Executive
G. Raymond Chang – Chief Executive Officer
As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mercatus, Ray is responsible for driving the overall direction, vision and corporate strategy of the company.
Ray also serves on the Board of Directors of CI Financial (TSE:CIX). In his 18 years at CI, Raymond oversaw the company's growth from a small money manager with $5 million in assets to Canada's second-largest fund company with more than $92 billion in fee-earning assets. He joined CI as Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer in 1984 from Coopers & Lybrand, where he was Manager of Emerging Business Services. He was promoted to President and COO of CI in 1994, when the firm went public. Two years later, he became President and Chief Executive Officer. Raymond was appointed Chairman in 1999.
Ray holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Toronto. He is a passionate advocate for education and has been a member of Ryerson University’s Board of Governors since 2001. In 2006, Ray was named Chancellor of Ryerson University. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is named in honor of his generous support. In 2010, Ray became the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Philanthropist award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Toronto Chapter.
Sylvain Perrier – Chief Operating Officer
As COO of Mercatus, Sylvain draws upon a 20-year career spanning diverse segments of the retail industry. He oversees the day-to-day activities that achieve Mercatus’ strategic business goals, including the financial performance of the company.
Sylvain’s mandate includes execution of business strategies; building strong customer relationships; establishing solid relationships with the investment community; and maintaining collaborative partnerships with leading technology vendors to implement and evolve Mercatus’ business.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Sylvain was Vice President of Technology for In-Touch Survey Systems Inc. where he oversaw the development of wireless and touch-screen devices designed to generate consumer feedback reports for the retail, services, and hospitality industries.
Sylvain has exceptional retail technology knowledge and expertise and is a respected industry authority. He holds degrees in Business Administration, Computer Science, Mathematics and Advanced Mathematics from College de l’Outaouais.
Ambles Kwok – Vice President of Technology
As Vice President of Technology for Mercatus, Ambles is focused on leading product development, directing all software and hardware engineering, and directing technical integration and operations activities.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Ambles was a Senior Manager at Yahoo! Canada where he was responsible for recruiting, leading and mentoring a multi-national engineering team in North America, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico. In addition to this, he was also responsible for the development and maintenance of six different Yahoo! Services. Ambles also acted as Regional Security Auditor and was a member of the international engineering best practices and standards committee.
Ambles has over 12 years of software engineering experience across a variety of platforms and development tools. He received his Bachelor and Master Degrees in Computer Science/Mathematics from the University of Waterloo. Further studies include an Executive Certificate in Management and Leadership from MIT Sloan School of Management. Other industrial involvements include facilitating presentations at university technical seminars and various conferences.
Rick Laanvere, P. Eng. – Vice President, Sales & Marketing
As Vice President, Sales & Marketing of Mercatus, Rick leverages a diverse and respected 25-year career that encompasses sales, marketing, support, and engineering roles at successful software companies. Rick holds direct responsibility for developing and driving strategies to increase market share and revenue in Canada and the United States.
Rick holds a substantive management track record. Prior to joining Mercatus, Rick served as Director of Sales & Support for Sandvine Incorporated. He also has extensive senior management experience building and leading sales and marketing teams at Rapid Access Solutions, Jetstream Communications, and Alcatel. Prior to 1993, Rick held numerous engineering roles within Northern Telecom. Throughout his career, Rick has been instrumental in driving business and technology strategies.
Rick holds a Bachelor of Applied Science Degree from the University of Toronto. A seasoned speaker, Rick has presented at industry conferences throughout North America.
Sachi Kittur – Director, Human Resources
As Director, Human Resources, Sachi oversees the entire spectrum of HR activities for Mercatus including strategy, workforce planning and recruitment, compensation and benefits, employee development and training. She is a seasoned leader with over 10 years experience and a proven track record in creating and implementing innovative human resource solutions to help companies successfully achieve their organizational goals.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Sachi worked as Senior HR Business partner at Yahoo Canada where she jump started Yahoo’s Canadian HR function with a focus on improving both leadership engagement and employee retention.
Sachi is a graduate of Ottawa University with a Bachelor of Commerce specializing in Human Resources Management.
Jeremy List – Director, Product Design
As Director, Product Design for Mercatus, Jeremy is responsible for the industrial design and user interface of Concierge. He continues to lead the evolution of Concierge as well as other mobile applications and the systems to support these platforms. Jeremy’s primary goal is to drive the user experience and ensure that the expected level of quality is met through the user’s interaction with our products and technology.
Before joining Mercatus, Jeremy managed his own design consultancy working extensively in the fields of industrial design and software development. He has worked for many clients as diverse as Black & Decker, Nortel, Mitel and Axentra.
Jeremy holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University where he has also lectured on the subject of user interface design.
James Thomas – Director, Strategy
As Director, Strategy, James’ focus is on the development and evolution of digital ideas and solutions that marry business goals with consumer needs. He works closely with product development and technology teams to provide guidance for new products.
Prior to joining Mercatus, James was a founding member of Surface Media. He was responsible for business development and project management across interactive, print, motion and identify projects for clients in Canada and the UK.
A graduate of Bristol University’s School of Graphic Design and Multimedia, James brings over a decade of expertise in interactive design and front-end web development.
Lucy Trinh – Creative Director
As Creative Director for Mercatus, Lucy is focused on defining the company brand through creative design and brand messaging. She is responsible for developing the Mercatus technology portfolio design as well as all the creative marketing campaigns.
Prior to joining Mercatus, Lucy held various positions where she was responsible for user interface design, prototyping, conceptual development, graphic and web design, and corporate identity. Some of her projects include the ROM, Canadian War Museum, Canadian Museum of Civilization, and the Bata Shoe Museum.
With over 10 years as a professional designer, Lucy has an eye for detail and a passion for design. Lucy holds a Bachelor of Industrial Design from Carleton University and has an extensive and varied graphic design and project management background that is a tremendous asset to the Mercatus team.
Board of Directors and Advisors
G. Raymond Chang – Chairman
As Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mercatus, Ray is responsible for driving the overall direction, vision and corporate strategy of the company.
Ray also serves on the Board of Directors of CI Financial (TSE:CIX). In his 18 years at CI, Raymond oversaw the company's growth from a small money manager with $5 million in assets to Canada's second-largest fund company with more than $92 billion in fee-earning assets. He joined CI as Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer in 1984 from Coopers & Lybrand, where he was Manager of Emerging Business Services. He was promoted to President and COO of CI in 1994, when the firm went public. Two years later, he became President and Chief Executive Officer. Raymond was appointed Chairman in 1999.
Ray holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and a Bachelor of Applied Science degree from the University of Toronto. He is a passionate advocate for education and has been a member of Ryerson University’s Board of Governors since 2001. In 2006, Ray was named Chancellor of Ryerson University. The G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education is named in honor of his generous support. In 2010, Ray became the recipient of the 2010 Outstanding Philanthropist award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Greater Toronto Chapter.
George Horhota - Director
George, a corporate / communications lawyer, is a Principal with Accelerator Strategies Inc, a firm that counsels companies on M&A strategies. He is also a Senior Industry Advisor to the European Bank for the Reconstruction and Development’s TurnAround Management Programme.
George has extensive experience with early-stage companies and mature corporations. He co-founded SuiteWorks Inc., a pioneer in collaborative office environments for mobile workforces, and served as President with Cannect Networks Inc. George’s executive-level experience includes a VP position with BCE Emergis; CFO of TSX-listed ACC TelEnterprises Ltd. and VP Corporate Development with ACC TelEnterprises’ NASDAQ-listed parent, ACC Corp. (now AT&T); and led the Royal Bank’s IT, telecom, cable and media loan portfolio.
George received a BA degree from the University of Guelph and a Juris Doctor degree (Faculty of Law) from the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada. George is an Advisory Board member of Canadian Cloud Computing Inc. and CCR Solutions Inc. He is a past board member of TSX-listed WiLAN Inc. and the Canadian Business Telecommunications Alliance (CBTA).
Andrew Pinkerton - Director
Andrew has over 15 years of experience working with technology companies and investors throughout North America. Having worked in investment banking, sell-side research, venture capital and in an early-stage software company, he has a broad set of experiences from which to draw when advising leaders in the technology industry.
Andrew is Vice President, Investments at GrowthWorks Capital and focuses on information technology investments. Prior to GrowthWorks, Andrew held positions with Workbrain; the Institutional Equity Research Groups at Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group, Deutsche Bank Technology Group, and PaineWebber Technology Group in San Francisco, CA; and the Investment Banking Division of Alex, Brown & Sons in Boston, MA.
Andrew graduated Cum Laude from Harvard College and received an MBA from the Rotman School of Business at the University of Toronto. A sought-after advisor, Andrew also sits on the Board of Directors for Camilion Solutions, Covarity, Morega Systems, One Chip Photonics, Paymentus and Perspecsys, and is an observer on the Board of Directors of BTI Systems.
Rob Segal - Director
For over 20 years, Rob has been a leading North American marketing and communications specialist working with some of the World's most respected brands.
Founder of Segal Communications in 1994, Rob launched the original Sony PlayStation in 1996, Axe body spray and Virgin Mobile. His agency, Segal Communications rapidly grew into one of the largest experiential/promotional agencies in Canada and was acquired by Interpublic in 2000. Segal's client portfolio included brands such as: HP, Ford, Dreamworks, Unilever, Sony, Marvel, Party Poker, and Facebook to name just a few. The agency earned numerous awards and set the benchmark for many agencies that have followed since. Rob was honored with marketer of the year awards on three occasions and was the first Canadian to be invited to judge the newly created promo category at the Cannes Festival in 2007.
Rob left the agency in 2008 to join WorldGaming, which has since partnered with Richard Branson and is now known worldwide as Virgin Gaming. He serves as CEO. Rob is an avid musician, owns the legendary Kee to Bala concert hall in Muskoka, Ontario and serves on the board of Autism Speaks.
Bernie J. Nisker - Advisor
Bernie is a seasoned Chartered Accountant with 40+ years of executive-level experience. He holds a wide range of knowledge and financial experience in such diverse industries as retail, chemicals, film and entertainment. Bernie is knowledgeable in financing, acquisitions, divestitures, operations, auditing, accounting, tax, and more.
His experience includes tenures with reputable accounting firms such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Cantol Limited, and Soberman LLP. He successfully led companies in the roles of CEO, COO, and CFO. He advised companies as a member of their board of directors and mentored young entrepreneurs throughout his career.
Bernie continues in his profession as a consultant to mid-market clients in various capacities of operations, banking, divestitures, and acquisitions.
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