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OUR TEAM
Andrey J. Szpynda Andrey J. Szpynda has over 15 years of experience starting, operating and restructuring private and public companies. As the Division Director and Executive Board Member of world’s largest glass manufacturer and processor he directed restructuring in Switzerland and downsizing in Poland. In Ukraine, he founded and operated a distribution company for world’s largest petroleum conglomerate. Andrey Szpynda brings with him start-up experience, solid corporate operational background, and vast international business network. Mr. Szpynda holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto, and Master in Business Administration from Universita Luigi Bocconi, Milan, Italy. Michael S. Slan Fogler, Rubinoff LLP - Partner Michael Slan is a partner in the Toronto law firm of Fogler, Rubinoff LLP. His practice consists of providing advice for closely held companies and for lenders. For many years, Mr. Slan has acted extensively for an number of financial institutions and private equity funds in relation to mezzanine and equity financing. In addition, Mr. Slan is the secretary of Kingsway Financial Services Inc, an insurance company interlisted on both the Toronto and New York Stock Exchanges. As such, Mr. Slan has significant experience in providing advice on corporate governance. David J. Robart-Morgan Union Securities Limited - Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Director David J. Robart-Morgan is the Chief Operating Officer, Executive Vice President and Director at Union Securities Limited, one of the largest independent investment dealers in Canada. He has held executive positions with companies such as Richardson Greenshields of Canada Limited and DNJ Management Services Inc . Mr. Robart-Morgan held the position of Vice President, Director and National Operations Manager at Richardson Securities prior to its merger with Greenshields Limited. He controlled and supervised the merger and subsequent formation of Richardson Greenshields of Canada Limited. He served on the Board of Directors and Operating Administration Committee with the responsibilities of coordinating the Global Operation. Mr. Robart-Morgan remained the Vice President and Director and National Operations Manager at Richardson Greenshields and maintained company operations after its sale to RBC Dominion Securities. Prior to joining Union Securities Limited Mr. Robart-Morgan along with the former President of CDS, N.G. Wright established DNJ Management Services Inc., a private consulting firm focusing on providing operational and technical advice to various investment organizations including TD Greenline Securities, RBC Dominion Securities, Midland Walwyn Capital, Canaccord Capital Corporation and Investment Dealers Association of Canada. Ronald Dizy Sempa Power Systems Ltd. - President and CEO Ronald Dizy is currently the President and CEO of Sempa Power. Sempa delivers Hybrid Heating Solutions that offer customers significant reductions in energy costs, while also reducing greenhouse gases and reducing energy consumption. Before joining Sempa, Ron was a Partner at Celtic House Venture Partners, with responsibility for sourcing deals, making investment decisions and working with portfolio companies. Before joining Celtic House in 2000, Ron was a portfolio manager in the venture capital group at the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, where he helped to establish the asset class for Teachers, making both fund commitments and direct investments. He began his career at Andersen Consulting in 1987, then joined venture-backed startup AICorp as principal knowledge engineer in 1990. In 1992, Ron co-founded Altera Systems, a consulting firm focused on business applications of artificial intelligence. Mr. Dizy has served on the boards of Avalere, Camilion Solutions, MEMSIC, Sirific Wireless, FastLane Technologies (acquired by Quest Software), Grocery Gateway, Incanta, Ironbridge Networks, ITF Optical Technologies, TSE-listed Nexia Biotechnologies, Pinpoint Local Positioning Systems and ViXS Systems. He is currently on the Board of Sempa Power. Ron Dizy earned a Bachelor of Applied Science in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto. Andrew Harrison Northwater Capital Management Inc. - Vice President Mr. Harrison is a Vice President with Northwater Capital Management, a firm that manages ~$10 billion in assets for over 55 corporations and pension funds. Prior to Northwater, he was a member of the investment teams at Celtic House Venture Partners and Primaxis Technology Ventures. Andrew Harrison has contributed to the operations, financing and exits of a number of early-stage companies. Previous to his work in venture capital, he was a research engineer with the National Research Council of Canada. Mr. Harrison holds a B.Eng. in Chemical Engineering from McGill University and a Master's Degree in Chemical Engineering, focusing on nanotechnology, from Cornell University. His research at Cornell became a part of the foundational intellectual property of a California-based nanotechnology start-up. Andrew Harrison is Co-chair of the Young Venture Capitalists of Canada, a member of the Professional Development Committee of the Canadian Venture Capital Association, and the President of the Cornell Club of Toronto. Cyril Gibbons, Ph.D. Cyril Gibbons brings more than thirty years of experience as a researcher and research manager to his current role as Director Commercialization – Physical Sciences & Engineering Products. He has a Ph.D. in physical chemistry, and has worked in materials science, building envelope performance, mineral processing, hydrometallurgy, ceramics and electrochemistry. Prior to joining Innovations at U of T, Cyril spent ten years as intellectual property manager for ORTECH Corporation and was active in the licensing of chemical processes, engineering products and medical devices. He has extensive experience in all aspects of technology licensing, and has strong organizational and project management skills.
Rafik Loutfy, Ph.D. Xerox Centre for Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the McMaster University - Director Presently, Dr. Rafik Loutfy is a director of Xerox Centre for Engineering, Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the McMaster University. Dr. Rafik Loutfy was named centre director and the inaugural holder of the Walter G. Booth Chair for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation in 2004. A business executive and entrepreneur, Loutfy brings 30 years of expertise in managing technology innovation to the position. As Chair, he is responsible for overseeing the new Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation master's program in the School for Engineering Practice, and the Xerox Centre for Engineering Entrepreneurship and Innovation (XCEEi). Dr. Loutfy's previous experience with Xerox Corporation included progressive management positions in research, development, business and strategy development. He also served as manager of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada where breakthrough imaging materials, research and technology for the corporation were developed. Most recently Dr. Loutfy held the position of Corporate Vice President and Director of the Xerox Research Centre of Canada (XRCC). He received his Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario and an MBA from the University of Toronto. Dr. Loutfy holds more than 40 patents and has published more than 160 articles. Heather Gallant, Ph.D. Dr. Gallant has been with Ryerson University since 2003 and was the first person at the institution dedicated to technology transfer and research business development. Now expanded into the Industry Partnerships team, they assist in forming relationships with industry; negotiate and administer collaborative research funding and industrial grants and contracts; handle technology transfer and spin-off company formation; and manage the commercial aspects of intellectual property at the University. As Ryerson is a sponsor of Ventus Fund, Heather will manage the relationship between Ventus and the University. Previously, Dr. Gallant was with the Health Sciences Technology Transfer group at the University of Alberta (now TEC Edmonton), and was a recipient of the Technology Commercialization Internship award from the Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research. Heather has also worked in research in the field of toxicology and drug metabolism at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, and has conducted scientific evaluations for investment firms as a consultant. Heather participates in local and regional technology transfer activities and is a founding and executive member of OnSETT, a public technology transfer association for Ontario. She received her PhD in Medical Sciences from the University of Alberta and is currently a student at Osgoode Hall.
Tom Corr, DBA, MBA Mr. Corr is the Associate Vice President of Commercialization and CEO of the Accelerator Centre at the Waterloo Research and Technology Park. Previously he was Director of Commercialization - IT & Communications at the University of Toronto. Mr. Corr's primary responsibility is the management of the transfer of IP and related technology developed at the University and the Accelerator Centre with a goal of ensuring that the broader community enjoys societal and economic benefits. In addition his responsibilities include augmenting the technology transfer and licensing activities, as well as encouraging the development of early-stage technology companies.
Sean Flanigan, B.A., LLB Sean Flanigan joined Technology Transfer and Business Enterprise in July 2002 and has been the Assistant Director, Technology Partnerships, since October of 2002. In this role Sean is responsible for creating business opportunities for the researchers of the University who wish to commercialize their research results. He is actively involved in the management of University spin off companies, the licensing of intellectual property and the development of strategies for advancing the commercialization of research. Prior to joining the University Sean was Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Island Critical Care Corporation (ICCC), a development stage U.S. public company that designed and manufactured a leading edge pulse oximeter. Before joining ICCC in 2000, Mr. Flanigan served as Vice-President and General Counsel of an online retailer and between 1993 and 1999 he was partner in the Ottawa law firm of Tavel & Flanigan. Mr. Flanigan received his LL.B. from the University of Ottawa in 1991 and has been a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada since his call in 1993. Prior to studying law, Mr. Flanigan received his BA (Political Science/Economics) from Carleton University in 1987. Most recently Mr. Rothfels has served as the President & CEO of KnightHawk Inc., a public company that owns an airline and a railroad, President & CEO of QuikAir Inc, a regional passenger airline, EVP of Zaq Technology, a public media technology business. Prior to 2003, Mr. Rothfels was the Executive Vice President - Worldwide Media of Engage Inc., a $US 150 million NASDAQ listed internet advertising and software business based in Boston. He was responsible for Engage's worldwide media sales and technology services, leading a team of over 1,700 people in the USA, Canada, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Japan. Prior to Engage, Tom was COO of Gallop and Gallop Advertising, Inc., Canada’s third largest billboard and outdoor advertising company. In 1996, he founded The Virtual Billboard Network, Gallop and Gallop’s online advertising division, eventually acquired by Engage Inc. Tom Rothfels served on the Board of Directors of the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), the leading online global advertising industry trade association as well the Board of Directors of Engage Japan Inc, which is a Joint Venture between Engage and Sumitomo Corp. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University along with his CPA designation, having worked for Price Waterhouse in New York City .
Ron Killeen Ronald Killeen graduated from Queen’s University with an Honours degree in Computing Science and Mathematics. He started his career at Computing Devices Canada, initially as a software engineer and as a researcher engineer, developing advanced signal processing algorithms with Canada’s Defence research labs. He subsequently lead several product development teams and was responsible for the development and production of advanced electronic systems that were sold to Canadian and international markets. Subsequently, Mr. Killeen then worked at Nortel Networks where he held several senior R&D management roles and was a director for a software infrastructure team that developed and supported design tools for Nortel’s 20,000 developers. Approximately 4 years ago, Mr. Killeen joined the Centre for Communications and Information Technology (CCIT) of the Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE), and is currently the Managing Director of CCIT. As well, he is leading the Commercialization initiative, including, in particular, the Proof of Principle program funding and the pre-seed investment fund which has seen the successful formation of 21 new companies in Ontario in the past 5 years. Adam Chowaniec Dr. Adam Chowaniec is the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation. On January 5, 2006, Dr. Adam Chowaniec officially began his job as chair of the Ontario Research and Innovation Council. He is also executive in residence at Vengrowth Capital Partners Inc. He is the past chair of the Information Technology Association of Canada board of directors. In 2005, he was appointed to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada by the Privy Council of Canada. Dr. Chowaniec began his career in 1975 as an assistant professor at Acadia University and in 1976 became a member of the scientific staff of Bell Northern Research in Ottawa. From there, he moved into engineering management at Nortel Networks. In 1983 he joined Commodore International, based in Westchester, Pennsylvania, where he became vice-president of technology and was responsible for the development of the Amiga personal computer. In 1986, he returned to Ottawa to become president and chief executive officer of the semiconductor firm Calmos Systems. Calmos Systems was acquired by Newbridge Networks Corporation in 1989. Calmos was renamed Newbridge Microsystems. Under this new structure, he served as both its president and as a vice-president of Newbridge Networks. In December 1995, he was the founding CEO of Tundra Semiconductor Corporation, which is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange. Dr. Chowaniec has served on numerous boards of directors in the United States and Canada, including Amiga and GEAC Computer Corporations. He currently serves on the boards of Bel Air Networks Corporation, SiberCore Technologies Inc., Liquid Computing, Gridway, and Microbridge Corporations. He is also involved in a number of local business and community initiatives and his commitment and participation has positioned him as a key spokesperson for the high tech community in the Ottawa area. Dr. Chowaniec is frequently quoted in local and national press and is often a guest on national business TV programs. He was the chair of the Ottawa Economic Development Corporation and member of the Ottawa Partnership from 1999 to 2001. He also serves on the boards of the National Research Council’s Industrial Research Assistance Program and is the vice-chair of the Ottawa Health Research Institute. He is the vice-chair of the Museum of Nature’s national fund raising campaign. Dr. Chowaniec has been recognized for his leadership, business excellence and innovation. In 1998, the Ottawa-Carleton Research Institute honoured him with its prestigious Chairman's Award. Also in 1999, he received the Gold Business Person of the Year Award from the Greater Chamber of Commerce. He holds a Master's degree in Electrical Engineering from Queen's University (Canada), as well as both a Bachelor of Engineering and a Ph.D. from the University of Sheffield (England). His affiliations include the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and the Association of Professional Engineers of Ontario.
Ray Nissan Ray Nissan founded Cybermation in 1982. The company was acquired by CA in April 2006 to strengthen its leadership position in the Job Scheduling marketplace. Mr. Nissan has more than 34 years of Information Technology experience, starting with his involvement in the first commercial installation of the IBM MVS operating system with the British Oxygen Company. Before founding Cybermation, Mr. Nissan held systems programming and development positions with the CIBC and Datacrown. He holds Honors Bachelors of Science Degree in Physics from the Imperial College, London, England, and is an Associate of the Royal College of Science (ARCS). Mr. Nissan's vision and forward-thinking approach provided the leading-edge technology base for Cybermation. His Advanced Workflow Engine formed the foundation of Cybermation's unique, event-driven cross platform Enterprise Job Scheduling solution. This technology allows for the seamless management of relationships between processes within a workflow, effectively automating the data center. His early commitment to the powerful Java Platform was an important development, which advanced his vision for a single point of control across all environments, operating systems, applications and databases. Today, these workload automation solutions drive the data centers of many of the world's Fortune 500 companies, including, UPS, Verizon, Nike, IMS Health, and Iron Mountain.
Rafael Simon Dr. Rafael Simon has recently left ZENON Environmental where he served as Chief Operating Officer since 2001 and the overall business leader since June 2006, following the acquisition by General Electric. As Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Simon was responsible for all aspects of sales, operations, and manufacturing at ZENON. During his tenure as COO, ZENON was named one of the top 100 places to work in Canada every year and was named as Canada’s top corporate citizen in 2002 and 2004 by Corporate Knights. It has also frequently been named as one of Canada’s fastest growing mid-sized companies. Upon joining ZENON in 1998, Dr. Simon played a leading role in developing and implementing ZENON’s corporate strategy. Through a focused approach on commercializing ZENON’s proprietary membrane technology and exiting non-core businesses, ZENON has achieved a world-leading position in the field of membrane-based water and wastewater filtration technology. Upon assuming the Chief Operating Officer role in 2001, Dr. Simon focused on achieving a standard of operational excellence to complement ZENON’s technological achievements. Through improvements in material sourcing, process standardization, and implementation of a Key Performance Indicator based management control system, ZENON successfully made the transition from start-up to member of the TSX 300. In 2004, Dr. Simon was selected as Canada’s top COO by Canadian Business Magazine, Canada’s leading bi-monthly Business Publication. Prior to joining ZENON, Dr. Simon worked as a Consultant in the Los Angeles and New York offices of McKinsey & Co., one of the world’s leading management consulting firms where he specialized in developing corporate growth strategies for environmental and industrial companies.
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© Ventus Fund Inc. 2006-2007