Switch Video is excited to be welcoming two special guests to their advisory board meeting tomorrow.
Chris Eben is Director of Product Management at Actuate, responsible for the BIRT (Business Intelligence and Reporting Tools) Performance Scorecard product line. BIRT is an open source data visualization and reporting technology. Chris has over 13 years of industry experience and, prior to joining Actuate, held senior roles in product management and consulting services with CIBC and Longview Solutions where he designed and implemented performance management solutions for Fortune 500 companies around the world. Chris holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.
(Eben also organized the first Startup Weekend in Toronto, of which Switch Video was a sponsor. Startup Weekend is a community building startup event where participants get together with local developers, marketers, designers and enthusiasts to start a company in just 54 hours!)
Tillie MacDonald is the General Manager at the Centre for Business. Located in Collingwood, the Centre provides funding, resources and mentoring to entrepreneurs. Tillie has worked in many volunteer capacities since moving to Collingwood in 1990, including President of the Rotary Club and Director of the Chamber of Commerce. Her interests include skiing, golfing, reading and exercising.
Why have special guests?
This will be the first time we’ve invited guests to an Advisory Board meeting, and our motive is to be open and transparent to our community.
We’re so appreciative of the incredible support and wisdom of our Advisory Board members. The Board met for the first time in April 2010. As a young business, we knew we lacked skills in certain areas and so we looked to fill those gaps with the knowledge and wisdom of experienced business owners. Since that time, our advisors have become personal mentors to our management team, instrumental to our personal growth as well as our business success.
By meeting once or twice a year, we can get the Board’s feedback on our year-end results, as well as our strategic plan for the upcoming year. We get incredible feedback on team/HR issues (thanks, Tony!), financial issues (thanks, Rowland!) and more essential guidance from the whole team.
We are in awe of the breadth and variety of perspectives around our table at these meetings. Here are some very brief descriptions highlighting just some of the experience they bring (you can click on each name for more details and maybe even the photo of a smiling face):
Our advisory board members include:
Barbara Bell Angus, Cognitive Psychologist: Barbara’s career has always been focused on learning about learning. She conducts research and teaches teachers at OISE, provides psycho-educational assessments for the Toronto District School Board, and teaches children with learning difficulties. Barbara is also a consultant for both the marketing department at Ryerson University, as well as a leadership development firm. Her insights into the psychology behind video viewing has allowed us to build our success on a solid foundation of psychological research.
Brian Cahill, Director and VP Marketing: Brian is a man of international experience and intrigue. Born with Canadian and British citizenships, he has lived and worked in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia. For years, Brian was a Senior Vice President and Area Manager for McCann Erickson, the world’s largest advertising agency network, in Canada, Mexico, Central America, Russia, Eastern Europe, and numerous Asian-Pacific countries.
Rowland Fleming: Rowland brings a wealth of experience from his career as an Financial Executive for such companies as the Bank of Nova Scotia, the Toronto Stock Exchange, National Trust and The Dominion of Canada General Insurance Company.
Tony Fry: Tony brings a wealth of knowledge from his experience running his own consulting company, which focuses on employee development and strategic planning. His ability to ask critical questions and listen to the answers allows him to support employees at all levels in an organization and uncover their greatest potential. Tony has been directing Young + Wright‘s initiatives in staff effectiveness and organizational development for the past 10 years.
Crista Renner: With almost 20 years of marketing experience, Crista is a builder who loves the excitement of getting a new challenge off the ground. Currently at Juice Inc., she oversees the marketing and communication strategies while developing and executing communication initiatives for clients within the human resources industry.
Thank you to all of our Board members and guests for your time and support!
