Fintech phenom @techopiaOTT
EMPLOYEES’
CH ARICDSE
AW 16 2015-
UOttawa alumnus Marwan Forzley is making it big in the U.S. by shaking up the buttoned-down world of finance > PAGES 4-5
February 15, 2016 Vol. 19, NO. 8
DETAILS ON PAGE 16
For daily business news visit obj.ca
Savings ensured
If you really want to get the best deal on insurance, do your homework, Michael Prentice writes. > PAGE 8
Tourism’s top dog Ottawa Tourism turns to former airport authority VP Michael Crockatt to be its next president and CEO.
Geoff English is co-founder of Ottawa software company i-Sight, which has grown from 20 employees to 90 in the past three years. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Keeping corporations above suspicion
> PAGES 12-13
Ottawa company’s software helps world’s biggest firms stay on right side of the law
Canada Post Publications Mail: Agreement No. 41639025
As financial regulations become increasingly complex, more clients are looking to i-Sight’s case management products > PAGES 14-15
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Fintech phenom @techopiaOTT
EMPLOYEES’
CH ARICDSE
AW 16 2015-
UOttawa alumnus Marwan Forzley is making it big in the U.S. by shaking up the buttoned-down world of finance > PAGES 4-5
February 15, 2016 Vol. 19, NO. 8
DETAILS ON PAGE 16
For daily business news visit obj.ca
Savings ensured
If you really want to get the best deal on insurance, do your homework, Michael Prentice writes. > PAGE 8
Tourism’s top dog Ottawa Tourism turns to former airport authority VP Michael Crockatt to be its next president and CEO.
Geoff English is co-founder of Ottawa software company i-Sight, which has grown from 20 employees to 90 in the past three years. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Keeping corporations above suspicion
> PAGES 12-13
Ottawa company’s software helps world’s biggest firms stay on right side of the law
Canada Post Publications Mail: Agreement No. 41639025
As financial regulations become increasingly complex, more clients are looking to i-Sight’s case management products > PAGES 14-15
FORTY UNDER
2016 NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN!
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15 , 2016
CAN OTTAWA BECOME A FINTECH FORCE?
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Fintech is “one of the most exciting categories in tech investing at the moment,” industry veteran Marwan Forzley says, and he believes his hometown could play a prominent role in its growth. “Some of the key ingredients are in place,” Mr. Forzley told OBJ last week after a speaking engagement at the Telfer School of Management. “It’s really cheap to develop companies here, engineering talent is available, it’s an area that’s relatively accessible to pockets of money in the U.S. where there are bigger pools of capital. We’ve seen a good success story like that with Shopify, so that’s a good example of what can happen.” After building a couple of successful companies in Ottawa, including online payments firm eBillme, Mr. Forzley moved to New York in 2009. When eBillme was acquired by Western Union, he moved to San Francisco to work for the parent company’s digital team before once again striking out on his own with Align Commerce in 2014. Canadian entrepreneurs tend to be more risk-averse than their U.S. counterparts, Mr. Forzley said, and a recent Ernst & Young survey showed Canadians have been slower to adopt fintech services than consumers in the United States and Great Britain. But the explosive growth of Shopify and other e-commerce startups proves the country can be a trailblazer in financial technology from a business standpoint, he said. “I think that with more success stories, the market can change. The Canadian banking system has done some work to modernize itself, so they’re not necessarily laggards. But they’re not the most aggressive risk-takers. If there’s one area to spend time and money and effort to try to figure out, I’d say fintech is your best segment in technology. I think Canada overall needs to spend more in technology. Not only Ottawa, but Canada in general.” Align has set up an office in Kanata and Mr. Forzley regularly returns to the city to visit family. Although he’s not as plugged in to the local tech scene as he used to be, he likes what he sees of its latest generation of entrepreneurs. “There’s definitely a sense of a new breed of startups in the area that I think are going to be a good seed for future buildups,” he said. “There was a period of time after the Nortel (collapse) where the industry kind of went through a phase of not much action. Now, it seems like there is activity going on. “I think the tech scene here is becoming more and more interesting, and hopefully part of that revitalization of the area is that fintech becomes one of the key segments that the market rallies around.”
“It’s a new technology that’s going to disrupt the existing players and bring something fundamentally new to the customer.” – MARWAN FORZLEY, CO-FOUNDER, ALIGN COMMERCE
Stars aligned for banking industry shakeup, fintech titan says U of O grad Marwan Forzley says historically conservative sector is poised for a technological revolution – and his hot new company is helping to lead the way BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
E Marwan Forzley, co-founder, Align Commerce. PHOTO SUPPLIED
ven as a young computer science student at the University of Ottawa, Marwan Forzley was fascinated by the world of business – and in particular by enterprises that were turning established ways of doing things on their head. Today, the co-founder of one of the hottest financial technology startups in the United States is shaking up an industry that is among the most conservative in the world: banking. Mr. Forzley’s company, San Francisco-based Align Commerce,
made headlines in November when it landed $12.5 million in series-A funding in a round led by renowned venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins. A business-to-business payments provider that sends cash via the Bitcoin blockchain – the distributed database technology that keeps track of all transactions using the digital currency – Align has already expanded its service to 60 countries since its launch last April. “I always like new products in new categories, especially the use of new technology that has the potential to disrupt existing established companies,” Mr. Forzley said last week during a Q&A session at his alma mater’s Telfer School of Management. “We really pushed the envelope in terms of moving money.” Unlike traditional wire transfer services, which typically tack on fees from the initiating bank as well as from intermediaries and the recipient’s bank, Align charges a single 1.9 per cent foreign exchange fee. Mr. Forzley said he believes his service can save businesses billions of dollars a year in wire and exchange fees by skipping traditional transfer channels. The 44-year-old Ottawa native remembers being introduced to voiceover-Internet protocol technology during a co-op stint at Newbridge Networks in the 1990s. Over the years, he saw it radically change how telephone systems worked, and he thinks Align can have a similar impact on the world of banking. “It’s a new technology that’s going to disrupt the existing players and bring
and
present:
Mayor’s Breakfast Series something fundamentally new to the customer,” he said. In addition to being cheaper, Align’s system is also faster and easier to use than traditional wire transfers, Mr. Forzley said. While wire transfer orders require customers to fill out myriad fields, including the names and addresses of the businesses and the bank as well as routing codes, Align uses a much more streamlined system that is accessible via e-mail. Align also lets users track their payments, much like couriers such as FedEx allow them to follow the progress of shipments. The company does transmit some payments using the traditional system, but it uses partner payment processors and exchanges to bundle up a number of transactions that are going to the same countries and send them all at once, saving money on individual transfer fees. Mr. Forzley, a past OBJ Forty Under 40 recipient who sold a previous payment processing firm he founded called eBillme to Western Union, says technology is rapidly changing the face of the financial industry. “Fintech is an area that has seen very
little innovation in a very, very long time,” he said. “It’s overdue.” Investors are quickly jumping on the bandwagon. CB Insights, a New York-based venture capital database, said Bitcoin startups alone attracted more than $375 million in investment in the first six months of 2015, up from $339 million in all of 2014. Investments in the fintech sector as a whole topped $19 billion last year, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers. Services such as payment processing and even lending that have traditionally been handled by banks are being taken over by third-party companies, Mr. Forzley said, and what’s transpired so far is just the tip of the iceberg. “What’s happening is the function of the bank is becoming more and more a function of holding deposits and assets,” he said. “Everything else is outsourced.” Disrupting an entrenched sector such as financial services requires bold thinking, he told the audience at Telfer. “Don’t think of what may not happen, think of what is possible,” he said. “If somebody tells you it’s not doable, do it. That’s how real entrepreneurship happens, is when you go against the crowd.”
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REAL ESTATE “It’s all about can we sit around the table to do what’s best for the city and for Canada. I’m confident that if we can, we’ll be able to get something done.” – DEVCORE PRESIDENT JEAN-PIERRE POULIN
the headlines, including the arena, a new public library and a car museum, the plan also mentions an “Innovation Centre” that would eventually be part of the mixed-use development. The centre would include two towers with 20 and 25 storeys containing nearly 800,000 square feet of space that would be located at the west end of LeBreton Flats. DCDLS calls the envisioned area “a vibrant hub for the innovative research work being done” to support startup initiatives in conjunction with the nearby Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards slated to open later this year. “I think there’s a synergy in that area,” Mr. Poulin said, suggesting companies based in the towers could work together with the startups at Bayview Yards. The proposed towers would not be built until Phase 2 of the project, he added, meaning they are probably at least a decade away. In the meantime, Mr. Poulin said, the LeBreton Re-Imagined proposal would promote innovation through partnerships with institutions such as the Canada Science and Technology Museum. He said his group has already talked with museum officials about setting up “rotating exhibits” from its collection in various offices and Senators owner Eugene Melnyk (second from left) has said his team won’t be a tenant in an arena he doesn’t own. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON public places at LeBreton Flats. For example, he said the museum is keen to loan some of the 100 vehicles in its possession to the World Automotive Experience centre featured in DCDLS’s plan, while some of the former’s collection of antique phones and telegraph equipment could be displayed at the proposed Canadian Communication Centre as a way of “cross-marketing” the institutions. “There’s some treasure in there that should be accessible to everyone,” Mr. Poulin said. Nearly 8,000 people submitted completed questionnaires on the proposals Both the Devcore Canderel DLS can, we’ll be able to get something done.” to the NCC after the bids were publicly BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca Group’s LeBreton Re-Imagined bid and Although the NCC originally told both unveiled on Jan. 26. A special committee the IllumiNATION LeBreton bid led by the groups they would have only two days in will evaluate both proposals and make efore a gag order was imposed on Ottawa Senators and Trinity Development late January to sell their proposals to the recommendations to the commission’s the two groups vying to redevelop Group include plans for an NHL-calibre public, it eventually extended the viewing board of directors. LeBreton Flats, Devcore president arena. period to Feb. 8. Mr. Poulin said at least The proposals must score at least 60 per Jean-Pierre Poulin told OBJ last week the But Senators owner Eugene Melnyk 1,500 people came to check out models cent on each of six distinct requirements – process was “fair” and he was confident has publicly stated he will never sell the of the DCDLS proposal that were set up the public anchor use, non-public anchor the Senators will eventually play at the team and won’t be a tenant in a building in Constitution Square at 340 Albert St., uses, the development plan, business site no matter who wins the bid. he doesn’t own. While there have been including about 300 on the final day. terms, the financial implementation plan “I think it’s all exciting for Ottawa,” suggestions that the DCDLS group would “We welcomed the extra time and I think and ownership, management and financial Mr. Poulin said in an interview on Feb. 8, make an offer to buy the Senators if it wins it was a good idea (to extend the deadline),” capacity – to pass the evaluation. If neither just a couple of hours before the National the bid, Devcore’s president would say only he said. “I think the process has been bid passes, both could be rejected. Capital Commission’s deadline for that he believes a deal can be worked out to working so far if you look at the quality of The committee’s recommendations will public comments by the two competing ensure the team will play at LeBreton Flats. the proposals.” likely go to the NCC board for approval consortiums. “It’s all about can we sit around the While some of the glitzier and more in late April. Any agreement must also be “We have one chance to do this right to table to do what’s best for the city and for ambitious elements of the DCDLS approved by cabinet, which is not expected make (LeBreton Flats) the best it can be.” Canada,” he said. “I’m confident that if we proposal have garnered the lion’s share of to happen until next year.
Devcore boss ‘confident’ Senators will play at LeBreton
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
Company behind LeBreton Re-Imagined plan said group will work with NHL club to ensure team moves downtown if it wins development bid
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STILL BUSTLING WITH ENERGY AND OPPORTUNITY KANATA NORTH TOUTS ITSELF AS THE PLACE WHERE SERIOUS TECH GETS DONE Silicon Valley North. Kanata’s Golden Mile. Terrytown. Call it what you will, one thing has never changed – this is still a place where tech happens. Ninety per cent of all communications R&D in Canada still takes place in Ottawa, and 90 per cent of that is centered in Kanata. But the area has diversified itself considerably since the heyday of the telecom boom. Business and consumer software, including cloud services, has come to rival the traditional roots in telecom. Anyone who still believes the old assertion that Kanata North is a land of R&D branch plants devoid of head office hustle needs to take a fresh look at the numbers. About 60 per cent of the tech companies operating in Kanata North are head office operations. It’s a mixed group of eager up and comers – 97 per cent of companies in the area have fewer than 50 employees.
PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
“Kanata North is a shining example of Canadian smarts being used around the world through the various domestic and multinational firms that are working here,” he said. “And these smarts are very, very good — these individuals can command higher salaries in a global economy, which in turn drives local economic activity.”
A HOTBED FOR GROWTH The seeds of Ottawa’s tech sector were sown here decades ago and just down the road on Carling Avenue, she said, with names like Computing Devices of Canada, Bell Northern Research (BNR) and then Nortel Networks. This was followed by the ecosystem built around Sir Terry Matthews’s Mitel Networks, Newbridge Networks and Wesley Clover. A new generation of companies like Gigataur and You.i TV are blazing new trails in software and dynamic growth markets like over the top video services. The TEDx Kanata event is giving Kanata North fresh profile among innovators and entrepreneurs from outside the area. L-Spark, Canada’s only dedicated incubator and accelerator for Enterprise
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), is located here. So too is CENGN, a consortium accelerating the commercialization of nextgeneration communications solutions for the cloud and the Internet of Things. “Whether it’s a small or large company, they’re here for the same reason – the benefits of clustering,” said Martin Vandewouw, President of KRP Properties – the area’s largest commercial property developer and landlord. “They want to network, share ideas, get together and speak as a single voice, and they’re also out here because of the talent.” PROFILING THE PEOPLE OF KANATA NORTH In the coming months, we’ll feature the stories of Kanata North’s people and companies. This series will explore how the area is vibrating with hidden energy and opportunity, and enjoying a technology renaissance that makes it a dynamic part of the technology sector for the National Capital Region and all of Canada.
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A DEEP AND STABLE TALENT POOL But who are these smart people? It’s a mix of the old guard and the new. A recent survey found that nowhere else in Canada is there a community of developers, engineers and commercialization strategists clustered so close to where they work. In fact, 50 per cent of respondents said they live within five kilometres of where they work in Kanata. That compares with a national average of 36 per cent. Sixty per cent of tech workers have been in the area for at least six years, while 30 per cent have been at it for 10 years or more. “For ambitious startups or
seasoned multinationals alike, Kanata North has the tech talent and the ready real estate to put down roots and build compelling products for global markets,” said Jenna Sudds, Executive Director of the Kanata North BIA.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
PRODUCTIVITY BEYOND PAR Doyletech Corp. recently completed an Economic Impact Study and Market Gap Analysis for the Kanata North BIA, which concluded that the area has an annual economic impact of $7.8 billion. That puts its productivity per worker at three times or more the national average. For Doyletech partner and analyst Rick Clayton, Kanata North represents “a mighty solution” to Canada’s economic growth problems arising from an overdependence on commodities and stagnant productivity.
JENNA SUDDS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, KANATA NORTH BUSINESS ASSOCIATION
COMMENTARY A 40-ish married couple with impeccable driving records and owning two vehicles could pay anywhere between $1,433 and $6,198 a year in auto insurance. It just depends on which insurance company they choose
The road to cheaper insurance Whether you’re going on a trip and need medical coverage or you’re looking to change auto insurers, Michael Prentice says it pays to shop around
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
I
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shopped around for out-of-country emergency medical insurance recently and saved more than $700 on the cost of coverage for a six-week visit to the United States. But that pales in comparison with what some people may be able to save on another type of protection: auto insurance. First, I’ll tell you what I learned about travel medical insurance. Usually, I am not a very good consumer when it comes to buying insurance. Partly it’s because I’m too lazy to shop around. Partly it’s because I am shy about visiting a place selling insurance merely to seek a quote. But I was shocked into action by how much I had to pay for emergency medical coverage on my last trip outside Canada. Perhaps it was due to my advancing age. Perhaps it was because I was treated for chest pains a half-dozen years ago, when mesh tubes were inserted into my arteries. I visited a branch of one of Ottawa’s best-known places for buying travel
insurance, where I had previously bought coverage. There, I was quoted a price of $1,118 for my six-week stay in the United States. That price, I was told, included a discount of $59 because I was a regular customer. Then I visited a branch of The Co-operators insurance company, which provides my home and auto insurance. There, I was quoted a price of $390. I could scarcely believe the price difference of $728. In both places, I told them about the tubes put in my body after the chest pains six years ago. In both cases, the agent checked by phone with the insurance company’s medical people whether I qualified for insurance coverage. But I have no way of knowing whether I was penalized by the high-priced insurer due to my age or medical history or for any other reason. Perhaps one company had a better idea than the other of my state of health, which I believe is good. As a double-check, I visited two more Ottawa businesses selling insurance – one of them a bank, the other an insurance
broker representing several insurance companies. The bank gave me a quote that was almost the same as the $1,118 one. The broker gave me a quote that was about the same as The Co-operators’. As with all insurance, you never know how good it is until you need it. But I was comfortable with my decision to buy the much lower-priced coverage and confident it met my needs. Now for some highly valuable information about auto insurance. It’s aimed especially at those who believe they are paying too much – you are probably right! And you could be paying two, three times or even four times as much as necessary. We know this thanks to an invaluable tool provided to the public by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario. This is a government agency that monitors – and, to some extent, regulates – auto insurance. In theory, the commission curbs excessive pricing of auto insurance. In practice, insurance companies charge pretty well what they like. According to this tool, in Ottawa, for example, a 40-ish married couple with impeccable driving records and owning two vehicles could pay anywhere between $1,433 and $6,198 a year in auto insurance. It just depends on which insurance company they choose. And those two extreme quotes are for the same two vehicles: a 2010 Ford F-150 and a 2009 Honda Civic. Why does almost no one seem to know about this wonderful consumer tool? It beats me. I wrote about it in OBJ in October 2011. Actually, the blame may lie chiefly with the Financial Services Commission of Ontario, which does a poor job of publicizing the data, available on the organization’s website though it’s a bit tricky to find. Go to the commission’s website at fsco. gov.on.ca and click on auto insurance. On the right side of the page, there is a column headed “Understanding rates/ An interactive tool.” There you can find auto insurance rates charged by various companies for different categories of drivers in cities throughout Ontario, including Ottawa. Every vehicle owner should look it up to see if he or she is being overcharged for auto insurance. Michael Prentice is OBJ’s columnist on retail and consumer issues. He can be contacted at news@obj.ca.
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READER COMMENTS Weighing in on LeBreton Flats Re: “Ottawa Chamber of Commerce gives edge to RendezVous LeBreton bid” (Feb. 1):
How is the chamber making this decision? Did they take a vote of their membership? I do not think it is their place to favour any of the proponents when they purport to speak for ALL businesses in Ottawa.
Members of the public check out the RendezVous LeBreton Group’s proposal to redevelop LeBreton Flats during a recent open house at the Canadian War Museum. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Ottawa Chamber of Commerce gives edge to RendezVous LeBreton bid MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2016
Senators’ leading role in proposal makes it ‘a little more viable’ than competing plan to redevelop Flats, business group’s boss says — at least for the moment
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While Rendezvous Lebreton is admirable, it lacks imagination compared to Lebreton Re-Imagined. While the name Canadensis Walk is a mouthful, the concept sets this project apart. For anyone who has experienced to High Line in New York, you will know how the irregular architectural lines and intimacy draw people to it to the degree that it has become a massive tourist attraction. Canadensis has this potential as well. As for the comment that the arena is core, if this more imaginative, playful and world-class bid is approved, I would hope an arrangement could be made for the arena to be owned and managed by Eugene Melnyk. I suspect his good business sense would prevail. Gordon McMillan
REAL ESTATE
I think supporting the RendezVous LeBreton proposal just because of the Senators is shortsighted and not fair. It is just not logical to say that it doesn’t matter how much better any other proposal is, just because RendezVous LeBreton own the Senators and a hockey arena at LeBreton trumps everything else. My question to the Chamber of Commerce is: what do they suggest that the other proposal should have had instead of the arena for them to support it? The answer is probably nothing would do it. Rachid
BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
C
alling both plans to redevelop LeBreton Flats “very impressive,” the head of one of Ottawa’s most influential business organizations nonetheless didn’t hesitate to endorse the RendezVous LeBreton group’s bid in an interview with OBJ after the proposals were unveiled. “We’re happy with both bids, but we just see one as being a little more viable than the other,” said Ian Faris, CEO of the
Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, which represents about 700 local businesses. Mr. Faris said he thought both proposals – the RendezVous LeBreton bid, which is led by Senators Sports & Entertainment, and the Devcore Canderel DLS Group, which is backed by Quebec billionaires André Desmarais and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberté among others – had significant merits. Both groups are proposing an NHLcalibre arena as a centrepiece of their redevelopment plans, but only one of them, RendezVous LeBreton, already
has a franchise to play in the building. That gives it the edge on the chamber’s scorecard as things stand at the moment, Mr. Faris said. “We’ve been following this for 18 months,” he said. “There’s a lot of similarities (between the bids), but the glaring question is the ownership of the Senators. This is a big deal, and the viability is very important to us. Each of them have put an arena as a focal point. I don’t think it can go ahead with an arena that doesn’t have a tenant. “We want to make sure this happens. We can’t afford to miss another decade or
two on developing LeBreton.” The Devcore Canderel DLS team has stressed it is willing to have “a variety of discussions” with Senators owner Eugene Melnyk about moving the team to LeBreton should its bid be successful. Canderel senior vice-president Daniel Peritz even went as far as to suggest the Senators could own the arena “under the right conditions.” DCDLS has not approached Mr. Melnyk about any potential partnership because that would violate the terms of the National Capital Commission’s bidding process.
These business owners have their own diverse opinions, and the chamber has overstepped by choosing for them. Lori Mellor
Both proposals are equally impressive. However, with the NCC in charge, expect this to drag on for another 10-15 years. Nothing wrong with the Canadian Tire Centre anyways, still in excellent shape and maintained very well. Only problem is (and has always been) its location. Should have been in LeBreton from the get-go. Peter Quinlan
COMMENTARY
Bravo--excellent choice!!!
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Gordon Miller
Nortel, BlackBerry and Bombardier were once all true world leaders in innovation. However, they were slow to recognize changes in the marketplace, and when they did, their level of innovation was below what the market expected
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In the third instalment of a new series on entrepreneurship, Jeffrey Dale examines why the likes of BlackBerry and Bombardier are no longer market leaders and what Canada needs to do to reclaim its place as a prime source of disruptive corporate R&D
MONDAY, DECEMBER 21, 2015
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Whatever happened to Innovation Nation?
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MASSIVE INVESTMENTS Why do so many of Canada’s leading R&D companies miss major market changes, despite their massive investments in research and innovation? Is there too much of a focus on incremental innovation and not enough on disruptive innovation? Research and development investment by governments is done mostly through research-granting councils, with a focus on peer-reviewed academic research that is not linked to an industrial strategy. More
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The biggest issue is that the programs the governments create put little support towards the marketing and sales side of innovation. For the last 25 years, I have worked with companies that get tons of money for R&D and very, very little has been available for the marketing and sales side. Too much academic influence (people who live in a world where their income doesn’t require sales, just knowing how to manipulate the government) and too much power to engineers who rarely have to deal with customers, all led by bureaucrat scientists and engineers who never had an innovative thought in their life (or why would they be working for the government?). Of course it doesn’t work, and changing it would be impossible because all these government employees need to protect their own incomes. Bill Waters
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From 2009 to 2011, BlackBerry was Canada’s largest investor in R&D. But its focus on enterprise users caused it to completely miss the consumerization of the smartphone on which Apple and then Android focused. BlackBerry’s revenue has fallen from $19 billion in 2010 to less than $3 billion in 2015. Currently, it is struggling to reinvent itself and stay in business. (Full disclosure: I am a dedicated BlackBerry user and hope it succeeds.) Now Bombardier is struggling to recover from failing to see the market change to more fuel-efficient and largercapacity regional jets. From 2012 to 2014, Bombardier was the largest investor in R&D in Canada. Bombardier invented the regional jet market with the CRJ, an evolution of the Challenger business jet. The CRJ dominated the regional jet market with planes that carry fewer than 100 passengers. Bombardier’s main innovation for more than a decade was to extend airframes to increase the passenger volume from 50 to 70 and then 90. In 2004, Embraer, Bombardier’s largest competitor, revolutionized the regional jet approach when the company designed a new airplane, the E-Jet, with two-by-two seating, 18.5-inch seats and larger overhead bins than on the smaller, cramped CRJs and
Carlo Lombard, 238-1818 ext. 230 carlo@obj.ca
Re: “Whatever happened to Innovation Nation?” (Dec. 21):
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have always thought of Canada as an innovation nation. We have many entrepreneurs with great ideas who start companies and grow them to be successful businesses. Our governments and businesses invest in research and development to drive more innovation. Businesses rely on innovation to increase sales and profit. So why are many of Canada’s corporate research and development leaders misreading changes in their market and not developing the innovative products or services their customers are looking for? Nortel, BlackBerry and now Bombardier are all examples of Canadian corporate leaders that didn’t adjust to major changes in their industries and lost their competitiveness. Until 2008, Nortel was the largest corporate investor in R&D in Canada, according to Research Infosource’s annual reports. In 2000, Nortel spent more than $5 billion on research, six times the amount of the No. 2 Canadian company, and revolutionized telecommunications. But the company missed key shifts in the telecom market to optical and wireless products, leaving it playing catch-up despite the fact it invested more in R&D than any of its competitors.
ERJs. Bombardier’s CRJ sales plummeted despite the release of new models. It took Bombardier until 2009 to announce its new aircraft to compete, the C Series. So far, however, the new plane has still not been completed and Bombardier is still relying on the old CRJ for sales. The firm had a very poor fiscal 2014 and president and CEO Pierre Beaudoin announced this year he was stepping down. The company unveiled plans to raise $600 million in new equity and $1.5 billion in new debt and asked both the Quebec and federal governments for billions in loans and grants. Nortel, BlackBerry and Bombardier were once all true world leaders in innovation. However, they were slow to recognize changes in the marketplace, and when they did, their level of innovation was below what the market expected. Their first reactions were to deny the market had changed. When they finally did recognize that painful fact, they were years behind and struggling to catch up. Their reaction was very consistent: the companies changed leadership, brought in outsiders to take over, announced big recovery plans and spent a lot of money to be followers rather than market leaders.
Wendy Baily, 238-1818 ext. 244 wbaily@obj.ca
2016-01-27 2:40 PM
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In 2013, BriteSky Technologies Inc. was born.
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
Decisive decided to take its own on-premise server infrastructure and co-locate into a Tier 3 third-party data centre. The Decisive team laboured with this fledgling private cloud, to develop the kind of robust, flexible architecture it wanted but couldn’t find with the typical cloud service provider.
A CLIENT-FIRST APPROACH “We spent a year seeing how we could provide cloud services that would build value for our existing customers,” said Richard Losier, BriteSky’s Executive VP of Engineering and Technology. “The result was a win-win architecture for them and for us.”
TOURISM Industry veteran Crockatt to take over as Ottawa Tourism CEO Extensive industry experience, strong political connections make former airport authority VP an ideal choice for post, organization says BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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ttawa Tourism has turned to a wellconnected industry veteran to be its next CEO. The organization announced Feb. 11 it has hired Michael Crockatt, the former vice-president of business development and marketing at the Ottawa International Airport Authority, as its new president and chief executive. He will officially begin on March 7. Currently a senior vice-president with Vancouver-based aviation consulting firm InterVISTAS, Mr. Crockatt takes over for interim president and CEO Dick Brown.
Mr. Brown, the former head of the Ottawa Gatineau Hotel Association, has been running Ottawa Tourism since former chief executive Noel Buckley resigned last June. Mr. Crockatt, a former chair of the organization’s board of directors, said he’s looking forward to being its boss. “It is a great opportunity,” he said. “To be able to be one of the people who is out there telling the rest of the world how great Ottawa is, that’s a fantastic position to be in. Luckily, I know a lot of the people who work for Ottawa Tourism and it’s an incredible team there.” A search committee considered more than 150 candidates for the position, but Geoff Publow, chair of Ottawa Tourism’s
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
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Michael Crockatt is Ottawa Tourism’s new CEO. PHOTO SUPPLIED
board of directors, said Mr. Crockatt stood out due to his wealth of industry experience and close connections at Queen’s Park, city hall and the airport authority. “He’s a proven leader with industry knowledge,” Mr. Publow said. “Michael’s
got strong relationships on all those fronts and is well-positioned to work with those partners.” With the capital expected to draw more than 11 million tourists to its Canada 150 celebrations next year, Mr. Crockatt said a major priority will be making sure Ottawa capitalizes on a golden opportunity to sell itself to the world. “2017 we know is going to be successful, thanks to the great work that’s already being done,” he said, referring to the non-profit Ottawa 2017 Bureau. “Our obligation now is to take advantage of that for the future years, to make sure we’re leveraging the success that we know we’re going to have in 2017, so that 2018, 2019 and 2020 are very strong years. “Part of it is leveraging that 2017 experience for future years, but part of it is making sure that everybody who comes here in 2017 is having the time of their lives and really getting that experience that we want them to have.”
“2017 we know is going to be successful, thanks to the great work that’s already being done. Our obligation now is to take advantage of that for future years, to make sure we’re leveraging the success that we know we’re going to have in 2017.” – MICHAEL CROCKATT, OTTAWA TOURISM’S INCOMING CEO
Attracting more visitors from south of the border while the dollar is low will be a vital part of that effort, Mr. Crockatt added. “Now is a wonderful time to be doing that, because a lot of things are lining up,” he said. “We’ve got a stronger economy in the United States, and the exchange rate is helping us right now as well. It’s a good time to invest in some marketing in the United States.” In addition to marketing the city to travellers from Canada, the United States and abroad, Ottawa Tourism can also be a leader in helping set the agenda for future industry-related building projects, Mr. Crockatt said. He wouldn’t name any specific priorities but said the organization will be an active promoter of enhancing the city’s tourism offerings under his watch. “We can play a role in trying to make sure that the community is ready, (not just) from a service level but also looking for
the opportunities for future infrastructure investment that will help our tourism product as well,” he said. Mr. Crockatt, who is also chair of the board of directors at the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, spent more than eight years at the Ottawa airport authority, handling issues from strategic planning and air services marketing to customer service and government relations, before joining InterVISTAS last March. Before moving to Ottawa in 2006, the 41-year-old served as director of marketing for cargo and passenger services with the Winnipeg Airports Authority. An OBJ Forty Under 40 recipient in 2010, Mr. Crockatt received a similar distinction from Airport Business Magazine in 2013. He also received the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012 and was named Tourism Volunteer of the Year at the 2011 Ottawa Tourism Awards.
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GO GLOBAL Ottawa firm’s anticorruption tools a worldwide hit i-Sight’s sleuthing software is being used by major corporations on every continent to investigate HR complaints and legal violations BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
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rom a modest office on Carling Avenue, Joe Gerard and his colleagues are running a global business helping companies around the world stop corporate corruption in its tracks. Mr. Gerard is the vice-president of sales and marketing at i-Sight, which makes custom software that compiles, stores and analyzes data on all types of business
misbehaviour from violations of federal privacy laws to bullying and harassment. By creating a “central warehouse” for case file information, i-Sight’s team says the company’s software allows clients to more effectively investigate human resources complaints and spot potential breaches of government regulations. The Ottawa firm’s roster of customers includes major Canadian and U.S. banks and insurance companies, as well as heavy corporate hitters in other sectors, such as British Petroleum.
The i-Sight team includes Ciara McVicar and co-founder Geoff English. PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
Many of them are multinational companies with subsidiaries all over the globe and thousands of employees. A significant number operate in highly regulated industries, where they often find
it a challenge to adhere to anti-corruption legislation that varies from country to country while also keeping tabs on security and HR issues within their own walls. “They want all of their investigative
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
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he average top-100 CEO in Canada earned the annual pay of the average worker in 2016 by 12:18 p.m. on Jan. 4. According to the report, Staying Power: CEO Pay in Canada, the nation’s top 100 CEOs average $7.3 million in pay – 174 times what someone working full-time for the average wage earns in Canada. How much is too much? A top executive could be responsible for billions in revenue and thousands of jobs. On the other hand, the Prime Minister of Canada makes a meager $327,400 (plus perks) to run the entire country. The University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management will explore executive compensation during the March edition of its MBA Conferences series.
“There is no set standard for CEO compensation,” said Shantanu Dutta, Associate Professor of Finance at the Telfer School. “The corporate world is always trying to benchmark a CEO’s salary based on what other CEOs are making in comparable positions, but these benchmarks typically range high and are rarely tied to actual performance.” Shantanu is co-author of Changing Landscape of CEO Compensation in the Post-Crisis Period: All Talk or Little Action? This report looked at the compensation structures of hundreds of publicly traded Canadian companies during and after the 2008 financial crisis. The authors concluded that CEO compensation levels in Canada as a whole remain excessive
SHANTANU DUTTA, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF FINANCE, TELFER SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT
and have little relationship with performance. Even equity-based compensation, intended to give a CEO a vested interest in the success of a company, generally fails to generate more wealth for shareholders. Telfer School’s March event will explore the current controversies associated with excessive CEO compensation and how compensation should be tied to a company’s performance.
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Those wings need rail “We’ve got to have teams that can be flexible in terms of their working hours. Luckily, we have a lot of young developers and they don’t like waking up early, so that helps.” – I-SIGHT VICE-PRESIDENT JOE GERARD
Ready to work on a creative solution
Phase 2 of LRT, with its $3-billion price tag, was approved by city council in July. Formal commitments by the provincial and federal governments to each fund a third of the price tag are expected later this year. An airport link is part of this city staff recommended plan. And yet, sourcing the estimated $155 million needed for the airport link remains in doubt versus other pieces of the funding request. The City of Ottawa won’t commit to covering a portion of the cost to the same proportion as the rest of Phase 2. “The Airport Authority has committed its support to the airport terminal portion of the project, and will finalize the figure when actual costs are determined – no other organization being serviced by the LRT Phase 2 has been asked to do as much,” Laroche said. The Airport Authority already does its part for the community with nearly $5 million in payments in lieu of taxes,
Mark Laroche, President and CEO, Ottawa Airport Authority
supporting almost 5,000 jobs onsite with plans to grow and hire more, and paying about $8 million a year to the federal government in rent to Transport Canada.
It’s about the local economy, not the airport
“We are a private not-for-profit corporation, a tax-paying economic generator that serves the whole city,” Laroche said. “An LRT connection to our terminal doesn’t provide any financial benefit to the Airport Authority, but it would for the National Capital region by making it a more attractive destination for congress, tourism and business. Providing more transportation options to and from the airport is especially important given the limited road access and the fact that plans to widen the Airport Parkway are years away.” Now is the time to get it done, to take advantage of the economies of scale and cost savings that come with being part of a larger project that already has shovels in the ground. “We are working with the City to complete the applications for funding to the provincial and federal governments,” Laroche said. “We hope the importance of an airport link for the future of our City is confirmed with the required financial support of all levels of government.”
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“(Customers) want to be able to connect those dots,” says Mr. Gerard. “Our clients are really trying to avoid situations where people fall through the cracks and are able to get in trouble multiple times without (the company) figuring it out.” Mr. Gerard’s father Ray, a former tech executive, and his friend Geoff English founded the company under the name Customer Expressions in the late 1990s. They were soon joined by Mr. Gerard and Jason Victor, and the team initially worked out of an office in Mr. English’s attic. Today, the firm serves hundreds of clients on every continent in 29 languages. Rare for an enterprise software firm, i-Sight has never received a dime in venture capital, bootstrapping its way to eightfigure annual revenues. Most customers pay annual licensing and support fees to i-Sight in advance, Mr. Gerard says, providing the company with a steady flow of cash to fund its organic growth. “It takes a long time to build, but once you get going, we’ve got a pretty decent snowball rolling down the hill now,” he says, noting the firm’s revenues have grown by 50 per cent annually over the past three years. “It starts to build on itself.” The company’s workforce has ballooned from 20 to more than 90 since 2013, requiring two separate expansions of its headquarters at 2255 Carling Ave. “We’re sort of the tip of the iceberg at this point,” Mr. Gerard says. “Our product has come a long way in the last two or three years where we’re going into pitches now and the stuff that (clients) have on their mind, we’re showing them that we’ve already thought through that problem and here’s the solution. Everything’s clicking now. The product is good, we’re delivering it and creating good references. A lot of clients now are bringing us new business.” Like many fast-growing tech enterprises, i-Sight faces another perpetual struggle: finding and training the best talent in a highly competitive tech industry. “At the end of the day as the business grows, people are the whole game,” Mr. Gerard says, noting the firm expects to hit the 100-employee mark in the near future. “In Ottawa right now, there are lots of opportunities for smart people. It’s trying to create an environment where they can be successful.”
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ity planners have already included it as part of environmental assessments for Phase 2 of Ottawa’s light rail plan. City Hall’s own Finance and Economic Development Committee Report 6 from July touts the “economies of scale” that can be realized by getting it done sooner rather than later. The business case for Phase 2 and the airport link is well documented in the City’s Environmental Assessment report for all to view. It will be sent to Ontario’s Minister of the Environment in coming weeks. There is absolutely no better time to build the airport link than as part of Phase 2 of LRT, says Mark Laroche, President and CEO of the Ottawa Airport Authority. “This is a vital piece of the puzzle Ottawa needs as the capital of a G7 nation,” he said. “We stand on the cusp of a momentous time in this city, with huge legacy projects like LeBreton Flats and Zibi. Because the City hasn’t committed to funding a portion of the airport link, it remains uncertain if it will be built to bring the world to this dynamic new Ottawa.”
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
functions to come together into a single solution,” Mr. Gerard says. That’s where i-Sight comes in. Its software stores information in a central database and prints reports at the click of a mouse, allowing managers to quickly spot suspicious trends or behaviour patterns. It’s a niche industry, Mr. Gerard says, but one that’s growing quickly thanks in part to beefed-up oversight of financial institutions in the wake of the Great Recession. Banks and insurance companies are investing more money than ever to ensure they stay on the right side of the law, he says, while HR managers find the software a helpful tool to weed out “employees doing naughty things” on company time. Universities and colleges are the latest market to catch i-Sight’s eye. The company has been meeting with up to 20 schools a week and the response has been positive, Mr. Gerard adds. “It’s an awful big market outside of the enterprise world,” he says. “Our market share is still tiny compared to what is available.” Many of those meetings are face-toface, and i-Sight staffers logged nearly half a million kilometres last year servicing existing customers and wooing new ones. “You’ve got to have a bit of a passion for travel to really be good at the delivery stuff,” says Mr. Gerard, a father of two young daughters who prefers to leave the globetrotting to others. Staying in Ottawa has its own challenges when running a global business, he adds, including scheduling meetings across multiple time zones. He points to the 16-hour difference for a recent video conference with a client in Australia as a prime example. “We’ve got to have teams that can be flexible in terms of their working hours. Luckily, we have a lot of young developers and they don’t like waking up early, so that helps,” he says with a laugh. The software allows customers to maintain detailed case files on a wide realm of suspicious activities, with all the data stored on a secure server in Canada. An employee suspected of fudging expense accounts in France, for example, can be quickly red-flagged if he transfers across the Atlantic and submits questionable receipts in Texas.
YOW presses for public funding for LRT to airport
CITY HALL Calgary mayor touts Energy East pipeline in Ottawa speech Don’t let ‘petty discussions’ get in the way of prosperity, Nenshi tells business audience BY DAVID SALI david@obj.ca
O PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON
“Our biggest customer, our only customer, is now our biggest competitor. We must find access to other markets. We need to be fuelling our own economy.” – CALGARY MAYOR NAHEED NENSHI (LEFT), SHOWN WITH OTTAWA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CEO IAN FARIS
ne of the country’s most influential municipal politicians came to the city with a message earlier this month: It’s time for Canadians to stop squabbling over the proposed Energy East pipeline and get to work on building a stronger oil and gas sector. Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi said during a speech at Ottawa City Hall on Feb. 4 that “petty discussions” are getting in the
way of the pipeline that would carry up to 1.1 million barrels of crude oil per day from Alberta to an export terminal in New Brunswick. The charismatic politician, who was in town for a meeting of the country’s big-city mayors, said the controversial project would create thousands of jobs and generate up to $10 billion in tax revenue while reducing Central and Eastern Canada’s reliance on more expensive foreign sources of oil. “Here in this great nation, we have not
2016
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
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POST-BUDGET BREAKFAST The highly-anticipated federal budget will be released in a matter of weeks. What will it mean for business? What will it mean for Canada? What will it mean for Ottawa? Stay tuned for more information on this must-attend breakfast. Gain insights on business, tax and economic measures and determine what it means for you.
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achieved energy independence,” he said. Calgary-based energy corporation TransCanada is proposing to build the 4,600-kilometre pipeline at a cost of more than $15 billion. It would be created by converting an existing national gas pipeline to one suited for oil, plus adding additional sections to complete the route. The project must be approved by the National Energy Board, an independent agency that regulates oil and natural gas pipelines, before construction can begin. Opponents of Energy East, including Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre, say the plan poses a threat to the environment and would not generate significant economic benefits for municipalities along its route. But Mr. Nenshi disputed those claims, saying Canadian energy is the safest and most reliable in the world thanks to innovative technology that is tapping into sources such as the Alberta oilsands. The country must look to other markets beyond the United States as Canada’s largest trading partner boosts its own energy production, he added. Hindered by a lack of access to foreign markets, Canada’s oil producers are being forced to sell their product for a much lower price than their U.S. counterparts, he said. “Imagine what we are giving up in prosperity because of that discount,” he told the audience of businesspeople who attended the Mayor’s Breakfast. “Our biggest customer, our only customer, is now our biggest competitor. We must find access to other markets. We need to be fuelling our own economy. We need to work together as a community, as a nation, to get this right.” While Mr. Nenshi praised his hometown for broadening its economic mix – oil and gas now generates 30 per cent of Calgary’s economic output, compared with 50 per cent two decades ago – he stressed that Alberta’s oilsands are an “incredible asset” and a source of prosperity for all Canadians. “As a nation, we continue to diversify,” he said. “We continue to reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. But we’re not quite there. We’re going to need the oil for the foreseeable future. Leaving it in the ground is not a rational strategy.”
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson didn’t want to take sides in the dispute over the pipeline, which would cut across the Rideau River near Stittsville. “I think there’s a lot of misinformation out there and we have to do a better job as elected officials, but at the same time I think before anyone jumps to conclusions and jumps on one bandwagon or the other, let the National Energy Board do its work,” he said after Mr. Nenshi’s speech. Mr. Nenshi also called on the federal Liberals to free up billions of dollars earmarked for infrastructure spending under the Building Canada Fund. The funding was originally announced in late 2014 by the previous Conservative government. Earlier this month, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Alberta would “immediately” be receiving nearly $700 million from the fund. “Now is the time to invest in our cities,” he said. “Now is the time to invest in our country.” Noting that Calgary alone is investing $2.5 billion in new capital projects this year, he said Canada’s fastest-growing cities are struggling to fund much-needed upgrades to current infrastructure as well as new projects such as roads, bridges, libraries and affordable housing. With interest rates at historic lows, construction costs falling and unemployment rising, Mr. Nenshi said now is the time to embark on a “nation-shaping infrastructure” campaign. “It makes sense to build things now,” Mr. Nenshi said. “Every city in this country has unfunded capital needs, and these are not frivolous things. These are things our citizens need every single day.” In particular, he urged the federal Liberals to invest more money in public transit across the country, with a focus on light rail projects. “This is our time,” Mr. Nenshi said to loud applause. “Let’s finish the O-Train. It has to happen. Our citizens demand no less. Time spent stuck in traffic is time that is stolen from the economy, it is time that is stolen from people’s lives and their families.”
“I’m proud to contribute to the growth of dynamic local businesses.” _ Marc Joly
Marc Joly, CPA, CA Auditor
In order to provide consistently superior services to dynamic local businesses, our team is growing. The Ottawa/Outaouais region partners are pleased to announce the arrival of Marc Joly. Marc Joly has some 30 years of assurance and advisory services experience, focussing primarily on family businesses and private companies. With a strong presence in the region, now more than ever, Marc Joly and our entire team can help your business unlock its full growth potential.
Contact us!
Ottawa: 613-236-2211 Gatineau: 819-775-3306 Hawkesbury: 613-632-0901
rcgt.com/en/regions/outaouais
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
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Company/Address/ Phone/Fax/Web Gusto TV* 203-66 Muriel St. Ottawa, ON K2S 4E1 613-730-1728 gustotv.com inMotion Production Group* 891 Boyd Ave. Ottawa, ON K2A 2E2 613-723-5800 / 613-723-5803 inmotion.ca General Assembly Production Centre 102-1550 Laperriere Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 7T2 613-723-3316 / 613-723-8583 gapc.com Sound Venture Productions Ottawa Ltd. 401-441 MacLaren St. Ottawa, ON K2P 2H3 613-241-5111 soundventure.com Big Jump Productions* 15-22 Gurdwara Rd. Ottawa, ON K2E 8A2 613-226-5287 / 613-226-9060 bigjumpent.com Skycron* 16 Capella Crt. Ottawa, ON K2E 7X1 613-902-0134 skycron.com Slalom Productions* 100-66 Muriel St. Ottawa, ON K1S 4E1 613-236-6006 / 613-236-6009 slalomprod.tv Blomeley Production Group 49 Silver Horse Cres. Kanata, ON K2M 2J2 613-596-9935 / 416-710-9935 blomeley.com Doomsday Studios Ltd. 212 James St. Ottawa, ON K1R 5M7 613-230-9769 / 613-230-6004 silverwatergoldensand.com Those Canadians Media Group 1142B Johnston Clapp Ln. Manotick, ON K4M 1A3 613-862-7351 thosecanadians.com Title Entertainment Inc. 200-428 Preston St. Ottawa, ON K1S 4N2 613-232-1255 / 613-232-9730 titleentertainment.com Capital Motion Picture Group Inc. 1825 Woodward Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 0P9 613-656-3614 capitalmotionpicture.com Carte Blanche Films Inc.* 2740B Queensview Dr. Ottawa, ON K2B 2A2 613-749-6157 carteblanchefilms.ca Zed Filmorks* 12-800 Industrial Ave. Ottawa, ON K1G 4B8 613-860-3030 / 613-860-3040 zedfilmworks.com Quiet Revolution Pictures 1825 Woodward Dr. Ottawa, ON K2C 0P9 613-656-3624 qrpictures.com GAPC Entertainment 102-1550 Laperriere Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 7T2 613-723-3316 gapcentertainment.com Mountain Road Productions 310 Beechgrove Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 6R3 613-237-4447 mountainroad.ca Parktown Studios* 2-15 Antares Dr. Ottawa, ON K2E 7Y9 613-828-0505 parktown.ca Kublacom Pictures Inc. 162 Hopewell Ave. Ottawa, ON K1S 2Z5 613-730-0823 / 613-899-9014 (cell) kublacom.ca StoryPark Inc. 301-29 First Ave. Ottawa, ON rtrmedia.com
LARGEST FILM & TELEVISION PRODUCTION COMPANIES (RANKED BY NO. OF LOCAL EMPLOYEES)
No. of Ottawa employees/ Year est. in Ottawa Key local executive(s) 17 Chris Knight 2013 CEO and founder
14 1979
8 1983
8 1979
Recent and current projects WND
Patrick McGowan WND CEO Sarah Fodey vice-president and executive producer Ken Stewart Inspiring Your Child to Love and Learn Math; Ottawa Network president For Education Breakfast Program and Edu-Gala; Canadian Media Producers Association Prime Time; Chocolate Moose Media Ebola; CanEast Films Two Countries; Pear Tree Productions The Bay Tim Joyce Drawn to Victory, Wings of Courage, Tragedy to transformapresident and senior tion, Flight Path of Heroes, Completing the Circle, A building producer of Destiny
Description WND
Commercials; TV series and documentaries; educational and government video and film production; animation; production services
WND
Full-service turn-key video and audio production as well as camera and editing services for other video producers and agencies.
Media production centre creating television shows, films, corporate videos and commercials, interactive applications, live event productions, computer-based training, web sites. WND
Turnkey video production services; creative development; shooting; in-house postproduction; original content production with high focus on documentaries; educational tools; social media; development and multi-lateral partnerships Animation for film and online/interactive Producers of pre-school, tweens/kids content. and prime-time animated content.
7 2008
Rick Morrison president
7 2001
Cory Carlick WND chief creative officer and CEO
TV commercials; corporate videos; government videos; webcasting; music videos; training videos; product videos; live events; webcasting
WND
6 2008
Marie-Pierre Gariépy president and producer
Toi & Moi; Motel Monstre; Le rève de Champlain; Garde-Manger; Á chalet; Jérome
Television; digital content production
Presents stories that deal with French Canadian history that are available and entertaining for all to watch. Incubator for established and new talent.
6 1988
5 1985
Ed Blomeley CEO and executive producer Sam Blomeley creative director and production manager Ramona Macdonald president
Don Cherry’s Rockem Sockem; 100 Years of Glory; The Mecca of Hockey; TruckGuysTV; Ridin High: Building the 369; Building The Retroliner; Phil’s Custom Life; 007 Licence To Kill Kenworth; various government, corporate and e-learning media projects Silver Water, Golden Sand; Her 9 Lives
Concept development; show running; scripting; shooting; lighting; sound,; editing; graphics and animation; sound recording; web/app development; multi-platform mastering; distribution Script writing; feature film development; feature film production; international sales; documentaries; consultation
Creates and manages television shows, commercials, corporate and government videos and media, e-learning and training course materials, interactive websites and apps. Primarily involved in international projects for mass audience theatrical distribution.
4 2013
Mike Wetmore vice-president and partner
Virtual reality services producing 360 video and VR content for G-Adventures, National Geographic, Toronto Maple Leafs, Hockey Canada and RedBull.
Full-service production collective
Full-service productions from concept to completion.
4 2004
Frank Taylor president and CEO Sean Kiely senior vice-president of operations Michael Dobbin managing director Steve Moretti corporate director
WND
Original content production; mobile apps; games; educational tools; social media programs; large event management
WND
WND
Theatrical, home and DVD distribution of Canadian entertainment.
WND
Tracy Legault president
WND
English and French
Dramatic television in northern Ontario. Production infrastructure that developed industry training programs and creation of a local film and television workforce for northern Ontario. WND
3 2011
3 2008
3 2007
3 2000
2 1999
Brickleberry; Bounty Hunters; Magic Hockey Skates; Wild Grinders; F is For Family
Production services offered Broadcasting; production; distribution
WND
Michael Dobbin producer and managing director Andrew Rendall operations manager Hoda Elatawi senior producer
Conception; research; scriptwriting; cinematography; sound recording; lighting and electrical; set design; editing; colour correction; titles and graphics; motion graphics; RedCode processing Resolute; Away from Everywhere; Eddie the Sleepwalking Line producing; service production; executive Cannibal; The Maiden Danced; Powerful: Energy for Everyone producing; location services; motion picture events management; story editing services; development consulting services; training services MathXplosion; Muneeza in The Middle; The Prime Radicals; Produces television content across most SPELLZ; Life and Times of Christopher Plummer; Life and genres, including docu-drama and children’s Times of Oscar Peterson; The Letters; The Great March programs, performing arts, biopics, science and history.
Original motion picture producer, service producer and specialist in international treaty co-production and international film financing. Canadian television production company creating programming for national and international audiences across all platforms.
2 1997
Tim Alp president and executive producer
WND
Broadcast television; web series; production WND services; post-production services; production management
1 2003
Richard Towns president
WND
Studio space; equipment rentals; production services
WND
1 1996
Ed Kucerak president
The Real You; Match International Women’s Fund; Partners for Peace; How Can a Boy
Documentaries, educational video and film production, consulting, story editing and writing services and project management
Kit Redmond CEO and executive producer
6X 30 Interrupt This Program;d evelopment on MOW with CBC; Shannen’s Dream
Executive production services
Independent television, film and digital media production company creating programs for national and international audiences across all platforms. Develops and produces scripted programming and documentaries.
0
WND = Would not disclose. *Did not respond to 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 10, 2016. © 2016 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 Martin Munro has joined DRS Technologies Canada as vicepresident of strategic planning and business development. Most recently Mr. Munro was with Cubic Field Services Canada and prior to that he held various senior executive and managerial positions in the defence and security industry. André Ducasse has joined Soloway Wright LLP as a partner. Mr. Ducasse’s practice encompasses litigation in banking, bankruptcy and insolvency, construction, shareholder remedies and disputes, mortgage remedies and general commercial litigation. Dave Walsh has joined BDO Canada LLP’s St. Laurent office, bringing his expertise to the firm’s tax group. He will also lead the Ottawa technology and life sciences industry practice. Mr. Walsh has
Contracts The following contains information about recent contracts, standing offers and supply arrangements awarded to local firms. IBM Canada Ltd. 3755 Riverside Dr. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: Treasury Board of Canada $6,767,212 Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. 501 Palladium Dr. Description: AFCCIS LCM ISS FY 12/13 Buyer: DND $6,575,115
more than 20 years of experience Cantech Letter. The in public practice advising clients Canadian technology across a diverse range of industries. website also recognized Doug Colbeth, chairman Diablo Technologies announced of the Kinaxis board of that Richard S. Chernicoff has directors, as the TSX Tech joined its board of directors as an Executive of the Year. independent director. Mr. Chernicoff brings to the role his extensive Miles Copeland, professor executive experience in business emeritus in the faculty of strategy, intellectual property and engineering and design at corporate finance, spanning multiple Carleton University, has technology sectors. received the 2016 IEEE Donald O. Pederson Award in Solid-State Ross Video has announced the Circuits. The award recognizes appointment of Bruce Joyce to Carleton’s leadership in engineering its board of directors. Mr. Joyce research and innovation. has extensive experience in both corporate finance and corporate A project of the Ottawa Renewable governance. Having spent 23 years Energy Co-operative has won with Deloitte, Mr. Joyce served a the Community Project of the term as the firm’s managing partner Year Award at the 2016 Powering for the National Capital Region, and Prosperity Awards presented by he has worked with a number of the Ontario Sustainable Energy growing and established companies. Association. The award recognizes OREC’s solar rooftop installation at the École élémentaire et secondaire publique Maurice-Lapointe in Kanata. The event celebrates organizations that champion Kinaxis has been named the 2015 sustainable energy across the TSX Tech Stock of the Year by province.
Hats off
Caltrio Landscape Maintenance Co. Ltd. 2505 Don Reid Dr. Description: Southern park lands maintenance management services Buyer: National Capital Commission $1,879,754 Nortrax Canada Inc. 190 David Manchester Rd. Description: Tractor backhoe loader 4x4 Buyer: DND $1,778,783 Terlin Construction Ltd. 1240 Teron Rd. Description: Retail store renovation Buyer: National Gallery of Canada $1,668,340
E.D. Brunet & Associates Canada Inc. 9 Dumas Description: Confederation Heights decommissioning Buyer: PWGSC $2,596,379
Crecan International Ltd. 65 Adrien-Robert Description: Expositions, design and fabrication services Buyer: Environment Canada $960,498
A Hundred Answers Inc. 340 March Rd. Description: Quality assurance contract Buyer: PWGSC $1,944,730
Francis Canada Truck Centre Inc. 3818 Russell Rd. Description: Refrigeration trucks Buyer: Correctional Service of Canada $959,588
Advanced Systems Management Group Ltd. 265 Carling Ave. Description: Communications network hardware Buyer: Shared Services Canada $740,000 Dynamix (Ottawa) Inc. 190 Colonnade Rd. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Baldwin Audio Visual Inc. 9 Capella Crt. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Pathfinder Systems Design Ltd. 193 Richmond Rd. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000
Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Genesis Integration Inc. 22 Gurdwara Rd. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000
Nova Networks Inc. 1700 Woodward Dr. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000
Visual Planning 2015 Corp. 71 Meadowbank Dr. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000
Northern Micro Inc. 3155 Swansea Cr. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Mishkumi Technologies Inc. 134 St. Paul St. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Interactive Audio Visual Inc. 2662 Lancaster Rd. Description: Audio visual RFSO
TELUS Communications Co. 215 Slater St. Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000 Black & McDonald Ltd. 2460 Don Reid Dr. Description: Main chiller water piping replacement Buyer: Canadian Food Inspection Agency $497,780
ONLINE LANGUAGE COURSES EFFICIENT FRENCH WITH ALLIANCE FRANÇAISE New Sessions Start: February 16 & 29, 2016 GROUP CLASSES PRIVATE COURSES AT YOUR CONVENIENCE ONLINE COURSES Non-profit organisation and official language test centre since 1905.
REGISTER NOW: www.af.ca/ottawa | 613-234-9470
TeraMach Technologies Inc. 1130 Morrison Dr. Description: ADP inputoutput and storage devices Buyer: PWGSC $458,509 Tiree Facility Solutions Inc. 424 Parkdale Ave. Description: 25-55 St. Claire investment analysis report Buyer: PWGSC $381,205 GEVC Inc. 18 Louisa St. Description: General eLearning training Buyer: PWGSC $367,920 SavvyDox Inc. 80 Aberdeen St. Description: Communications network software (R&D) Buyer: PWGSC $311,241
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Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. 501 Palladium Dr. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: DND $1,619,607
EMCON Emanation Control Ltd. 360 Terry Fox Dr. Description: Communications security equipment and components Buyer: Department of Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development $928,990
Nova Visual Products 21 Concourse Gate Description: Audio visual RFSO Buyer: PWGSC $606,000
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Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. 501 Palladium Dr. Description: AFCCIS LCM ISS FY 12/13 Buyer: DND $5,649,237
Lockheed Martin Canada Inc. 501 Palladium Dr. Description: Informatics professional services Buyer: DND $957,804
Halogen Software has been named category leader for the talent management software segment in the 2015/2016 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report, published by healthcare research firm KLAS. This is the second consecutive year that Halogen has been named a leader in this category.
THE INAUGURAL
ARNIE VERED DINNER
Honouring Families in Business
80% of businesses are family-owned employing almost 50% of our workforce. The Canadian Association of Family Enterprise (CAFE Ottawa) and GGFL Chartered Professional Accountants are hosting an event to honour families in business. This inaugural gala will celebrate family enterprise in Ottawa, named in memory of Arnie Vered, a long-standing member of CAFE. He was a strong advocate of assisting families in business to sustain economic prosperity, while simultaneously safeguarding family harmony.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2016
The recipient of CAFE Ottawa’s Family Enterprise of the Year Award will also be honoured.
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LEAD SPONSORS
FEATURING
Roger Greenberg Executive Chairman, The Minto Group
Mark Sutcliffe Journalist and Broadcaster
DETAILS
Saturday, March 5th, 6-11 p.m. Fairmont Chateau Laurier
TICKETS
CAFE member Non-member Family/Corporate Table of 8
$200 $250 $2,500
Tickets: Contact Erin Binks, Managing Director CAFE Ottawa at ottawa@cafecanada.ca or 613-232-2233
GOLD SPONSORS
SILVER SPONSOR
MEDIA SPONSOR