Speakers, Moderators And Panelists

Speakers, Moderators And Panelists From The 2010 Tremblant Venture Forum

The Tremblant Venture Forum 2010

Keynote Speakers

Duncan Stewart - Director, Technologies, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), Life Sciences and GreenTech, Deloitte Canada
Duncan Stewart is the Director of Deloitte Canada Research in the areas of Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT), Life Sciences and GreenTech. He is a member of Deloitte’s national TMT executive team and is a co-author of Deloitte Research’s annual Predictions report on trends in TMT. Duncan has almost two decades of experience in the TMT industry.

2010 Moderators

Jacques Bernier - Managing Partner, Teralys Capital
Jacques Bernier is a highly respected venture capitalist, entrepreneur and investor who has helped to shape the Canadian technological innovation scene. Through a 30 year career of contributions to the high-tech community, he has been actively involved in more than a dozen emerging high-tech companies as founder/CEO or angel investor as well as Senior Vice-President of the Solidarity Fund QFL. His widely valued wisdom and experiences continue to define, develop and implement a new approach to venture capital in Québec and abroad.

Eugene Gierczak - Partner, Miller Thomson Pouliot
Eugene Gierczak is the national chair of the firm’s Intellectual Property and Information Technology Group. He provides advice on all aspects on intellectual property law including litigation.

Samuel M. Shafner - Partner in Corporate Department; Co-chair of International Practices Group, Burns & Levinson LLP
Samuel Shafner has an active international practice in corporate finance and transactional law, as well as corporate law and negotiating complex business contracts. He represents venture capital and private equity funds and other investors worldwide, as well as companies seeking such investment. He also is a recognized expert in mergers and acquisitions, and in all phases of raising and deploying capital. He frequently structures and organizes funds, formulates investment terms and strategies, assists in due diligence, and closes portfolio investments.

2010 Panelists

Ludovic André - Chief Operating Officer, VCIC Inc.
Ludovic André is the Chief Operating Officer of VCIC Inc. He joined CIC - Banque de Vizille in January 2003 and performed several investments in high technology companies in France such as Keosys (Medical Imaging), Ion Beam Services (Semiconductors) or Voluntis (IT / Software).

Daniel Blanche - President and CEO, CRIM
Daniel Blanche has 28 years of experience in the areas of business development, marketing and operations management in the information technology and communications sector. Before joining CRIM in 2010, Mr. Blanche was president and chief executive officer of Triton Electronik, a contractual provider of electronic design and manufacturing services. During his nine years at the helm, the company completed four acquisition and financing transactions.

Neil Cameron - Technology Specialist, Materials, Emerald Technology Ventures
Based in our Montreal office, Neil Cameron is a Technology Specialist responsible for the advanced materials sector within Emerald Technology Ventures. He is involved in all phases of the investment process: from preliminary evaluation to assisting management during the investment period.

Tom Caputo - Vice President, Advanced Technology Ventures
Tom joined ATV in 2007 and focuses on investments in the software and services, internet and infrastructure market sectors in ATV's Waltham, MA office. Tom is most actively involved with ATV portfolio companies [x+1] and Sanovi.

François Carrier - Director, Investment Banking, Canaccord Adams
François Carrier joined the investment banking team at Canaccord Adams in 1999. His professional practice is geared towards small and mid capitalization growth corporations, primarily in Eastern Canada. He has advised corporations, public and private, in the context of public offerings, private placements and mergers and acquisitions, in Canada and abroad. Focus sectors include sustainability, consumer products, diversified industries and technology.

Rob Chaplinsky - Managing Director and Co-Founder, Bridgescale Partners
Rob Chaplinsky is the Managing Director and co-founder of Bridgescale Partners and brings more than 12 years of investing experience and more than 15 years of marketing experience to technology companies. Prior to forming Bridgescale, Rob was as a general partner at early stage venture capital firm, Mohr Davidow Ventures (MDV). At MDV, Rob was the lead investor and board member in launching companies such as Accelerant Networks (acquired by Synopsys), Brion Technologies (acquired by ASML), Cooligy (acquired by Emerson Electric), Pivotal Technologies (acquired by Broadcom), Pixim Technologies and Quake Technologies (acquired by AMCC).

Alain Denis - Investment Director, Information Technologies and Telecommunications Solidarity Fund QFL
Alain Denis attended Université Laval and York University, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Administration (finance major), followed by an MBA. A businessman and manager with a proven track record, Mr. Denis has over 20 years’ experience in the investment sector. Holding various management positions from 1983 to 2003, he helped further the development of Plastiver, Microcel Télécommunications, Argo Global Capital and others. Before joining the Fund, he co-founded Services financier AJP, an asset-based lending company.

Pierre Donaldson - Partner, JLA Ventures and BlackBerry Partners Fund
Pierre Donaldson is Partner of JLA Ventures and BlackBerry Partners Fund. Prior to joining JLA Ventures in 2005, Mr. Donaldson was president and CEO of Bioscrypt Inc. Under his leadership, the company, then Mytec, acquired a major competitor, Biometric Identification Inc., and the two companies merged to become Bioscrypt Inc., a leading North American biometric software firm. During the past 22 years, Mr. Donaldson has acquired extensive experience in the software and high technology industries. JLA Ventures, a $250 million Venture Fund, invests in Internet, digital media, e-commerce, communications security, mobile computing, and enterprise software companies. JLA Ventures, along with RBC Venture Partners, is co-managing the $150 million BlackBerry Partners Fund.

Sanjay D. Goorachurn - Counsel, Smart & Biggar
Sanjay D. Goorachurn is counsel at the Montreal office of Smart & Biggar / Fetherstonhaugh. His practice consists primarily of advising clients on the intellectual property and technology aspects of commercial transactions, and counselling clients on the strategic management and exploitation of their IP assets. In particular, he has significant experience in structuring, negotiating and drafting all IP aspects of M&A transactions and financing / private equity transactions, including conducting multi-jurisdictional IP due diligence investigations. Mr. Goorachurn also regularly advises clients on commercial transactions that involve IP, such as licensing, joint ventures, distribution and collaborative research transactions, in order to leverage IP assets for value.

Howard Gwin - Venture Partner, Bridgescale Partners
After spending 13 years in senior sales, marketing and operations roles in IBM Corporation and Xerox Corporation, Howard joined PeopleSoft Inc. From November 1994 to January 2000, Howard held a variety of executive management positions including: VP and General Manager Canadian Operations, VP and Managing Director European Operations, SVP International Operations and EVP World Wide Operations. During his last role at PeopleSoft, Howard was responsible for all company revenue streams and >5000 employees. During his tenure, the company grew from $100M in revenues to $1.3B.

Robert Inglese - Vice President, EEEM, BDC
Robert is responsible for the EEEM investment portfolio (energy, environment, electronics and materials) across Canada as well as Go Capital LP in Quebec. He joined BDC in 1994. He built an outstanding team of investment professionals in every technology sector including Biotech, IT, Industrial Tech and Cleantech. Over the years, Robert and his colleagues have invested in Seed and Early-stage businesses across Canada representing more than $200 million in total investments.

Jeff Petru - Director, Ventures and Business Development, W. R. Grace Construction Products
Jeff Petru is Director, Ventures and Business Development for W.R. Grace Construction Products, a leader in specialty chemicals and materials for the global construction industry. For nearly 10 years, Jeff has worked in corporate development at several Fortune 1000 companies. His background includes buy and sell transactions with private equity-backed firms as well as corporate sponsorship and technology licensing with start-up organizations.

Wils Theagene - Managing Director, Kirchner Private Capital Group
Wils Theagene is currently a Managing Director with Kirchner Private Capital Group responsible for Mergers and Acquisitions transactions and sector leader for Kirchner‘s Cleantech Advisory Group. Prior to joining Kirchner Private Capital Group Wils was a manager for the Corporate Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Bombardier Inc. During his employment with Bombardier, Wils managed transactions for the Aerospace and Transportation divisions in the Americas, Central and Eastern Europe. He has 16 years of business development, investment and transactional experience with both large and small emerging companies.

Véronique Wattiez Larose - Partner, McCarthy Tétrault
Véronique Wattiez Larose is a partner in our Business Law Group in Montréal and a Canadian Registered Trade-mark Agent. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions, private equity (including venture capital) and ongoing business matters.

2010 Venture Forum