in a mix of golds and purples. The $500-a-ticket night featured a cocktail reception with players from the Ottawa Senators, followed by a dinner featuring blackened beef tenderloin with grilled prawn and a special New Orleansthemed bread pudding for dessert. Schwartz introduced the players to the audience while the team’s theme sang played and the audience cheered. The players and their dates then made their way across the stage – giving friendly waves and smiles to the crowd – before heading down the stairs to join
VIDEO SECURITY FIRM SOLINK SECURES $5M IN VC FINANCING
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GALA
VIENNESE WINTER BALL OFFERS DREAMY NIGHT OF DINING, DANCING No other charity event in Ottawa quite compares to the Viennese Winter Ball, with its ballroom dancers floating effortlessly across the floor to the enchanting sounds of live orchestral music. The atmosphere was particularly cozy Feb. 10 inside the Shaw Centre’s Trillium Ballroom, its windows partially covered by a curtain of snow. There, more than 250 people, including many from the business community, came together in support of causes that connect children and youth to classical music. Chris Spiteri, managing partner at law firm Spiteri & Ursulak, co-chaired the 17-member organizing committee with powerhouse Crickett Williams Lindgren. Her daughter Noelle, a Grade 11 student at Ashbury College, was one of the debutantes. The $400-a-ticket Viennese Winter Ball has pretty much been a fixture on Ottawa’s social scene since 1996. Its causes are OrKidstra, the Junior Thirteen Strings, and
and
youth programming through Music and Beyond. Music and Beyond has taken the lead in promoting the ball. Cellist Julian Armour is the executive and artistic director of the non-profit arts organization while Spiteri serves as chair of the board. Every year, the organizing committee encourages high school students to apply to become a debutante or cavalier for the ball. When it came time for Rachel Murray, a Grade 12 student at Glebe Collegiate, to find the required formal white gown, she went the practical route and decided to wear her mother’s wedding dress. It had been in storage since 1991, when Laurel Murray of Murray Management Consulting got married. Her mom’s dress fit perfectly, after they shortened the hemline a little and removed the outdated poofy sleeves. Lara Crone made her own satin dress, with organza skirt overlay and beaded detail. It’s no surprise the 17-year-old Glebe
and
present:
present:
Breakfast Series Breakfast Series Mayor’s Mayor’s A unique opportunity to enjoy breakfast His Worship Jim Watson A unique opportunity to enjoywith breakfast with HisMayor Worship Mayor Jim Watson and hear from and community leaders about issues critical to Ottawa. and business hear from business and community leaders about issues critical to Ottawa. Guest Speaker:
Guest Speaker:Guest Speaker: Honourable Marie-France Lalonde, Honourable Catherine MarcMcKenna Seaman, Chairperson Minister of Community Safety and Minister of Environment and Climate Change National Capital Commission
Correctional Services
Thursday, April Tuesday, 27, 2017March Monday, December 20, 201811, 2017 Location: Ottawa City HallOttawa Location: Ottawa Location: CityCity HallHall Registration: 7:00 a.m. Registration: 7:00 a.m. Registration: 7:00am Buffet Breakfast: 7:30 Breakfast: a.m. Buffet 7:30 a.m. Buffet Breakfast: 8:00 7:30am Presentation: 8:00 a.m. Presentation: a.m.
Presentation: 8:00am
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
INDIVIDUALINDIVIDUAL TICKETS: TICKETS: $35.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $35.00 + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $50.00 + HST (Non-Members) $50.00 + HST (Non-Members) CORPORATE TABLES OFTABLES 8 WITH SIGNAGE: CORPORATE OF 8 WITH SIGNAGE: $245 + HST $245 (Ottawa Chamber Members) + HST (Ottawa Chamber Members) $350 + HST $350 (Non-Members) + HST (Non-Members)
Register online www.ottawachamber.ca Register online www.ottawachamber.ca Event Sponsors:Event Sponsors:
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Crickett Williams Lindgren with her husband, John Lindgren, president and CEO at California-based IPVALUE, at the Viennese Winter Ball at the Shaw Centre on Feb. 10.
From left, Chris Spiteri and his wife, organizing committee member Jane Spiteri, with their guests, Judith Manley and former deputy prime minister John Manley, president and CEO of the Business Council of Canada.
From left, Ted Wagstaff, president of North45 Partnerships, with Jacqueline Belsito, vice-president of philanthropy at the CHEO Foundation, and Alison Hindo, who, really, would have had a hard time upstaging the striking formal uniform worn by her husband, honorary colonel Paul Hindo.
17 ® TM
Trade-mark of Capital Sports & Entertainment. 2017-0809
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later with Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah, accompanied by harpist Caroline Léonardelli. Following the candlelit dinner, the Stevens and Kennedy Band took to the stage and the dance floor was open to all dance moves. Last fall, Music & Beyond got Canadian rock singer-songwriter Sam Roberts to pay a visit to students of Canterbury High School to talk music. He sang a couple of his own songs but he also played violin with classical musicians. Roberts was funny, engaging and, of course, talented. “To see the look of awe on the faces of these young people, as this rock star was playing classical music, was incredible,” said Spiteri on stage while recalling how the visit left at least one kid musing that it might be time for him to take another stab at playing the violin. “This is what we’re all about, and this is what this is all about,” said Spiteri.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Collegiate student is so handy; her father, Jonathan Crone, works in high-tech but does woodworking as a hobby. He made the baton that was auctioned off that night and the unique writing pens that were gifted to the youth and guests of the head table. Together, the co-chairs thanked the sponsors to the popular tune of My Favourite Things from The Sound of Music. The words had been modified by committee member Micheline Saikaley, who, when she co-chaired the Ashbury Ball last fall, used a similar creative approach for acknowledging supporters. The crowd was dazzled by talent throughout the night. Young violin virtuoso Kerson Leong, 20, performed. So did singer Kellylee Evans. She crooned the sentimental ballad Edelweiss, sounding as delicate as the alpine flower itself, as high school students performed a choreographed waltz they’d been rehearsing for weeks. She followed up
THE LIST 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
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Size of local No. of commercial Company/Address commercial properties managed Phone/Fax/Web portfolio (in sq. ft.) locally BGIS 400-300 Sparks St. Ottawa, ON . K1R 7S3 23,107,014 315 613-943-4100 bgis.com Colonnade BridgePort 200-16 Concourse Gate Ottawa, ON K2E 7S8 5,435,201 78 613-225-8118 / 613-225-3898 colonnadebridgeport.ca Morguard 402-350 Sparks St. Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8 5,137,350 42 613-237-6373 / 613-237-0007 morguard.com KRP Properties 206-555 Legget Dr. Ottawa, ON K2K 2X3 3,071,290 33 613-591-0594 / 613-591-0018 krpdevelopmentgroup.com Minto Properties 200-180 Kent St. Ottawa, ON K1P 0B6 2,650,000 17 613-230-7051 / 613-788-2758 minto.com The Regional Group 1737 Woodward Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 0P9 2,500,000 32 613-230-2100 / 613-230-9880 regionalgroup.com Arnon 1801 Woodward Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 0R3 2,040,000 40 613-226-2000 / 613-225-0391 arnon.ca Apollo Property Management 1200 Prince of Wales Dr., Suite D Ottawa, ON K2C 3Y4 2,000,000 23 613-225-7969 / 613-727-0378 apollomgt.com Brookfield 480-112 Kent St. Ottawa, ON K1P 5P2 2,000,000 6 613-783-0930 / 613-563-9694 www.brookfield.com Manulife Real Estate 1490-55 Metcalfe St. Ottawa, ON K1P 6L5 1,663,506 12 613-238-6611 / 613-235-9283 manulife.com Metcalfe Realty 210-130 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1P 5G4 1,604,104 22 613-563-4442 / 613-232-3491 metcalfe.ca Epic Realty Partners* 100-473 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1R 5B4 1,500,000 WND 613-274-3742 / 613-274-3558 epicrealtypartners.com District Realty 50 Bayswater Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Y 2E9 1,492,171 37 613-759-8383 / 613-759-8448 districtrealty.com GWL Realty Advisors* 502-255 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1P 6A9 1,400,000 4 613-238-2333 / 613-238-2006 gwlra.com QuadReal Property Group 300-45 O’Connor St. Ottawa, ON K1P 1A4 1,400,000 11 613-690-7400 / 613-563-3217 quadreal.com Richcraft Group 201-2280 St. Laurent Blvd. Ottawa, ON K1G 4K1 1,400,000 27 613-739-7111 / 613-739-7102 richcraft.com Waterford Property Group 100-333 Preston St. Ottawa, ON K1S 5N4 1,200,000 WND 613-230-3434 / 613-230-2635 waterfordpg.com Canderel 1750–360 Albert St. Ottawa, ON K1R 7X7 1,058,611 3 613-688-3558 https://canderel.com H&R REIT* 3625 Dufferin St. Toronto, ON M3K 1N4 984,531 1 416-635-7520 / 416-635-9921 hr-reit.com Taggart Realty Management* 708-225 Metcalfe St. Ottawa, ON K2P 1P9 800,000 WND 613-234-7000 / 613-235-8910 taggart.ca
LARGEST PROPERTY MANAGERS (RANKED BY SIZE OF LOCAL COMMERCIAL PORTFOLIO, IN SQUARE FEET)
No. of local employees
600
115
114
Key local executive(s)/ Year established locally
Notable properties managed
Claude Bujold vice-president of client service, delivery, PSPC
Carling Campus; 125 Sussex Dr.; 111 Sussex Dr.; 1 John St., 240 Sparks St.; 373 Sussex Dr.; 122 Bank St.; 284 Wellington St.; 350 King Edward Ave.; 275 Sparks St.; 395 Wellington St.; 1010 Somerset St. W.; 933 Gladstone Ave.; 875 Heron Rd.; 1 Sandridge Rd.; 2000 Research Rd.; 101 Colonel By Dr.
Greg Johnston vice-president of property management Hugh Gorman, CEO 1985 Tullio Capulli, vice-president of property management and leasing Mary Knapp, general manager, St. Laurent Centre 1975
250 Tremblay Rd.; 66 Slater St.; 1101 Polytek St.; 315-319 McRae Ave.; 275 Slater St.; Holland Cross
150 Elgin/Grant House; 215 Slater St.; 131/155/181 Queen St.; 99 Metcalfe St.; St. Laurent Centre office/retail; 280 Slater St./333 Laurier Ave.; 301 Laurier; 350 Sparks St.; 361 Queen; 1601 Telesat Crt.; 365/450 March Rd.; 1001 Farrar Rd.
60
Terry Young 307, 309, 340, 350, 360, 411, 515, 535 and 555 Legget Dr.; 303, 320, 340, 349, 350, 359, 360 and 362 Terry Fox Dr.; director of property management 100 Helmsdale Dr.; 2500 Solandt Rd.; 390, 300, 320, 340, 400, 495 and 505 March Rd.; 1125, 1135 and 1987 1145 Innovation Dr.
29
JP St-Amand director of operations 1955
Minto Place and 180 Kent; Lansdowne Building I and Annex; Fifth+Bank Building; Orleans Central and Pad; Klondike Crossings; 3091 and 3101 Strandherd Dr.; 73 Leikin Dr.
50
Jeff Gould senior vice-president 1958
1105 Carling Ave.; 141 Colonnade Rd.; 100 Colonnade Rd.; 130 Colonnade Rd.; 1550 Carling Ave.; 200 Catherine St.; 1725 Woodward Dr.; 1737 Woodward Dr.; 415 Legett Dr.; 2090 Robertson Rd.; 2194 Robertson Rd.; 261 Montreal Rd.; 214 Montreal Rd.; 1008-1024 Wellington St.; 200-208 Dalhousie St.; 240 Michael Cowpland Dr.; 27 Capital Dr.; 331 Cooper St.; 309 Cooper St.
100
Michael Casey vice-president of management and development Gilad Vered 1960
2 and 100 Constellation Cres.; 60 Queen St.; 180 Elgin St.; 56 Sparks St.
85
Patrick Charbonneau president 1995
1111 Prince of Wales Dr.; 1200 Prince of Wales Dr.; 4366 Innes Rd.; 361 Elgin St.; 80 Elgin St.; 1233 Wellington St.; Les Suites Hotel; 2949 Carling Ave.; 150 Woodroffe Ave.; 1200 Ogilvie Rd.; 315 McCleod St.; 2285 St. Laurent Blvd.; 46 Antares Dr.; 65 Bentley Ave.; 261 Centrepointe Dr.; 430 Hazeldean Rd.; WelcomInns Hotel; 460 West Hunt Club Rd.; 1487 Cyrville Rd.; 9 Gurdwara; 1463-1495 Richmond Rd.; 359-373 Poulin Ave.; 2648-2664 Priscilla St.
40
Michael Swan regional director of leasing and property management 2005
112 Kent St.; 320 Queen St.; 300 Sparks St.; 330 Sparks St.; 300 Slater St.; 365 Laurier St. W.
24
Stephen Nicoletti managing director of eastern Canada 1974
55 Metcalfe St.; 55 Murray St.; 150 Slater St.; 220 Laurier Ave. W.; 1600 Carling Ave.; 2932 Baseline Rd.; 2934 Baseline Rd; 2936 Baseline Rd.; 2300 St-Laurent; 2020 Walkley; 2935 Conroy; 5705 Hazeldean Rd.
55
John McKenna vice-president 1949
75, 85, 116 and 130 Albert St.; 123 and 151 Slater St.; 150 Isabella St.; 2650 and 2680 Queensview Dr.; 1385 Bank St.; 161 Greenbank Rd.; 7 Hinton Ave.; 700 Industrial Ave.; 1926 Merivale Rd.; 2339 Ogilvie Rd.; 255 City Centre Ave.; 1517, 1519 and 1523 Laperierre Ave.; 119 and 121 Slater St.
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Brian Roberts managing partner 2007
473 Albert St.; 340 Laurier Ave. W.; 80 Aberdeen St.; 9 Gurdwara Rd.; 729 Ridgewood Ave.; 1-9 Brewer Hunt Way; 1260 Teron Rd.; 1250 Main St. Stittsville; 400 Maple Grove Rd.; 245 Stafford Dr.; Cornwall Square Mall; Quinte Crossroads
55
Kelly Kerrigan vice-president of operations Jason Shinder broker and vice-president 1987
177 Nepean St.; 177-179 Colonnade Rd.; 248, 1270-1272, 1549-1571 Bank St.; 126-130 York St.; 2505 St. Laurent Blvd.; 1327-1335 Wellington; 2 Woodfiled; 320 McArthur Ave.; 68 Chamberlain; 375 Des Epinettes; One Nicholas; 17-18-20 and 37 Enterprise Ave.; 1301 Ages Dr.; 261 Somerset St.; 2211, 2249-2255 and 1675-1679 Carling Ave.; 20 James St.; 21 Florence; 2353-2368 Carling Ave.; 880 Lady Ellen Pl.
24
Michael Zanon director for the National Capital Region 2001
90 Elgin St.; 200 Kent St.; 269 Laurier Ave.; 255 Albert St.
30
Dan Gray vice-president of leasing 2000
World Exchange Plaza; Park of Commerce, Carling Executive Park; City Park Place
130
Ben Sherman, director of leasing 1377 Triole St.; 2370 Walkley Rd.; 1480 Michael St.; 1350 Leeds Ave.; 2495 Lancaster Rd.; 2239 and Michael Ivanich 2287 Gladwin Cres.; 6, 14 and 20 Bexley Pl.; 30 Stafford Rd.; 200 Terence Matthews Cres.; 2270 and director of property management 2280 St. Laurent Blvd.; 2630 Sheffield Rd.; 2171 Thurston Dr. 1985
20
Steve Moffatt vice-president Brian Murray director of leasing 1983
Preston Square
Peter Rychlik General manager Vicky Dinelle Senior leasing manager
Constitution Square, 340-350 and 360 Albert St.
5
Elmar Janssen manager 1996
160 Elgin St.; Place d’Orleans; 500 Palladium Dr.; 1880 Innes Rd.
25
Paul Taggart president 1946
265 Carling Ave.; 85 Plymouth St. & 610 Bronson Ave.; 359 Kent St.; 225 Metcalfe St.; 1931 Robertson Rd.; 1081 Carling Ave.;
WND
WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 2018 survey – using data from previous years. Should your company be on this list? If so, please send details to research@obj.ca This list is current as of February 21, 2018. © 2018 by Ottawa Business Journal. All rights reserved. This material may not be reproduced by any method in whole or in part without written permission by Ottawa Business Journal. While every attempt is made to ensure the thoroughness and accuracy of the list, omissions and errors sometimes occur. Please send any corrections or additions by e-mail to research@obj.ca. OBJ lists are primarily compiled using information provided voluntarily by the organizations named. Some firms that may qualify for the list are not included because the company either failed to respond to requests for information by press time, because the company declined to take part in the survey or because of space constraints. Categories are drawn up in attempt to gather information of relevance to the Ottawa market. Research by Patti Moran. Please send questions and comments to research@obj.ca.
FOR THE RECORD People on the move Amy Willis was named president of the Hong Kong Canada Business Association. Willis is a director with Pinnacle Global and has more than 10 years’ experience in strategic planning, operations, finance and partnership development in China, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States. Leonovus announced that Christopher Benk has joined the firm as vicepresident of finance and chief financial officer. Mr. Benk is a chartered professional accountant, chartered accountant and chartered business valuator with more than 17 years of corporate financial experience. Scott MacFabe will join BluMetric Environmental as chief executive officer. Mr. MacFabe has a background in environmental consulting in both Canada and the United States, and has been responsible for acquisition integration, leading sizeable operations that served large clients and providing solutions to complicated environmental challenges.
Roberto Campos has been named a partner at Rubin & Rotman Architects. Campos currently heads the firm’s Ottawa office and is a lead architect on the Zibi Development on the Ottawa River.
Hats off Tomlinson earned the Infrastructure Health and Safety Association President’s Award for accumulating and surpassing 750,000 employee hours without incurring a compensable injury. This is Tomlinson’s seventh President’s Award from IHSA. The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management was named winner of the 2018 CFA Society Toronto Ethics Challenge. The Telfer team was led by faculty adviser Pouya Safi and included members James Beaudoin, Aamena Chatoo, Christian Cotroneo, Natalie Dokmajian and Nicholas Pelchat, who demonstrated their ability to negotiate ethical dilemmas in reallife investment scenarios.
Contracts The following contains information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms. Deloitte Inc. 100 Queen St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: CBSA $23,476,703 Systematix IT Solutions Inc. 333 Preston St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: DND $9,073,863 IT/NET Ottawa and KPMG LLP, in joint venture 150 Elgin St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: DND $8,951,954 Excel Human Resources Inc. 102 Bank St. Description: Informatics professional services
Buyer: PWGSC $6,392,877
Immigration Canada $4,463,741
S.i. Systems Ltd. 170 Laurier Ave W. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: PWGSC $6,387,770
CIMA Canada Inc. 240 Catherine St. Description: Human resource services Buyer: PWGSC $4,385,100
Modis Canada Inc. 155 Queen St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $4,913,160
Nisha Technologies Inc. 2150 Thurston Dr. Description: Automatic data processing equipment Buyer: Shared Services Canada $3,653,058 Modis Canada Inc. 155 Queen St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Library and Archives Canada $1,953,941
Randstad Interim Inc. 1600 Carling Ave. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Citizenship and Immigration Canada $4,815,337 CGI Information Systems and Management Consultants Inc. 1410 Blair Pl. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Citizenship and
Modis Canada Inc. 155 Queen St. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: DND $1,848,037
talk
CEO
SERIES
Topic: Thank you for sharing your insights in 2017 on how to make Ottawa the most innovative city and BEST PLACE to do business. This data is part of the Ottawa Business Growth Survey. Conducted by Abacus Data and made possible by Welch LLP, the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and the Ottawa Business Journal, the survey gathered input from hundreds of local businesses.
New mindsets: Rethinking our economy to drive innovation.
Location: The Westin Ottawa TwentyTwo
king 5:00 p.m. Registration & networ & Q&A on tati sen pre e not 6:00 p.m. Key 7:00 p.m. Networking
Individual Tickets: $30 + HST
(Ottawa Chamber Members)
$40 + HST (Non-Members) Presented by: AND
Event Sponsors
Vicki Saunders
Founder of SheEO Vicki Saunders, Founder of SheEO will share her unique perspective on why we need new mindsets to drive innovation in Canada. She’ll share the lessons learned so far from the ‘born-in-Canada’ SheEO model that recognized as one of the leading innovations in advancing women’s economic impact.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2018
Download your FREE Digital copy at www.ottawabusinessgrowthreport.ca
Tuesday, March 6, 2018 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
19 Register online at www.ottawachamber.ca
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