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| David Perry of Perry-Martel International |
David Perry is the managing partner of Perry-Martel International Inc., a high-tech recruiting firm.
RESPONSIBILITIES: "I work directly with clients to help them bring their businesses up to the level of productivity and profitability and success that they want."
CLIENTS: Public, private and advanced technology companies in Canada, the U.S., Europe, Australia and Asia.
PERSONAL: Perry, 43, is married and a dad to three daughters and one son.
HOBBIES: Perry enjoys skiing, outward-bound expeditions and fundraising.
MEMBERSHIPS: Perry is vice-chair of the Canadian Technology Human Resources Board, HR policy adviser for CATA, member of the Software Human Resource Council board, fundraising director for the Western Quebec Education Foundation, and a Cub Scout leader.
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: Perry managed five stores for Consumers Distributing from 1982 to 1985. He had a short stint at Royal Trust before leaving to work at Harrington Staffing Services in 1986. Shortly thereafter he joined ConsulPro from 1986 to 1988. He founded Perry-Martel in 1988.
AWARDS: Ottawa Business Journal's Forty under 40 recipient in 1999.
PIVOTAL CAREER MOMENT: "The day my wife offered to sell the house she and her sisters had inherited from their parents and give me the money to start Perry-Martel."
BIGGEST BUSINESS SUCCESS: "I think it's still coming. I look at everything over the last 20 years as sort of a warm-up to what will happen over the next 20 so I don't think I'm there yet."
BIGGEST BUSINESS FAILURE: "I got fired the day after I returned from my honeymoon from Harrington Staffing Services. I basically refused to lower my commission rate on some deals that had closed while I was on my honeymoon and we parted ways."
MENTORS: "My parents. I've met heads of state and business leaders all over the world and I'm still in awe by what my parents have taught me. Basically they instilled in me the fact that you're your own greatest asset and no one can possibly know what's best for you other than yourself."
FAVOURITE SAYING: "Just ship it."
FAVOURITE WEB SITE: Google.com
FAVOURITE BUSINESS BOOKS: "Anything from Peter Drucker and Jay Levinson."
FAVOURITE RESTAURANT FOR DOING BUSINESS: Nate's on Rideau St.
WHAT HE LIKES ABOUT OTTAWA: "Best lifestyle city in Canada."
WHAT HE DISLIKES ABOUT OTTAWA: "Diplomatic immunity plates"
BUSINESS PHILOSOPHY: "I think success in the new economy requires speed, innovation and most importantly people. People who inject the right skills and attitude into the right role at the correct time – especially now in the heels of the dot-com meltdown. I think you have to understand your personal value proposition."
PHILOSOPHY ON LIFE: "There are no excuses, only temporary anomalies. No one can keep you from dreaming your dreams and only you can prevent them from coming true."
STATE OF HIS BUSINESS: "The healthiest it's been in 10 years. We've banked our entire year in the first three weeks of January."
STATE OF HIS INDUSTRY: "The industry is in chaos. The industry went from $161 billion two years ago to a point where this year the industry will probably be $10 billion. Ninety-eight per cent of the players in this industry are gone."
by Ellen Tsaprailis
