Bedford
Steven Pezim
Managing Director
steven@bedfordgroup.com
Steven and his team focuses on recruiting senior level executives and board members globally (with 60 offices internationally). He is passionate about working with CEOs that are committed to growth and thrive on working with exceptional talent. His expertise includes; search, benchmarking, talent scouting, executive assessment and strategic advice on talent branding, team and culture fit.
Managing Director
steven@bedfordgroup.com
Steven and his team focuses on recruiting senior level executives and board members globally (with 60 offices internationally). He is passionate about working with CEOs that are committed to growth and thrive on working with exceptional talent. His expertise includes; search, benchmarking, talent scouting, executive assessment and strategic advice on talent branding, team and culture fit.
KPMG
Sunil Mistry
Partner
sunilmistry@kpmg.ca
Through KPMG Enterprise™ and Technology, Media and Telecommunications practices, KPMG has deep practical industry knowledge to help with high growth challenges and respond to opportunities. As leaders and influencers in the technology eco-system, their audit, accounting, tax and advisory services (obtaining financing, networking with private equity/venture capitalists, HR strategies) can assist Peerscale companies succeed.
Partner
sunilmistry@kpmg.ca
Through KPMG Enterprise™ and Technology, Media and Telecommunications practices, KPMG has deep practical industry knowledge to help with high growth challenges and respond to opportunities. As leaders and influencers in the technology eco-system, their audit, accounting, tax and advisory services (obtaining financing, networking with private equity/venture capitalists, HR strategies) can assist Peerscale companies succeed.
Osler
Emma Woods
Practice Manager, Emerging and High Growth
ewoods@osler.com
Osler is recognized for the breadth and depth of its practice in business law and is consistently ranked as one of Canadas top firms. Proactive, pragmatic, experienced, innovative and collaborative, their team is driven by the specific needs of their clients. Osler is also the law firm of choice for technology companies, acting for clients at all stages of their development (from start-ups to more established Canadian technology businesses).
Practice Manager, Emerging and High Growth
ewoods@osler.com
Osler is recognized for the breadth and depth of its practice in business law and is consistently ranked as one of Canadas top firms. Proactive, pragmatic, experienced, innovative and collaborative, their team is driven by the specific needs of their clients. Osler is also the law firm of choice for technology companies, acting for clients at all stages of their development (from start-ups to more established Canadian technology businesses).
Roynat Capital and Scotiabank’s Technology & Innovation Banking
Chelsea Lai
Director and National Lead, Technology and Innovation Banking
chelsea.lai@Roynat.com
As the Director and National Lead for Roynat Capital and Scotiabank’s Technology and Innovation Banking group, Chelsea Lai develops and leads Scotia and Roynat’s strategic initiatives in helping tech and tech related companies with financing and growth needs across all stages of development. Chelsea has over 9 years of financial services experience and has spent the last 5 years in Commercial Banking working with tech companies in a wide range of industries from information and communication technologies to life sciences. The portfolios that she has managed included companies at startups phase to publicly traded multinational entities.
Director and National Lead, Technology and Innovation Banking
chelsea.lai@Roynat.com
As the Director and National Lead for Roynat Capital and Scotiabank’s Technology and Innovation Banking group, Chelsea Lai develops and leads Scotia and Roynat’s strategic initiatives in helping tech and tech related companies with financing and growth needs across all stages of development. Chelsea has over 9 years of financial services experience and has spent the last 5 years in Commercial Banking working with tech companies in a wide range of industries from information and communication technologies to life sciences. The portfolios that she has managed included companies at startups phase to publicly traded multinational entities.
BDC
Jasmin Gaine-Hobbs
Director Tech
jasmin.gaine-hobbs@bdc.ca
Discover tech-savvy solutions to stay ahead of the game. BDC’s innovative financing can free up your cash flow so you can invest in vital areas like R&D, talent and market expansion. We can help you by providing financing and advisory services designed to meet your fast-evolving needs.
Director Tech
jasmin.gaine-hobbs@bdc.ca
Discover tech-savvy solutions to stay ahead of the game. BDC’s innovative financing can free up your cash flow so you can invest in vital areas like R&D, talent and market expansion. We can help you by providing financing and advisory services designed to meet your fast-evolving needs.
MNP
Brian Cheng CPA, CA
Partner
brian.cheng@mnp.ca
MNP is a leading national accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada. We proudly serve and respond to the needs of our clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Through partner-led engagements, we provide a collaborative, cost-effective approach to doing business and personalized strategies to help organizations succeed across the country and around the world.
Partner
brian.cheng@mnp.ca
MNP is a leading national accounting, tax and business consulting firm in Canada. We proudly serve and respond to the needs of our clients in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors. Through partner-led engagements, we provide a collaborative, cost-effective approach to doing business and personalized strategies to help organizations succeed across the country and around the world.
Novacap
Kristin Smith
Vice-President
ksmith@novacap.ca
Novacap is a Canadian private equity firm established in 1981 and currently managing $2.26 billion of capital. Novacaps Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) team is focused on transactions involving full or partial shareholder buyouts, acquisition financing, corporate spin-offs and privatizations. Novacap offers active support, diverse operational expertise and long-term capital to help their companies develop strategic competitive advantages and realize their full potential.
Vice-President
ksmith@novacap.ca
Novacap is a Canadian private equity firm established in 1981 and currently managing $2.26 billion of capital. Novacaps Technology, Media & Telecom (TMT) team is focused on transactions involving full or partial shareholder buyouts, acquisition financing, corporate spin-offs and privatizations. Novacap offers active support, diverse operational expertise and long-term capital to help their companies develop strategic competitive advantages and realize their full potential.
Sampford Advisors
Ed Bryant
President and CEO
ed.bryant@sampfordadvisors.com
Sampford Advisors is a tech-focused M and A boutique with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. By focusing exclusively on Canadian technology M and A, we bring unique and experienced perspectives to our clients. At the same time, we have strong reach around the world to all the leading tech buyers. Our team combines over 40 years of investment banking experience and a dedication to Canadian tech M and A. We have advised on over $30 billion of M and A - representing hundreds of companies around the world.
President and CEO
ed.bryant@sampfordadvisors.com
Sampford Advisors is a tech-focused M and A boutique with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. By focusing exclusively on Canadian technology M and A, we bring unique and experienced perspectives to our clients. At the same time, we have strong reach around the world to all the leading tech buyers. Our team combines over 40 years of investment banking experience and a dedication to Canadian tech M and A. We have advised on over $30 billion of M and A - representing hundreds of companies around the world.
Vistara Growth
Neil Kenley
Director
neil@vistaragrowth.com
Vistara provides highly flexible growth capital solutions for mid-to-later stage technology companies across North America. They are uniquely positioned to offer both growth debt and/or minority growth equity to support a variety of expansion objectives. Their ability to invest across the capital structure creates strong alignment of interests with founders and existing investors, while limiting excess dilution. Vistara looks to invest $5M-$25M into companies that have scaled, or are scaling past $10M in revenues. Founded, managed, and funded by seasoned technology finance and operating executives, “Vistara” (Sanskrit for “expansion”) is focused on enabling the growth of their portfolio companies.
Director
neil@vistaragrowth.com
Vistara provides highly flexible growth capital solutions for mid-to-later stage technology companies across North America. They are uniquely positioned to offer both growth debt and/or minority growth equity to support a variety of expansion objectives. Their ability to invest across the capital structure creates strong alignment of interests with founders and existing investors, while limiting excess dilution. Vistara looks to invest $5M-$25M into companies that have scaled, or are scaling past $10M in revenues. Founded, managed, and funded by seasoned technology finance and operating executives, “Vistara” (Sanskrit for “expansion”) is focused on enabling the growth of their portfolio companies.
EDC
Jeff Keats
District Manager
jkeats@edc.ca
Jeff leads a team of talented and dynamic Account Managers, many of whom joined EDC for the same reason he did; because of the strength of EDCs mandate to offer Canadian companies the financial and risk mitigation tools, trade expertise and market connections needed to help them capitalize on international business opportunities. EDC works with a variety of partners (banking, government, and other) to facilitate that international growth for Canadian companies and, specifically, those within the Technology sector - a priority focus for EDC in 2018, and beyond.
District Manager
jkeats@edc.ca
Jeff leads a team of talented and dynamic Account Managers, many of whom joined EDC for the same reason he did; because of the strength of EDCs mandate to offer Canadian companies the financial and risk mitigation tools, trade expertise and market connections needed to help them capitalize on international business opportunities. EDC works with a variety of partners (banking, government, and other) to facilitate that international growth for Canadian companies and, specifically, those within the Technology sector - a priority focus for EDC in 2018, and beyond.
ProLink
Peter McCabe
Assistant Vice President - Technology Practice
peterm@prolink.insure
Canada’s Insurance Connection is an independent insurance brokerage that provides tailor-made risk management and insurance solutions to knowledge-based industries, professional associations, and groups. Our primary objective is to give organizations a panoramic view of their business landscape, highlight the unique threats that may impede their success, and provide them with the tools they need to meet their strategic objectives.
Assistant Vice President - Technology Practice
peterm@prolink.insure
Canada’s Insurance Connection is an independent insurance brokerage that provides tailor-made risk management and insurance solutions to knowledge-based industries, professional associations, and groups. Our primary objective is to give organizations a panoramic view of their business landscape, highlight the unique threats that may impede their success, and provide them with the tools they need to meet their strategic objectives.
Sales Talent Agency
Sonya Meloff
Co-Founder
sonya@salestalentagency.com
Over the last 10 years, Sales Talent Agency has established a reputation as the hardest working, most knowledgeable and well-networked sales recruiting company in Canada. We have successfully helped more than 850 companies hire top-performing sales professionals throughout North America - from aggressive sales hunters to account managers, sales managers and sales executives. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Sales Talent Agency was recognized by Profit500 as one of Canadas fastest growing companies and have accumulated more than 120+ reference letters and have grown consistently by 130% year-over-year over the past 10 years. In 2016 we also initiated over $300M in sales salaries throughout North America.
Co-Founder
sonya@salestalentagency.com
Over the last 10 years, Sales Talent Agency has established a reputation as the hardest working, most knowledgeable and well-networked sales recruiting company in Canada. We have successfully helped more than 850 companies hire top-performing sales professionals throughout North America - from aggressive sales hunters to account managers, sales managers and sales executives. In 2014, 2015 and 2016, Sales Talent Agency was recognized by Profit500 as one of Canadas fastest growing companies and have accumulated more than 120+ reference letters and have grown consistently by 130% year-over-year over the past 10 years. In 2016 we also initiated over $300M in sales salaries throughout North America.
Silicon Valley Bank (SVB)
Graeme Millen
Director, Technology Banking
gmillen@svb.com
For more than 30 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Forbes named SVB one of America’s best banks (2015) and one of America’s best-managed companies (2014).
Director, Technology Banking
gmillen@svb.com
For more than 30 years, Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) has helped innovative companies and their investors move bold ideas forward, fast. SVB provides targeted financial services and expertise through its offices in innovation centers around the world. With commercial, international and private banking services, SVB helps address the unique needs of innovators. Forbes named SVB one of America’s best banks (2015) and one of America’s best-managed companies (2014).
Vertu Capital
Lisa Melchior
Founder & Managing Partner
lmelchior@vertucapital.ca
Vertu Capital is a Toronto based growth-oriented private equity firm that invests in Canadian B2B software and software enabled businesses. Vertu seeks to partner with companies that are scaling globally, either organically or through M&A, and support them on their journey. Our investment team has decades of global tech private equity experience and believes that the Canadian tech ecosystem is the most exciting place to invest today.
Founder & Managing Partner
lmelchior@vertucapital.ca
Vertu Capital is a Toronto based growth-oriented private equity firm that invests in Canadian B2B software and software enabled businesses. Vertu seeks to partner with companies that are scaling globally, either organically or through M&A, and support them on their journey. Our investment team has decades of global tech private equity experience and believes that the Canadian tech ecosystem is the most exciting place to invest today.
Meaford Group
Peter Smith
Managing Partner
peter.smith@meafordgroup.com
Since 2006, The Meaford Group has been providing our clients with business advice that accelerates their growth. We work closely with CEO’s and their direct reports to provide coaching, training and advice on issues ranging from strategy to day to day operation tactics and challenges. We have worked with many Peerscale member companies including Adlib, Doxim, Firmex, Grantek, Intelex, iNTERFACEWARE, and others.
Managing Partner
peter.smith@meafordgroup.com
Since 2006, The Meaford Group has been providing our clients with business advice that accelerates their growth. We work closely with CEO’s and their direct reports to provide coaching, training and advice on issues ranging from strategy to day to day operation tactics and challenges. We have worked with many Peerscale member companies including Adlib, Doxim, Firmex, Grantek, Intelex, iNTERFACEWARE, and others.
Thorpe Benefits
Roger Thorpe
President
roger@thorpebenefits.com
Thorpe Benefits are senior specialists in Group Benefits with an in-depth understanding of this complex category and all the available options. We provide advice that is unparalleled by brokers and general life insurance agents and have the knowledge, experience and resources in the Group Benefits area to help you assess your plan. And we can develop and implement a solution that is far better than your current one – a solution that addresses both employee and organizational health.
President
roger@thorpebenefits.com
Thorpe Benefits are senior specialists in Group Benefits with an in-depth understanding of this complex category and all the available options. We provide advice that is unparalleled by brokers and general life insurance agents and have the knowledge, experience and resources in the Group Benefits area to help you assess your plan. And we can develop and implement a solution that is far better than your current one – a solution that addresses both employee and organizational health.