Epiphan Systems, President and CEO

Biggest achievement: As president and CEO of IP Meeting, I created, developed, nurtured, grew and sold the company for seven times the value of its assets.

Best skill: Sense of humour.

Most admired businessperson: My father, Naum Sandler, for his honesty and focus on people first.

Biggest business lesson learned: The people you get to work with can make entrepreneurship addictive. After selling one company and returning to the workforce a year later, the pull of entrepreneurship became a powerful current. For me, building a business is as much about building a team of excellent talent and good people as it is about developing technology or making money. Entrepreneurship provides the opportunity to build the kind of team that another person might spend their life wishing they were part of.

Favourite charity: Volunteer Ottawa.

Professional recognition that would mean the most: I would be most proud of recognition from my alma mater, the Moscow Institute of Physics and technology, and would be honoured to speak at the annual conference or to support a new scholarship program.