Ottawa Business Journal

Company profile: SLIAO is an organization which provides English/American sign language interpreting services for federal, provincial, and municipal governments, private business, community organizations and courts.

Education: Interpreter Training Program, Grant McEwen Community College, Edmonton (1991).

Biggest biz achievement: The biggest achievements of our business happen on a daily basis. Having the ability and privilege of providing daily interpreting services for deaf clients is for me the most rewarding achievement of all.

Biggest biz obstacle: The biggest challenge to building our business is in fostering and mentoring our fellow interpreters to develop various levels of expertise to meet the growing needs of our deaf community.

Biggest lesson learned: Working with five equal partners and over a dozen contractors, we have to recognize that everyone is a contributor.

Three words that describe you: Loyal, dedicated, compassionate.

Charitable involvement: Girl Guides of Canada.

Biggest influence: My father, Kenneth Searson, for teaching me about dedication, perseverance and honesty. As a deaf man, my father had to overcome countless barriers his entire life. The life lessons he taught me are the foundations of my personal success.

First job: Special needs worker for the Children At Risk Program.

Favourite pastime:Skiing, hiking, camping, running ... anything outdoors.

Favourite travel destination: Paris, France.

Favourite book: A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving.

Favourite movie: Grease ... who can resist a young John Travolta?

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STEVE LACHANCE, 39

Bytown Catering; president

Company profile: Catering services throughout the Ottawa and Outaouais region.

Education: BA in economics, University of Ottawa, not yet completed.

Biggest biz achievement: Having started out with one chip wagon on the campus of the University of Ottawa in 1989, have managed growth to current sales of $4 million while building a team of dedicated professionals.

Biggest biz obstacle: Finding the right people who share the same commitment to customer satisfaction to be part of our team.

Biggest lesson learned: After a minor set back early in my business career, I came to the realization of how important it is to have a written agreement/contract before investing time and money into a venture.

Three words that describe you: Passionate, driven, dedicated.

Charitable involvement: St-Joe's supper table.

Biggest influence: My father – although my father never owned his own business, I saw his devotion and commitment to his work which inspires me to this day. From my first venture he was always supportive and available for help and advice.

First job: Warehouse stock person for an auto parts supplier.

Favourite pastime: Golf.

Favourite travel destination: Southern destinations.

Favourite book: The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.

Favourite movie: The Patriot.

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GEORGE LANGLOIS, 38

Gartner, Inc.; executive adviser

Company profile: Gartner delivers the technology related insight necessary for our clients to make the right decisions, every day.

Education: Certified Management Consultant, Institute of Certified Management Consultants of Ontario (2001).

Biggest biz achievement: Being senior adviser to a global cast of chief information officers.

Biggest biz obstacle: Consistently raising the bar while delivering on all our obligations.

Biggest lesson learned: Walk the walk.

Three words that describe you: Trustworthy, resourceful, solid.

Charitable involvement: Junior Chamber International.

Biggest influence: My former business partner and mentor, Mr. John Arnott, led Canada's largest industrial design firm in the 1970s and 1980s. John's tag line "A richly imagined future" and his persistent focus on creating a better future has deeply influenced how I behave in my business leadership roles.

First job: Stock boy at Brash's grocery store in Pembroke.

Favourite pastime: Gardening.

Favourite travel destination: Sarawak, Malaysia.

Favourite book: The Aubrey/Maturin Series, by Patrick O'Brian.

Favourite movie: The Edge, a survival and relationship drama.

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LUC LEVESQUE, 33

TravelPod; founder/general manager

Company profile: TravelPod offers travel blogging services that enable travelers to share their experiences online and operates travel applications on social networks such as Facebook.

Education: Honours in computer engineering, Algonquin College (1995).

Biggest biz achievement: Grew TravelPod.com from an idea into an award-winning product which culminated in an acquisition by Expedia.

Biggest biz obstacle: Finding and hiring the right people.

Biggest lesson learned: Hire the best people for the job and the rest will work itself out.

Three words that describe you: Passionate, determined, dedicated.

Charitable involvement: Foster Parents Plan.

Biggest influence: My parents. Both of my parents poured themselves into their businesses. Both were entrepreneurs who owned flower stores, courier companies, a post office and a Sears outlet. Throughout my youth I learned the value of working hard, taking care of business and the importance of focusing on bottom-line results.

First job: Working in my parent's flower store.

Favourite pastime: Travelling.

Favourite travel destination: Angkor Wat, Cambodia.

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, The Purple Cow by Seth Godin.

Favourite movie: Baraka.

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MICHEL LIPSKI, 35

Cistel Technology; director, sales/marketing

Company profile: Cistel is an Ottawa-based IT consulting and solutions company which provides IT staffing, IT security and privacy consulting services.

Education: B.Comm., majors in marketing and finance, University of Ottawa (1996).

Biggest biz achievement: Since taking over responsibility for the sales team, I have doubled Cistel's revenue. This was accomplished by also diversifying Cistel's service offering to include IT security and privacy consulting services.

Biggest biz obstacle: One of the biggest obstacles to building business was our lack of brand recognition. As such, Cistel continues to increase the awareness of its service offerings to new and existing customers.

Biggest lesson learned: There is nothing as important in business as customer loyalty and customer service. That being said, always listen to your customer's needs.

Three words that describe you: Focused, approachable, loyal.

Charitable involvement: As chair of the Cistel Foundation, I committed to raise $25,000 for the Elisabeth Bruyere Health Centre.

Biggest influence: The person who influenced me the most in business is Ms. Suzanne Lafortune. Suzanne was the partner at a management consulting firm for whom I worked years ago. Suzanne emphasized to me the importance of setting and meeting deadlines as well as of quality of service and of deliverables.

First job: Teaching tennis.

Favourite pastime: Spending time with my wife and two boys (getting out to golf once in a while is also fun).

Favourite travel destination: Santorini, Greece.

Favourite book: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Favourite movie: The Thomas Crown Affair.

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ANN MAINVILLE-NEESON, 37

TELUS; director, broadcast regulation

Company profile: Telecommunications company.

Education: Bachelor of laws, University of Ottawa, (1996).

Biggest biz achievement: Successfully representing TELUS before the Canadian Radio-television Commission to quash a proposal for an additional 'tax; on broadcast distributors, which would have cost millions to TELUS's IPTV (Internet protocol-based television) service.

Biggest biz obstacle: Regulation. Cultural protectionist measures are increasingly hampering innovation in digital media.

Biggest lesson learned: There is always a win-win solution to any problem if you look hard enough. Win-win isn't about compromise, it's about creativity.

Three words that describe you: Authentic, generous, humorous.

Charitable involvement: FUN (Fellowship Unity Networking) for Tech Women, Canadian Foundation for Women's Health.

Biggest influence: I've had many mentors and each has brought be much wisdom and given me food for thought. I consider myself lucky to have benefited from such a wealth of great influences.

First job: Sales clerk at Kelly Lumber and Building Supplies.

Favourite pastime: Having fun - with my kids, my family, my friends and various other groups and associates.

Favourite travel destination: Never the same place twice. Looking forward to a planned trip to Scotland this summer.

Favourite book: Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss.

Favourite movie: The Sound of Music – sing it loud, sing it proud.

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CLAUDE MIRON, 38

Binks Insurance Brokers Ltd.; commercial account executive

Company profile: Insurance broker in Eastern Ontario with expertise on non-profit associations, automobile dealerships, manufacturers, defence industries, construction and property management firms.

Education: Canadian accredited insurance broker (CAIB), IBAC (2001).

Biggest biz achievement: I'm proud of the directors' and officers' general liability program for the Ontario Association of Food Banks that I created. In the first six months of the program, members have collectively saved over $50,000, while the majority doubled their insurance coverage.

Biggest biz obstacle: Getting face-to-face with potential clients. Once I meet with them, they see the value I can bring to their business.

Biggest lesson learned: Have an open mind, as making assumptions will get you nowhere. Do more asking and less telling.

Three words that describe you: Loyal, easygoing, enthusiastic.

Charitable involvement: Ottawa Chamber of Commerce.

Biggest influence: I would have to say my mom. She got me started in this business. She always told me that if you work hard it will always pay off.

First job: Retail clerk at Yogen Fruz at the Cours Mont Royal.

Favourite pastime: Playing guitar.

Favourite travel destination: Greece.

Favourite book: Spider Man (comic books), I've collected them since I was eight years old.

Favourite movie: Star Wars.

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NATALIE MORIN, 32

Sleep Strategies Inc.; president and CEO

Company profile: Sleep Strategies works with hospitals and other organizations to analyze patient sleep disorder tests and address the shortage of staff and expertise in the sleep medicine industry.

Education: Therapie respiratoire, La Cite Collegiale (1995).

Biggest biz achievement: Starting a company with little more than hope and a dream and within the first year of operation, we were signing on some of the sleep industry's largest and most prestigious U.S. hospitals and health-care institutions as clients.

Biggest biz obstacle: Trying to maintain balance — keeping up a company that is growing rapidly year after year is tough. Growth is a good problem to have, but I refuse to let quality be compromised in the name of productivity.

Biggest lesson learned: Perseverance really does pay off — never underestimate the power of determination and strength of your own mind. Negativity can cause many young entrepreneurs to throw in the towel before giving themselves a chance to succeed.

Three words that describe you: Objective, gutsy, persistent.

Charitable involvement: Canadian Sleep Society.

Biggest influence: My late grandfather has been my inspiration and motivation. He built his own business into a success story. Hearing about how focused, resilient and good-humoured he remained during the most difficult of times makes my mountains feel like molehills.

First job: Sales clerk for Sears Canada.

Favourite pastime: Travelling with my family.

Favourite travel destination: Any place with a spa.

Favourite movie: It's a Wonderful Life.

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BLAIR PATACAIRK, 39

Dell Inc.; director, communications and public affairs

Company profile: Dell is a global systems and services company and is number 34 on the Fortune 500.

Education: BA in political science and sociology, Carleton University (1994).

Biggest biz achievement: Bringing Dell to Ottawa. I was one of the head negotiators (when I worked at OCRI) that brought Dell here.

Biggest biz challenge: Competition is fierce in our industry and finding the best talent to fill our positions proved to be a challenge. However, we managed to hire 1,500 in one year and they were/are the best and the brightest.

Biggest lesson learned: The status quo is out. Just when you think you know everything about your occupation, you always learn something new. I am constantly acquiring knowledge in my field and it keeps it exciting.

Three words that describe you: Driven, influencer, fun.

Charity involvement: Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Support Programs is the charity I am most admire. Whenever I spend time with the Jocelyn Lamont, the executive Director, my faith in humanity goes up a few notches.

Biggest influence: I am really blessed to have multiple business influencers. The one that stands out the most is Mike Darch, executive director of global marketing at OCRI. Mike is a very strategic thinker and he has taught me the art of negotiation.

First job: Aside from a paper route which almost every kid had, I worked at Eaton's in the wool and notions area. My main clients were grandmothers and I became an expert at picking out their yarn.

Favourite pastime: Playing my guitar.

Favourite travel destination: Anywhere in the Caribbean.

Favourite book: I really enjoy true-life stories where people overcome, such as It's Not About The Bike: My Journey Back To Life by Lance Armstrong.

Favourite movie: Hook, starring Robin Williams. The movie reminds me that we all have a kid inside yearning to get out once in a while.

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ALEXANDRA PSICA, 39

Interis Consulting Inc.; managing principal

Company profile: Provides management advice and consulting services in risk management, business transformation and project management.

Education: B.Comm., McGill University (1992).

Biggest biz achievement: Building a firm that has been successful and has grown year-over-year yet still retains its integrity and a collegial, unpretentious, inclusive culture.

Biggest biz obstacle: As we grow, it becomes a challenge to create a single sense of purpose across the entire firm. As organizational hierarchy and geographical dispersement become factors, it is harder to communicate and maintain a sense of cohesiveness.

Biggest lesson learned: Keep a sense of perspective. It's easy to get caught up in the fast-paced, pressure-filled world of business where you need to make decisions, resolve issues, and balance a wide variety of demands on your time – everything seems so important.

Three words that describe you: Dedicated, introspective, convivial.

Charitable involvement: Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Biggest influence: My dad. Although a high-school math teacher (not a businessman), he instilled a desire for life-long learning.

First job: Scooping ice cream at Baskin and Robbins.

Favourite pastime: Gardening, playing sports (especially football).

Favourite travel destination: Anywhere.

Favourite book: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.

Favourite movie: A Room with A View.

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JOHN ROESE, 37

Nortel; chief technology officer

Company profile: Telecommunications company.

Education: B.Sc. in electrical engineering, University of New Hampshire, (1992).

Biggest biz achievement: Creating a new identity and focus for Nortel as a thought leader and forward looking company in the era of hyperconnectivity. After years of serious issues, Nortel is re-emerging as a great company in telecom and is now back in the industry dialogue and leadership.

Biggest biz obstacle: Years of neglect and a telecom bust left Nortel substantially weakened when we started this effort. Additonally, the telecom industry continues to experience pressures associated with rapid transformation and macroeconomic slowness.

Three words that describe you: Competent, decisive, focused.

Charitable involvement: The Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) is the primary focus of Nortel Ottawa via Tour Nortel, the CHEO telethon and a host of other activities.

Biggest influence: Very hard to pick just one person, as many have had great influence on my career. From Avner Ben-dor I received a focus on detail and excellence in R&D, from Tom Bunce a focus on customer care and technology, from Bill O'Brien I learned how to execute a turnaround sucessfully, and from my early karate sensei, James Parcell, I learned to focus my energy and aggression on winning and positive outcomes.

First job: Working in a car stereo store.

Favourite pastime: Travelling to new and interesting parts of the world. I have been to all seven continents and travelled many millions of miles.

Favourite travel destination: Sydney, Australia or Ireland.

Favourite book: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

Favourite movie: Gladiator.

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STEVE RYAN, 39

Epiphan Systems Inc.; chief financial officer

Company profile: Design, manufacture and sale of VGA/DVI signal processing technology.

Education: Bachelor of business administration, Honours, Wilfrid Laurier University (1991).

Biggest biz achievement: Second place in OBJ's Fastest Growing Companies for 2008: have grown Epiphan to 2,500 customers in over 60 countries in three years.

Biggest biz obstacle: Finding the next product that we can bring to market quickly.

Biggest lesson learned: Always treat people fairly and honestly, from employees to customers to suppliers.

Three words that describe you: Witty, honest, stoic.

Charitable involvement: Richmond Muster Minor Hockey Association.

Biggest influence: Edward Meijer, former general manager of the Valhalla Inn. Mr. Meijer was able to drive an organization of 300-plus people to provide excellent quality service at a profit.

First job: Warehouse stock boy at an industrial supply business.

Favourite pastime: Playing with my dogs.

Favourite travel destination: Disney World.

Favourite book: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.

Favourite movie: Slapshot.

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MICHELLE SCARBOROUGH, 39

Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI); vice-president, investment and commercialization

Company profile: Economic development organization.

Education: BA in commerce, B.Sc. in physiology; University of Calgary (1991).

Biggest biz achievement: Taking an idea and turning that idea into a great business that not only met a local need, but was at the leading edge of a new movement in clean energy.

Biggest biz obstacle: Time – there are never enough hours in the day to do what you love. Capacity - the demand for what we do is high and we need to continually adapt and grow our own capacity to meet that demand.

Biggest lesson learned: Manage expectations and follow through on what you say you will do to the highest standard you possibly can. It will make the biggest difference.

Three words that describe you: Integrity, charismatic, optimistic.

Charitable involvement: National Angel Organization, The International Alliance for Women.

Biggest influences: So many people have influenced me in business it is hard to name one. I have had the pleasure of working with some very successful people who have imparted much wisdom as I have worked to develop my own career.

First job: Landscaper.

Favourite pastime: Wakeboarding, golfing and running - all interchangeably.

Favourite travel destination: Italy.

Favourite book: A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle.

Favourite movie: Casablanca.

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GLEN SHACKLETON, 35

Haunted Walks Inc.; director and owner

Company profile: Provides walking tours featuring ghost stories of Ottawa and Kingston.

Education: BA in history, Queen's University (1996).

Biggest biz achievement: Maintaining profitability and continuing to expand our business in a very challenging environment for tourism.

Biggest biz obstacle: Introducing a concept (walking tours in general and ghost tours specifically) which was very new to many of our customers.

Biggest lesson learned: I learned that in order to achieve success, you need to find a way to ensure the people working with you share your sense of ownership and deeply care about the success of your business.

Three words that describe you: Creative, resourceful, positive.

Charitable involvement: The Bytown Museum

Biggest influence: My late grandfather, Ken Neil. He was always willing to invest in my many schemes as an entrepreneurial child and always encouraged me to pursue whatever interested me in life.

First job: Cutting the grass in a cemetery.

Favourite pastime: Classical fencing.

Favourite travel destination: York, U.K.

Favourite book: The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack.

Favourite movie: V for Vendetta.

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PHILLIP SHAER, 34

MOSAID Technologies Inc.; vice-president, general counsel and corporate secretary

Company profile: Develops and licenses intellectual property.

Education: Bachelor of laws, University of Windsor (2000).

Biggest biz achievement: In light of the time, effort and energy expended on MOSAID's restructuring and new focus as an intellectual property pure-play since the mid-2006 proxy contest, I'm most proud of our team's ability to set and meet a high number of very ambitious goals and targets.

Biggest biz obstacle: In a restructured, publicly-traded technology company, the key challenge is building investor confidence by consistently delivering on our operational and financial objectives.

Biggest lesson learned: There are two: (1) see the big picture and don't sweat the details, and (2) sometimes, no matter how difficult, it's wise to wait 24 hours before pressing 'send.'

Three words that describe you: Determined, stubborn and a Scorpio.

Charitable involvement: Frontier College and the Ottawa Public Library Foundation Board.

Biggest influence: I've had the good fortune to be employed/mentored by some of the brightest business and/or legal minds in Ottawa. Each, in her/his own way, has taught me that it's all about weighing risk and finding practical solutions.

First job: Roast beef sandwich maker extraordinare at Arby's.

Favourite pastime: Besides playing with my two daughters, which is by far my favourite thing to do, but not strictly speaking a pastime, I'd have to say hanging out with the Hired Goons (and playing touch football with them, too).

Favourite travel destination: I just returned from Tel Aviv (it was my first time in Israel), and all I can say is, "Wow." I'd also love to go back to Kenya, when my girls are older, and take them on safari.

Favourite book: As an English major, it's impossible to pick just one. I do know that I can always count on Douglas Adams's Life, the Universe and Everything to make me laugh out loud.

Favourite movie: Dead Again. I think it's because of the general notion that, even if it takes several lifetimes, things work out as they should.

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DENIS SHANK, 37

GVA Devencore; vice-president

Company profile: A commercial real estate firm specializing in strictly representing end users (tenants/corporations), never the developers or landlords.

Education: Second-degree diploma in public management, Ecole Nationale d'Administration Publique (2000).

Biggest biz achievement: Negotiating the lease renewal for Corel Corp.

Biggest biz challenge: Getting my name out there and explaining our unique concept as commercial real estate brokers.

Biggest lesson learned: At the end of the day, always trust your gut feeling.

Three words that describe you: Personable, gutsy, outside-the-box.

Charitable involvement: Candlelighters (Childhood Cancer Support Programs).

Biggest influence: Warren Buffett, because he's a leader with such simplicity and a man that never defaults from following his vision.

First job: Newspaper carrier.

Favourite pastime: Spending time with my family (from swimming to being their baseball coach to karate instructor).

Favourite travel destination: The Laurentians.

Favourite book: A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean.

Favourite movie: Rudy.

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JUSTIN SHIMOON

Sitebrand; president and CEO

Company profile: Provides retailers with interactive marketing solutions.

Education: B.Sc. in electrical engineering, Carleton University (2000).

Biggest biz achievement: Going public on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Biggest biz obstacle: There are big obstacles every day, but the biggest one? Public financing is one of the biggest (ongoing) obstacles, but one of our biggest challenges was building a world-class management team.

Biggest lesson learned: Go with your gut, because it's typically right. Keep on pushing until you get the contract or public offer signed.

Three words that describe you: Persistent, aggressive, determined.

Charitable involvement: HOPE Volleyball Summer Fest; we also sponsor a golf tournament for the Heart Institute.

Biggest influence: John Eckert, our chairman. He's stuck with me for the last eight yeras, believing in me and pushing me.

First job: Wendy's fry guy.

Favourite pastime: Snowboarding.

Favourite travel destination: Asia.

Favourite book: Good to Great by Jim Collins.

Favourite movie: Indiana Jones.

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MARISOL SIMOES, 37

Mambo, Kinki, Helsinki; owner-manager

Company profile: Food and beverage sales in the ByWard Market.

Education: Sociology major, public administration minor, University of Ottawa (1997).

Biggest biz achievement: In the span of eight years I have owned five businesses, so I think that the ability to keep growing is a big achievement.

Biggest biz obstacle: Outdated laws and policies of our government towards small businesses. We have no rights. We are exploited by the government, the employees, our landlords, insurance companies, etc. ... and there is nothing to stop them from doing so.

Biggest lesson learned: Don't trust anyone.

Three words that describe you: Resilient, stubborn, positive.

Charitable involvement: Cancer foundation, Bruce House, HOPE.

Biggest influence: My mother. She taught me the value of money, and how hard it is to earn it. And my father. He taught me the value of having a good work ethic.

First job: Busgirl at Ponderosa Steakhouse.

Favourite pastime: Being with my children.

Favourite travel destination: Anywhere south and tropical.

Favourite book: The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield.

Favourite movie: The Wizard of Oz.

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KIMOTHY WALKER, 39

CTV; anchor/producer

Company profile: Provides local, provincial, national and international news.

Education: Bachelor of journalism, Carleton University (1991).

Biggest biz achievement: In the spring 2008 ratings book, CTV Weekend News, of which I am the producer, grew 36 per cent in its viewership.

Biggest biz obstacle: Time ... or lack of it. There is so much to do for this community, and so many stories to tell.

Biggest lesson learned: How you treat people is directly correlated to your success, because we move through life carried by those we have treated well.

Three words that describe you: Curious, driven, compassionate.

Charitable involvement: Child Sexual Abuse Prevention Network

Biggest influence: Max Keeping. Max's community involvement is legendary. In addition, his work within our newsroom has contributed to the success of countless reporters, anchors and producers.

First job: Cashier at a fruit and vegetable market.

Favourite pastime: In-line skating.

Favourite travel destination: California.

Favourite book: Sapphire, written by my daughter and dedicated to my grandmother.

Favourite movie: E.T.

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