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From Tech Ventures to Alpine Adventures
An Interview with Tony van Marken
In 1994, Tony van Marken joined Toronto-based Architel
Systems Corporation and over the next 5 years helped grow the
telecom software vendor from $1mm to $50mm in revenues
while taking the company public on the TSX and NASDAQ.
In recognition of his contributions, he was awarded the
Canadian Entrepreneur of the Year (1996) award by the
Canadian Venture Capital Association (CVCA) and was
named one of Canada’s Top 40 Under 40 (1999). Architel
was subsequently sold to Nortel for US $400mm.
In 1999 Tony became a partner in venture capital firm XDL
Intervest and over the next 5 years played an active role in the
creation and nurturing of a number of Canadian technology
fi rms. While still a partner at XDL Intervest, Tony moved to
Sophia Antipolis in France and for a 3 year period devoted
himself to climbing the world’s seven summits, the highest
mountains on each continent, as well as many of the world’s
classic peaks. Tony then moved to South Africa where he is
now Executive Chairman of Vox Telecom, a rapidly growing
$300mm per year alternative telecom operator. Bob Hebert
spoke with Tony about his life as a CEO and world-class
climber.
See Interview - PDF
The Role of Organizational Context
Suppose for a moment you are the board member charged with recruiting a new CEO into IBM. The executive search firm that you retain presents a slate of candidates featuring two CEOs of very successful small start-up software companies. Do you seriously consider the candidates or fire the search firm? Why? Now consider you are a board member of an early stage start-up and you face the same challenge of finding a new CEO. The search firm presents a slate of candidates from very large, mature companies such as IBM, all career professional managers and all experienced in the start-up’s technologies and target markets. Do you consider them seriously or fire the search firm and again, why?
See Article - PDF A Discussion with CSI Wireless CEO Steve Koles
Anatomy of a Turnaround
In 2006 Steven Koles was hired as the CEO of CSI Wireless. The high flying Calgary-based company, which once boasted a share price of $8.65 in 2000, was then in dire straits and in the midst of dramatically reorganizing, selling divisions and focusing on the GPS industry. Over the past two years the firm has seen a dramatic turn in its fortunes. Re-branded as Hemisphere GPS the company's stock price has moved from a low of $1.19 in Dec 2005 to over $4.50 currently. In its most recent quarter the company delivered a profit that was greater than any annual profit in the history of the company.
See Interview - HTML A Discussion with PlateSpin CEO Stephen Pollack
From Bankruptcy to $205mm Acquisition
Toronto-based PlateSpin Canada was founded in 1999 with ambitions to build world-class management solutions for the telecom data centre market. Though the firm held considerable promise, in 2003 it filed for bankruptcy losing $11mm for its investors. Shortly afterwards, Stephen Pollack bought the assets of the company and with a skeletal team and $1mm in seed financing embarked on the journey to realize what he believed was its significant potential. In March 2008, PlateSpin Ltd was bought by Novell for $205mm in cash.
See Interview - HTML Where are all of the Successful Serial CEOs?
It is a lament heard across the Canadian technology sector: Where are the successful serial CEOs and why do they appear so much more plentiful in the U.S. than in Canada?
A quick scan of the U.S. tech community readily surfaces a class of executives for whom success only eggs them on to pursue even bigger challenges. They are serial CEOs hooked on the game of tech and driven by the goals of mastery and excellence of play. They move from one successful start-up or turnaround to the next adding one experiential notch after the next to their expanding belts and wallets. And they appear everywhere, sprinkled liberally across venture capital rosters as executives/entrepreneurs in residence, and at the helms of countless tech companies.
See Interview - HTML Secrets of Successful Serial Start-Up CEOs
We are all drawn and inspired by tales of entrepreneurial success. It may be the young engineer who founded a company which seemingly overnight was acquired by Microsoft or Cisco. It may be the drop-out who built a web-site now viewed by millions of people each and every day. Or it may be the siblings whose start-up was the top performing IPO of the year. And while we never tire of these fascinating stories, part of us always wonders whether the entrepreneurial masterpieces in question are the strokes of true artistry or of one-time inspiration, good timing, or beginner’s luck? And could they do it again?
Spring 2008 - PDF StoneWood Interview Series
The Science of Start-Ups
Michael Malcolm is one of Canada’s most successful yet least-known technology start-up entrepreneurs. Over the past twenty-five years, the former University of Waterloo professor has founded four companies and left an indelible mark of innovation on the North American technology scene. His first company, Waterloo Microsystems was a pioneer in operating system design before being sold to Hayes Microcomputer in 1990. His second company, Network Appliance currently has revenues of $2.8bb per year and employs over 6,500 staff around the world. His third company, Cacheflow (now BlueCoat Systems) had one of the most successful public offerings in the late 90s. His most recent company, Kaleidescape is a market leader in high-end home entertainment servers. Headquartered in Silicon-Valley, and with R&D in Waterloo, Ontario, the fast-growing company employs over 140 professionals and is solidly profitable.
A Discussion with Kaleidescape CEO Michael Malcolm StoneWood Interview Series
Anatomy of a Textbook Start-Up
Founded in late 2004 by a group of successful security software entrepreneurs, Third Brigade began with a vision to solve a number of key enterprise intrusion prevention problems. Since that time, the Ottawa-based firm has systematically built and acquired world-class technology, raised $30mm in funding, assembled a world-class team as well as Board of Directors, and secured both major customers and global channel partners. With 70 employees including a Vulnerability Research centre in India, the firm is a model for how to build an early stage technology company.
An Interview with Wael Mohamd, CEO of Third Brigade Cirque de Selection
Under the Big Top of Picking Winners In this StoneWood Perspective we examine the elusive quest for excellence in selection. We describe the complexities of picking winners and how organizations most commonly deal with them. Finally, we lay out an approach by which to enhance selection decisions in all organizations.
Cirque De Selection - PDF StoneWood Interview Series
An Interview with Sandvine Corp. CEO David Caputo
Founded in 2001, Sandvine Corp. is the second runaway success for a talented group of entrepreneurs whose first company, PixStream, was sold to Cisco in 2000 for $545mm. When Cisco unexpectedly closed the Waterloo facility the following year, the founding group of Brad Siim, Marc Morin, Tom Donnelly, Don Bowman and Dave Caputo started Sandvine Corp.
An interview with Sandvine Corp. CEO David Caputo StoneWood Interview Series
From Hockey to High Tech to Hockey
An interview with Florida Panthers Assistant GM, RandySexton Randy Sexton was part of the founding team which brought the NHL back to the city of Ottawa in 1992. Over a four year period he served in capacities including President and General Manager of the hockey team. Randy left the Ottawa Senators during the 1995-96 season and subsequently worked for three software companies in senior sales and general management roles. He then became General Manager of the Bell Sensplex Arena in Ottawa before being appointed Assistant General Manager of the Florida Panthers in January 2007.
An interview with Florida Panthers Assistant GM, Randy Sexton The Secret to Success...
and how to hire for it! So what's the secret to success? If you ask the guy inthe doctor's offi ce he'll tell you unequivocally that it isintelligence and education. He wants the smartest, besttraineddoctors tending to his medical needs, and nothingless. For the fans watching their favorite sporting eventthe answer is performing right before their eyes. It is talentand they want as much of it as possible on their team. Foryet others, success accompanies the mesmerizing charismaand vision of the great statesman or organizational leader.
The Secret to Success - PDF Enhancing Board Effectiveness in Hiring
Get the Issues Right! While governance and fiduciary matters command a bigger share of their time and attention, the hiring of CEOs is among the most important, value-added responsibilities of Boards of Directors. It is also one exercised ever more frequently, with statistics showing that two-thirds of all venture-backed startup companies replace their founding CEOs and of these replacements, two out of every five fail in the first 18 months.
Enhancing Board Effectiveness in Hiring - PDF StoneWood Interview Series
An Interview with Redknee CEO, Lucas Skoczkowski Founded in 1999, Toronto-based Redknee Inc. has grown quickly to become a world leader in providing infrastructure software and solutions to telecommunications operators globally. With more than 300 employees in six offices around the world, including an R&D centre in India, the publicly traded company projects revenues approaching $50mm in 2007. StoneWood’s Managing Partner Bob Hebert sat down with Redknee’s 34 year old founder and CEO Lucas Skoczkowski to discuss the human dimension of high growth organizations.
An Interview with Redknee CEO, Lucas Skoczkowski Corporate Culture and Stock Options in Emerging Companies
A recent article chronicling Google’s spectacular success highlights the company’s ‘over the top culture, including bathroom stalls with Japanese high-tech commodes and heated seats ….. each stall features a geek quiz that changes regularly and asks technical questions about testing programming code for bugs. The toilets reflect the company’s general philosophy of work: generous quirky perks keep employees happy, working hard and thinking in unconventional ways’.
Winter 2006 Newsletter - PDF
From Guesswork to Assumptions...
The peculiar way we select out political leaders
The federal Liberal Party will soon elect a new leader. The contest is intriguing as it marks the first instance in many years in which there is no clear favorite among the many contenders. While the process by which party delegates will render their decision is well publicized, the criteria they will use to make that decision is not...
Fall 2006 Newsletter - PDF
The Founder Syndrome - Part II
Avoiding the Deadly Trap
Part II looks more closely at the early life-stages of entrepreneurial organizations and the painful transitions associated with the founder syndrome. It argues that by understanding the nature of these transitions, and learning to anticipate, prepare and adapt to them, founders can exert far greater control over their fates while also benefiting the firms they so cherish.
Summer 2006 Newsletter - PDF
The Founder Syndrome - Part I
Why it's still a big messy issue and why attitudes have to change...
It has been debated for years yet remains a small-talk favorite around the water coolers of the venture capital industry. It is “The Founder Syndrome” and it goes something like this… founders innovate, incubate and invigorate.
Spring 2006 Newsletter - PDF
So you are taking over from the founder...
Canada abounds with great entrepreneurs for whom succession is the most significant future threat their companies will have to overcome: Magna's Frank Stronach, Roger's Ted Rogers, Bombardier's Laurent Beaudoin, Four Season's Isadore Sharp.
Fall 2005 Newsletter - PDF
Searching for Certainty in Hiring
This article explores the seductive notion of 'certainty' in hiring and offers a path
forward with specific recommendations and observations gleaned from a quarter century in the hiring trenches.
Summer 2005 Newsletter - PDF
Do Stars make Companies or do Companies
There is an undeniable seductiveness to the heroic notion of the archetypical
'star' performer whose sheer radiance promises to illuminate and invigorate
Spring 2005 Newsletter - PDF
Leadership Development in Canada's Technology
Sector
Technology sector entrepreneurs inhabit a universe of leapfrogging
innovation and risk where speed and ‘first-in’ strategies
are highly valued business differentiators
Winter 2005 Newsletter - PDF
