Keynote Speaker
Jim Jarrell, President & COO - Linamar Corporation
Mr. Jarrell joined Linamar Corporation in June 1991 as Director of Marketing. He was previously employed by Magna International in the position of Sales Manager. In November 1993, Mr. Jarrell accepted the position of General Manager at Hastech Inc., a Linamar subsidiary.
In early 1995 Mr. Jarrell assumed the responsibility as General Manager for our Roctel division. In June 1995 Mr. Jarrell was promoted to Group Vice President and assumed responsibility for the start up of Comtech Mfg. Ltd.
In 1996, as Linamar’s reporting structure changed, Mr. Jarrell assumed responsibility for Hastech, Roctel, Comtech, Vehcom, Diversa Cast and LPP, our engine assembly plant. Mr. Jarrell was fully responsible for the management of these multiple operations while ensuring customer satisfaction; employee satisfaction and profitability objectives were met.
Jim Jarrell was promoted to the position of Chief Operating Officer in September 1999 and assumed responsibility for the Linamar Sales Department in November 2003.
On August 11, 2004 Mr. Jarrell was appointed to the position of President of Linamar Corporation in addition to his current duties.
Bridging The Gap Between Arts & Digital Meadia Speakers
Thomas Gofton, President & CEO - Synn Studios Inc
Thomas Gofton started his parent production company Lynnvander Inc. in the spring of 2006. He has since fostered the growth of Synn Studios Inc., a media production facility where he serves as President and C.E.O. Thomas also founded SharpCuts: Indie Film and Music Festival held annually in southern Ontario. Thomas works diligently as a producer, film editor and graphic designer.
Rob McLean, Brand Strategist - Sociable Communications & Marketing
Rob McLean is the owner of Sociable Communications, a full-service marketing and communications agency. Rob has almost twenty years’ experience with the creation and distribution of music through both conventional and digital means.
Doug Minett, Owne & CEO - The Bookshelf
Doug Minett entered the book industry in 1973 when he co-founded The Bookshelf - a combined bookstore, restaurant, bar, & cinema in Guelph, Ontario Canada.
He has been involved in book industry system design, development and consulting since 1980. In the late 1990’s, The Bookshelf launched Canada’s first full service book website (subsequently sold to Indigo Books & Music) in conjunction with Bell Sympatico.
He has served on the board of directors of the Canadian Booksellers Association, the Canadian Telebook Agency, and as a director of Booknet Canada, English Canada’s supply chain organization.
He has been an active participant with the American book industry association, The Book Industry Study Group, since the 1980’s and is the chair of the Supply Chain EDI (electronic data interchange) committee for that group.
He has been an active participant in international book industry standards development since the 1980’s. From 2002 to 2005 he served both as a member of the ISO working group revising the ISBN standard and as a consultant to the International ISBN Agency.
He is currently a director of Syngrafii, a company which has specialized in developing analog/digital signing technologies.
Innovation Guelph Speakers
Kirk Roberts, Executive Director - Innovation Guelph
Currently Executive Director, Innovation Guelph and Principal Tyrcathleen Partners. Previously Kirk spent 13 years at Open Text Corporation where he most recently served as Executive Vice President, Products: responsible for product strategy, product marketing, research and development and contribution (operating) margin for all products worldwide. Also, acted as executive sponsor and lead on major acquisitions and ongoing business unit integration including that of Vignette (US$310 million) and Captaris (US$131 million). Kirk joined Open Text through the acquisition of NirvCentre of which he was Founder and Executive Director. One of Canada’s first on-line services (1986) and internet providers, NirvCentre delivered a suite of hosted services to NGO’s and government agencies across Canada as well as partnering to introduce email and Internet services in Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America.
Steve Currie, Vice President of Business Services - Communitech
Steve was previously involved with both start-up and established tech companies, holding senior marketing positions with public companies (Open Text, Reynolds and Reynolds), mid-sized organizations (Northern Digital Inc.) and start-ups (Handshake VR, EntelX). Specific experience includes enterprise software, SaaS, digital media, hardware, medical/healthcare, education and automotive verticals.
Steve understands the challenges faced by early stage companies, having been a Founder and VP of 2 start-ups. He has hands-on experience with funding (Angel and VC rounds), International Business Development (opening EMEA and AsiaPac sales/support offices, European acquisitions, global channel creation & management), go-to-market (15 international product launches) and growing teams from 2 to 40+ in multiple locations.
Amie Sergas, Senior Manager, Business Acceleration Program - MaRS Discovery District
Amie manages operations for the Business Acceleration Program (BAP), an initiative of the Ontario Networks of Excellence (ONE), at MaRS Discovery District in Toronto. BAP provides a suite of world-class services through the ONE in order to help strengthen and accelerate the growth of Ontario’s entrepreneurial talent and globally competitive innovative companies.
Prior to BAP, Amie managed programs for BAP’s predecessor, the Business Mentorship and Entrepreneurship Program, also at MaRS. Amie has a diverse background from research to marketing and business development gained from positions with the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI), Mitel, StemCell Technologies and Kinetek Pharmaceuticals. She has managed stakeholder relations among private, public and non-profit organizations, and has successfully navigated projects through entrepreneurial environments. Amie holds a BSc in Biotechnology and an MBA for Science and Technology from Queen’s University where she focused on New Venture Management.
Mobile Applications
Mike Loosemore, Wireless Applications Architect - RIM
Mike Loosemore is a Wireless Application Architect with Research in Motion. Mike has over 15 years of enterprise software development experience. In recent years he has been working with Research in Motion promoting application development on the BlackBerry and educating Software Developers on the key features of the platform.
Kelly Brooks, Founder & President - SpeakFeel Corporation
Kelly has over 12 years experience in online media project management.
Previously, she was the Creative Director for the successful RKD Web Studios Inc. and currently has over three years of active experience in Mobile Marketing and Development. Kelly understands the key components required to make any digital project a success. SpeakFeel won North American acclaim in 2010 for their mobile QR Code product called TwittQR. Appearing in the prestigious Mobile Marketer and deploying a nation-wide campaign for SVEDKA Vodka, SpeakFeel expanded with a Toronto location and active projects with national media agencies.
As part of SpeakFeel, Kelly is also a founding partner of AgNition Inc., a
development house focusing on progressive mobile technology for agribusiness
located in Guelph's Research Park. SpeakFeel is headquartered in Guelph,
Ontario with their second office in downtown Toronto. Kelly lives in Guelph.
Regg Struyk, Co-Founder - eLead Inc.
Regg brings over 10 years of product management and 15+ years of technology experience. Regg learned his craft at MKS Inc., managing development software requirements and was successful at commercializing 3 consecutive releases of software. He further expanded his knowledge while managing a global technical product management team for Agfa HealthCare.
His philosophy is to design software applications that are user driven and not development driven. "Features are great but only when they solve a real world business problem" is his motto.
Adding to his list of accomplishments, Regg is a co-founder of Guelph Technology Cluster, Chair of Guelph Chamber of Commerce Technology Committee and current organizer of Comunitech's Guelph Peer Group.
Regg's passions are recreational hockey, golfing, gardening and picking up after his kids.
Cloud Computing
Wally Kowal, President & Founder - Canadian Cloud Computing
Wally is the founder of Canadian Cloud Computing and is driving the development and growth of the company. Wally has a diverse management background in high tech, with over twenty years in communications and enterprise software in both Canada and the United States. Wally is also a part-time lecturer at the G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education at Ryerson University, where he teaches in the School of Professional Communications.
Barry Gervin, Partner, Microsoft Regional Director - ObjectSharp
Barry Gervin is a founding Partner of ObjectSharp. As a Principal Consultant and Instructor with ObjectSharp, Barry provides technical leadership to his valued clients, staff, and the development community. Over his 17 year career in the IT industry, he has helped many development teams architect and successfully deliver large software projects within tight schedules and budgets that consistently perform for their end users.
Barry received his Honours Bachelor Business Administration Degree from the Wilfrid Laurier University's School of Business and Economics in 1990. He currently holds several technical designations including MCSD.NET, MSF Practitioner and MS Certified Trainer.
Barry currently serves as a MS Regional Director in Southern Ontario and has received the Microsoft MVP Award for Solutions Architecture for the past 3 years.
Lou Tetsos, National Director, VirtualONE - Compugen Inc.
For most organizations, virtualization is now a critical enabler for improving IT infrastructure in response to today’s economic pressures and changing business requirements. The benefits of virtualization can be quite substantial – hardware consolidation, cost reduction, improved software manageability, enhanced security and better remote access, along with ‘green’ benefits such as reduced space, power and HVAC consumption.
As the National Director for VirtualONE and with over 25 years of IT experience and running a team of 25 specalists, Lou has a unique insight view on virtualization with a focus on a "holistic” approach that include the Hypervisor, servers, SAN, Networking and more as one architecture.
Local Recruiting
Modesty Sabourin, Account Manager - Procom Consultants Group
Modesty Sabourin is a Senior Account Manager with Procom Consultants Group -one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies and the leading supplier of IT staffing services. She has been with Procom for nearly 5 years and specializes in IT talent acquisitions. Modesty separates those Candidates who are in the top 20% of their peers . She acts as a true partner to start up and fortune 500 Companies (some of the region’s largest) providing both market intelligence and talent sourcing for their contingent and permanent workplace planning needs.
Ambassador for Canada’s Technology Triangle and strong supporter of Communitech, involved in several peer to peer groups, Modesty knows the region well and is passionate about fostering local tech talent, and innovation to help drive the community footprint. A life time resident of Guelph, Modesty holds a BA from McMaster University .
Blog: http://modestysabourin.wordpress.com
Follow Modesty on Twitter @Ittalenthunter, LinkedIN at http://ca.linkedin.com/in/modestysabourin
For local talent search contact Modesty at 519-885-4331, extension 205 or at modestys@procom.ca.
Ken Buitenhuis, Employer Relations Consultant - Conestoga College
Ken Buitenhuis is an Employer Relations Consultant with Conestoga College’s Co-operative Education and Career Services department. Ken brings over 12 years of Job Development and Recruitment experience. Ken educates employers about Conestoga’s co-op and non co-op programs and persuades organizations’ hiring managers to hire graduates and co-op students from Conestoga College. He is responsible for acting as the primary point of contact for new employers and for managing a portfolio of 24 Co-op programs. Ken maintains relationships with key employers, identifying technical skills gaps, recruitment needs and linking the employer to other College programs and employer services. He is responsible for conducting labour market and employer research in order to identify new business contacts, professional associations, trends, challenges and opportunities associated with the development of jobs for co-op education and graduate employment. A lifetime resident of Cambridge, Ken holds B.A. from the University of Waterloo.
Michael Breward - University of Guelph
Michael Breward is presently an Assistant Professor at the University of Guelph. Prior to returning to academia to obtain his PhD, Michael spent almost 20 years in industry, the last 6 as the Director of Finance and Information Systems for Energizer/Schick Canada. While pursuing his undergraduate degree in accounting, Michael became intrigued with information systems and how they could be leveraged to obtain competitive advantage and, as such, both his MBA and PhD are in management information systems. During his industry career, he was involved in several successful information systems initiatives. Looking forward, he plans to continue researching not only how and why organizations use information system, but also the security and privacy considerations that inevitably follow as a result of companies’ never ending quest for detailed information about each and every consumer. Michael is also a Certified Management Accountant, has passed the US Certified Public Accountant exams, and is an award-winning case writer.
Data Acquisition and Processes
Robert Menegotto, President - Mantech Inc.
Robert Menegotto has been involved in the development and manufacturing of laboratory equipment for over 15 years. As a B.Sc. graduate from the University of Guelph, Robert immediately entered the field of laboratory equipment distribution, development and manufacturing holding positions in technical support, sales, product management, research and development and now President and owner of MANTECH INC. Robert’s core belief is to work with energetic, newly graduated scientists who have no preconceived notions on how something should work. Instead, developing and building new solutions that no one envisioned is the core of MANTECH. In all technology developments, Robert keeps in mind it must be commercialized, value added and drive the cost of analysis lower. With over 1000 MANTECH units installed, mainly in environmental water and soil testing laboratories, the products developed are getting traction. They are used everyday generating results that prove to our municipalities, and to us, that we have high quality drinking water. Robert was born and educated in Guelph. Robert’s family with Amalija and 3 children, Maja, Talija and Sasha are excited about the MANTECH venture and very busy with all other life’s activities.
Stephane McMaster, CEO - Labtronics Inc.
Stephane MacMaster is CEO of Labtronics Inc., a world leader of innovative solutions for instrument and system integration with thousands of customers worldwide. For the past 20 years, Stephane has led the development of technologies and processes associated with data acquisition and process automation in a variety of industries such as healthcare, pharmaceutical, food, manufacturing, oil and gas. Stephane has been responsible for the architecture, design and development of numerous software systems used in these areas. He has also managed professional services groups and process improvement teams associated with analysis and deployment of such systems. Stephane has a BSc in Physics and Computer Science from the University of Guelph.
Leigh Copp, Advanced Systems Leader - Linamar Corporation
Leigh Copp has been with Linamar Corporation for 25 years, starting as a student while working through the Engineering Physics program at McMaster University and later graduating with an Electrical Engineering degree at Ryerson University. Over the years and in various roles, Leigh has implemented numerous automation and control systems projects across multiple facilities within the organization.
As part of the Frank Hasenfratz Centres’ engineering group, Leigh is currently leading the Advanced Systems (AS) team through the design, development, implementation and support of a wide variety of automation technologies for Linamar facilities. Included within a diverse portfolio of advanced technology projects, the AS team deploys process automation through the creative use of robotics and special purpose machines for improved productivity, vision and test equipment for improved quality and manufacturing data collection systems for improved efficiencies.
Most recently, Leigh and the AS team have been developing and implementing Shop Floor Intelligence (SFI) systems to enhance manufacturing visibility, communications and to support immediate, knowledge-based, decision making to enable Linamar to satisfy increasing customer expectations in a highly competitive and rapidly evolving global economy.