Industry Recognition

Starting at the top

Jeff Roach — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 10:56:12 -0300

Author

Steve Ladurantaye

Source

The Globe and Mail

Reference

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080918.caseIndexradian60923/BNStory/breakthrough

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[Below is part of a Globe and Mail - Report on Business series. There is much more detailed analysis of Radian6 in the original article that can be found by following the link above]

The founders of Radian6, a New Brunswick software firm that helps its clients monitor what's being said about them online, knew they had developed something good. But it was only when they targeted their product to one of the world's largest public relations conglomerates that they scored their first big contract

The brains behind Radian6, a New Brunswick start-up touting software that tracks word-of-mouth conversations on the Internet, were understandably nervous. They were waiting to learn if Interpublic Group of Companies, one of the world's largest marketing, advertising and public relations conglomerates, would pick their product. A contract with IPG would give Radian6 instant credibility, and open the door to more than 100 PR agencies that work under its banner. A miss would set the social media monitoring firm back significantly, and cost it precious momentum. "It was the difference between starting at the top and working our way down, or starting at the bottom and trying to convince people to give us a shot," says CEO Marcel LeBrun.

Their anxious wait didn't last long. Within weeks, they learned that Radian6's software - which creeps the Internet for any mention of a company and compiles reports on its findings - would be adopted by IPG and recommended to all of its agencies.

That was November, 2007, when the company had only a handful of paying customers and a few employees working out of a one-room office. Today, Radian6 employs 36 people in two offices, and has more than 130 customers. "We were able to enter the market with a significant amount of credibility built into our brand," says Chris Ramsey, the company's vice-president of business development.

There was nothing random about Radian6's big contract with IPG. After developing the Internet-scouring software, founder Chris Newton spent months knocking on doors before the firm decided to target the public relations industry. "There were 15 or 20 applications that it could have been used for," Mr. LeBrun says. "They were all great, but in my experience you want to go narrow and deep on something."

The PR agencies had admitted they were running into trouble with customers who expected them to monitor what was being said about them on sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. Suddenly, the agencies were spending inordinate amounts of time performing random searches, and cutting and pasting what they found into reports.

Convinced Radian6 was heading in the right direction, Mr. LeBrun started trying to raise money. With the help of friends, angel investors and employees, he pulled together $750,000, enough to develop the software and tack two new rooms onto their one-room office in the National Research Council's Fredericton facility.

The company then approached IPG subsidiary Weber Shandwick, and asked if it wanted to take part in an "early adopter" program. Weber could use the beta software for free, as long as it agreed to provide Radian6 with regular feedback. "It was a formal invitation. The deal was, you let us deeply into your business so we can understand exactly what you are doing and what you want to be doing," Mr. LeBrun said. "We'll build your dream product, and you can use it free for a while. So they ended up getting disproportionate influence in the product, and were happy to be able to shape its development."

Using the software in their day-to-day work meant that the PR professionals were able to identify revisions the programmers hadn't considered. For example, Radian6 had started with the idea that it was important to measure only the "important" Internet hits, ranking their findings based on the level of influence of the source. But the real problem facing PR firms was that clients were finding things on the Internet before the public relations professionals they were paying to do it for them. "Once we heard that, we spent months making sure [our reach was] broad enough to cover everything," Mr. LeBrun says. "That can just sound like nuts-and-bolts engineering, but it's a huge differentiator for us. We can go in and say, 'You won't miss anything your client is going to find.'"

After one year of constant development and a $14-million round of financing, Radian6 was in a position to win the IPG contract. "They were very happy with our software by the time we actually got it to market," says Mr. Ramsey. "The market that we happened to go into was extremely hot....Having that deal signed and publicly announced had a tremendous impact on our business."

CenterBeam Honored as a Finalist in Fifth Annual International Business Awards

admin — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:59:23 -0300

Author

Source

Examiner.com

Reference

http://www.examiner.com/p-196140~CenterBeam_Honored_as_a_Finalist_in_Fifth_Annual_International_Business_Awards.html

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SAN JOSE, Calif. - SAN JOSE, Calif., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Today CenterBeam, Inc. announced that it has earned a Certificate of Finalist Recognition in the category of Best Customer Service Department/Organization in the 2008 International Business Awards to be held in Dublin, Ireland.

Customer service scores in the help desk industry suffer from chronically low user satisfaction, with benchmark results in the 70-90% range. Although CenterBeam exceeded 95% user satisfaction ratings on a consistent year over year basis, the company deployed operational processes and measurements to identify opportunities for improvement within its help desk operations and service delivery.

CenterBeam was able to increase overall customer satisfaction from 95% to 99.5% 2007 YTD, closing 90% of the dissatisfied gap. The company's strategy consisted of two elements: 1) a proactive, automated technology solution that focused on preventing problems before they occurred and 2) a focus on optimizing one-on-one interactions between user and help desk associate when a problem does occur.

CenterBeam was the only IT managed service provider (MSP) to be recognized this year for Best Customer Service by The International Business Awards (IBAs). The IBAs are the only global, all-encompassing awards program honoring great performances in business. Honorees were selected from more than 1,700 entries received from organizations and individuals in more than 30 countries. The awards will be presented at a gala dinner on Monday, September 8 in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Ireland. Dow Jones and IDA Ireland will be primary sponsors of the event.

"Entries to the IBAs grew 65% this year and that illustrates the increasing importance of The International Business Awards worldwide," said Michael Gallagher, president of The Stevie Awards, presenters of the IBAs. "We congratulate all of the honorees, and we look forward to recognizing them for their achievements at our gala awards dinner in Dublin on September 8."

Details about The International Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.stevieawards.com/iba.

About CenterBeam
CenterBeam is an award-winning managed IT services provider with a rich service portfolio including PC management, hosted Microsoft(R) Exchange email, helpdesk support, network and server management. More than 140,000 daily services are delivered in an integrated software as a service (SaaS) architecture to clients with end users working in forty-five countries.

About The Stevie Awards
Stevie Awards are conferred in four programs: The American Business Awards, The International Business Awards, The Stevie Awards for Women in Business, and the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service. Honoring companies of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the Stevies recognize outstanding performances in the workplace worldwide. Learn more about The Stevie Awards at http://www.stevieawards.com.

Global Sponsor of the 2008 Stevie Awards is Dow Jones. Supporting sponsors of The 2008 American Business Awards include FIS Softpro, High Performance Technologies Inc., John Hancock, RCN Corporation, Richardson, and Ultimate Software. Media sponsors include the Business TalkRadio Network, CRM Advocate, and Human Resource Executive.

Details about The American Business Awards and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at http://www.stevieawards.com/aba.

People we love

Jeff Roach — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 09:34:40 -0300

Author

Various

Source

Progress Magazine

Reference

http://progressmedia.ca/article/2008/07/people-we-love

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In Gerry Pond’s world, there are few distinctions. Whether it’s leading a corporation, launching a start-up, or mentoring others, behind it all is a passion for entrepreneurship.

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Birthdays make us feel like having a party, so we invited 20 of our favourite people over for you to get to know them better. At Progress, we love people who think big. Serial mentors. Entrepreneurs. Researchers. Math teachers and literacy activists. Intergalactic explorers and highway builders.

Gerry Pond

Age: 62

Serial Mentor

Saint John, N.B.

Perhaps no one has been more influential in the development of the technology sector in the region than Gerry Pond. If you are an established player or a rising star, chances are you are connected to him by few degrees of separation.

Pond, 62, is currently the chair of Saint John–based Mariner Partners Inc., which he co-founded in 2003 to provide consulting services specializing in Internet Protocol TV. The former CEO of telco NBTel and post-merger president of Aliant, he was also the CEO of software startup imagicTV Inc. In the last 10 years, he has co-founded nine technology companies.

This dexterity with both the large and the small is unusual, as is the trajectory of his career in the technology sector. For one thing, Pond is not an engineer. For another, he spends much of his time mentoring others, both formally and informally—students, immigrants, entrepreneurs, senior executives. Much of this is behind the scenes, so his wide-ranging influence is not always recognized. Above all, his personal radar captures the bigger picture; he sees how Atlantic Canada fits into the world scene.

Serendipity has marked Pond’s career from the start. He grew up in Quebec, though his parents hailed from the Miramichi region of New Brunswick. His father worked in the woodlands department of International Paper; when he was young, Pond spent a lot of time outdoors. At the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton he enrolled in forestry, but a weakness in math led him to arts, focusing on economics and psychology.

After graduation, Pond agreed to be the best man at a friend’s wedding in Saint John, on the condition that his friend would help him find a job in that city. The ploy worked; Pond was hired by NBTel in 1966, and by 1994 he had worked his way up to become the CEO.

“When I joined NBTel it was the start of the digital revolution, and the company was run by engineers,” he recalls “Communications were exploding, and the company was expanding. I was more marketing and business oriented and happened to join at the right time.” He moved around within the company and throughout the province (the fact that he could speak French was an asset).

By his early 30s Pond was head of HR, reporting directly to CEO Ken Cox, an engineer with people skills, and then to the subsequent CEO, Lino Celeste. He was especially influenced by Cox, who became his mentor. “Ken had many interests, and he always saw the bigger picture,” says Pond. “I learned from both his experience and his persistence.”

In particular, he learned what he calls the essential issue for Atlantic Canada: “Do we have the confidence that we can do things from here?” Like Cox, Pond’s answer is an unequivocal “Yes.”

“At NBTel, even though we were small and not in the centre of the country, we learned that we could take on global best-of-breed activities,” says Pond. “Ken Cox was adamant that we could do anything, and that is my hallmark as well.”

Pond is undeterred by the attitude of the financial interests in Central Canada. “It’s easy to get pushed off by the financial community, which is centralized everywhere,” he says. “These people feed off each other and judge everything by scale—that bigger is always better. But small scale allows us to innovate in a holistic way. We don’t think in silos the way big companies do. People forget that every company starts small, even Microsoft and Google.”

Mariner Partners is a case in point. With more than 100 professionals, it provides consulting and IT services. International customers include Alcatel-Lucent, and Aliant is a client in Atlantic Canada. But the first year wasn’t easy. “We started the company after the tech bubble burst,” Pond says. “But we knew it would bounce back. And we were able to get good people.” — David Holt

Gerry’s life lessons

Core life and work principles

“I believe in having a positive attitude and focusing on the greater good. People who do well think of the bigger picture. They don’t just think of themselves, but of their community. I believe that if you contribute to the greater good, it contributes to you.”

On entrepreneurship

“In Atlantic Canada, the younger generation has been sheltered from the entrepreneurial spirit. However, in the large centres of this country employees tend to work for large companies, so they too are removed from the entrepreneurial spirit. In Atlantic Canada we are closer to our roots, but we need more of this spirit.”

On change

“People who are satisfied won’t change. To get people to change, you need to create dissatisfaction. I call it the pain factor.”

On mentoring

“You need the right chemistry. There has to be respect and trust, and you need to share some common ground. I’m in my 60s, and I mentor high school and university kids on career choices. There is a natural affinity between the young and the old; they are both out of the mainstream.

“In my view, mentoring is a two-way street. There’s a reciprocal flow. I give knowledge and experience, but I listen to the mentees as well and get feedback. They all have computers in their hands and relate to each other via social media. I get new ideas from young people, from their questions and their responses. It opens my mind. People ask me why I do this, and I say, to learn.”—D.H.

When Gerry Pond believes in you: Anita’s story

Anita Punamiya grew up in a village north of Mumbai, India. After working in Dubai for 10 years managing fashion stores and working with start-ups, in 2004 she arrived in Canada to get an MBA in international business at the University of New Brunswick’s Saint John campus. “I was older than the other students,” she says, “and it threw me off at first.” During the first week of classes, Gerry Pond talked to her class about leadership and offered to be a mentor to any interested students. “I was dying to put my hand up [but I was too shy],” she says. “I was thinking, ‘Come on kids, don’t you know the value of this offer?’ ”

Later, during an internship with the IT incubator Propelsj [Catalict], she interviewed Pond and mentioned his offer. “He said there is no expiry date on that, and I took him up on it,” she says. “There is a saying in India only a jeweler can recognize the value of a diamond.”

That encounter would influence her career path. When Punamiya was looking for a job in Saint John, Pond introduced her to people and acted as a guide. “He got to know my headspace,” she says. She wanted to use her MBA and her expertise in international business, so he introduced her to Ian Cavanagh, who had just started Ambir Solutions.

“I didn’t know a soul when I arrived,” she says. “Why did I stay? Because Gerry and Ian became friends and gave me a sense of belonging. They valued me for who I am and what I can contribute.”

When she became a landed resident, she and Pond went to dinner to celebrate and discuss her goals. “My passion for international business showed,” she says. “Gerry said I could turn it into a business.” And so she did, launching Comprecultures, which advises companies on cross-cultural issues; both Pond and Cavanagh sit on her company’s advisory board.

“When someone like Gerry believes in me and accepts me for who I am, that’s a powerful statement,” she says. “He opened his network to me. In India, no one would back an absolute stranger.”—D.H.

To see who else Gerry has mentored, check out The Gerry Tree here

N.B. companies in contest

admin — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 10:33:34 -0300

Author

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Friday July 4th, 2008

Reference

http://telegraphjournal.canadaeast.com/rss/article/344861

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HALIFAX - The Atlantic regional finalists for the 2008 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards include four New Brunswick entries.

The Canadian program celebrates its 15 anniversary this year. The Atlantic region winners will be announced at a gala awards banquet at the Halifax Marriott Harbourfront Hotel on Oct. 9. The overall winner will represent the region at the national banquet in November.

The N.B. entries in the Business-to-Consumer Products and Services cetegory include Armand Haché and Pauline Haché of Haché Services Techniques Ltée in Caraquet, who provide shop drawings to steel frame manufacturers.

Trevor Cookson, Mary Goggin, Al MacDonald of Accreon Inc. of Fredericton are competing in the Emerging Entrepreneur cetegory. Their company provides information technology service provider to government, health-care and financial businesses.

Alyson Townsend of Canadian Cable Systems Alliance in Quispamsis is entered in the services category. This company acts as a purchasing group and regulatory advocate for Canadian independent cable television companies.

Curtis Howe of Mariner Partners Inc. of Saint John is vying in the commercial category. This consulting and information technology company focuses on the IPTV and business productivity solutions.

N.B. students win Canadian skills medals

admin — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 09:35:49 -0300

Author

Alan Cochrane

Source

Times & Transcript, Published Wednesday June 4th, 2008

Reference

http://timestranscript.canadaeast.com/rss/article/315314

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Two Metro Moncton students recently brought home bronze medals from the 14th annual Canadian Skills Competition in Calgary.

Justin Vaillancourt of Moncton won a bronze medal in IT Office Software Applications, while Andrew Lane of Riverview won the bronze medal in CNC Machining. Members of team New Brunswick who received gold medals were Jason Vadron of Madran (Internet Website Design) and Isabelle Collin of Saint- Leolin (Esthetics). René Gagnon of Saint-Basile won the bronze medal in Heavy Equipment Mechanics while Pierre Chiasson of Maisonnette won the bronze medal in Car Painting.

The annual skills competition brings together more than 500 young people from across the country who are studying a skilled trade or technology. It is held every two years. For more information about the competition, visit the website at www.skillscanada.com.

PropertyGuys.com takes home Canadian Franchise "Award of Excellence"

admin — Wed, 14 May 2008 09:55:19 -0300

Author

Source

CNW

Reference

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/May2008/08/c6539.html

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PropertyGuys.com Wins National Canadian Franchise Award of Excellence May 6, 2008. From left to right: Matt Eldridge, Ryan Maxwell, Mike Shanks, Jeremy Demont, Ken LeBlanc, Dale Betts, Walter Melanson. (CNW Group/PropertyGuys.com)

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MONCTON, May 8 /CNW/ - Before a sell out crowd and among the nation's most recognizable franchise brands, PropertyGuys.com took home the top prize in Canadian franchising - the Award of Excellence. The honour was bestowed upon the Moncton based company at a ceremony held at the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville, Ontario by the Canadian Franchise Association (CFA). The company was recognized for its excellence in franchise relationships.

"It's great to win this award because it's the ultimate prize in Canadian franchising. It's kind of like taking home the Oscar for Best Motion Picture, but better, since it was our franchise owners who were the ultimate judges," says Ken LeBlanc company president and CEO. "Although we're excited to be recognized by our peers, we dedicate this award to our franchise owners. Without all their hard work, dedication and belief in our system, the success we enjoy would not be possible."

PropertyGuys.com is the first Atlantic Canadian company to win this award. Previous Award of Excellence recipients include two-time winners Expedia CruiseShipCenters, Wendys Restaurants of Canada and M&M Meat Shops.

PropertyGuys.com is growing at an incredible rate and has over 100 franchise units that cover some 600 Canadian markets. Their system allows home sellers to effectively market to a wide audience of buyers over the internet. Sellers can then communicate more effectively, keep negotiations on track and close their own deals - all this without paying a commission. "We continue to be bombarded with franchise requests for territories all across the country," states Matt Eldridge, Director of Franchising. Not bad for a company going head-to-head against the nation's top real estate brands. "People are recognizing that our system represents the future of real estate," adds Eldridge.

It is estimated that 80% of buyers begin their home search online. The company predicts that the private sale segment of the Canadian market will grow to 50% within the next few years. That's a double from where it stands today. "This is a clear sign that the way people buy and sell real estate is changing," adds LeBlanc.

About us
PropertyGuys.com is unlike any ordinary real estate company. In fact, we're not agents or brokers. That's because from day one, we knew we could be something different - something much better. We've become a number one source of private sale information and the most recognizable name in the business.

Simply put, we combine the power of the internet with local experts to provide a safe and practical way for buyers and sellers to connect and avoid the high cost of commission. Instead of commission, we charge an affordable, one-time marketing fee (as low as $349) and collect absolutely no commission when your property sells. You keep the money. That's the PropertyGuys.com way. Sell your house. Pay Yourself. That's fair right?

KIRA winner finds local opportunities [see below for listing of all winners]

admin — Fri, 02 May 2008 10:15:30 -0300

Author

Ben Shingler

Source

Telegraph-Journal, Published Friday May 2nd, 2008

Reference

http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/journal/article/284537

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Scott MacIntosh, founder of SwiftRadius, credits the success of his IT firm to ‘a very strong, talented team and a great work culture.’

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Five years ago, Scott MacIntosh started an information technology firm out of his home in Fredericton. The company has since blossomed to a staff of 27, with offices in Fredericton, Charlottetown and Saint John.

The 35-year-old Prince Edward Island native is the founder of SwiftRadius, which helps businesses set up, build and integrate software.

MacIntosh says the demand for information technology services in the Maritimes is growing, but he hopes to conduct 25 per cent of his business in foreign markets by 2010.

The company was recognized for its employment growth at the 10th annual KIRA awards Thursday night.

The award recognizes the contribution of a company to province's information technology industry through job creation. KIRA honours the top firms in five other categories, as well as an "industry person of the year."

"The awards come down to entrepreneurial spirit, entrepreneurial drive, whether it's around the creation of new technologies, innovative ways to utilize existing technologies, tackling new exports, whether it's services or products," said Doug Motty, executive director of Enterprise Fredericton, host of the event.

MacIntosh said the company grew slowly at first, with a staff of four people at the end of 2005. But a year later MacIntosh was joined by two business partners, fellow Maritimers Dave Smith and Kevin Hurley. By year's end, they had expanded to a staff of 10, and the company quickly grew from there.

"The growth is a tribute to a very strong team, said MacIntosh.

"At this point I feel like I'm one piece of many. I certainly don't take the lion's share of the credit for our growth and success. We have a very strong, talented team and a great work culture."

Hurley, who was forced to move to Toronto for work after graduating from the University of New Brunswick in 1989, said the information technology sector has grown much stronger in recent years.

"The opportunities are very good here. The IT sector is getting broader in terms of services offered and we've seen some growth here in the local industry," said Hurley, the company's chief operating officer.

MacIntosh said SwiftRadius generally serves between 10 and 12 clients at one time, for a total client base of around 50.

"It really helps in that we don't have all our eggs in one basket. I think that's helped us grow more smoothly than if we did a have a heavy reliance on just one account for the lion's share of our revenue," he said.

KIRA co-organizer Heather-Anne MacLean said she expected this year's awards, in spite of the flood waters, to break records for nominations, attendants and sponsorship.

--
Other winners:

Export Product
TSi Auto Solutions (Saint John)

Export Service
Spheric Technologies (Moncton)

Most Promising Start-up
Radian6 Technologies Inc. (Fredericton)

Employment Growth
SwiftRadius (Fredericton)

Industry Person of the Year
Krisan Palmer (Saint John)

Technological Advancement/Innovation - Private Sector
TrustMe Security Inc. (Moncton)

Technological Advancement/Innovation Public Sector
River Valley Health (Fredericton)

2008 KIRA Award Call For Nominations

admin — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 17:00:19 -0300

Author

Source

KIRA Awards

Reference

http://www.kiraawards.com/

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New Brunswick companies and individuals within the Knowledge Industry are invited to nominate individuals or organizations for KIRA 2008. KIRA is a province-wide event with awards in seven categories. We encourage companies to self nominate or have someone else nominate for you or your company.

Nominations close on Friday, March 28, 2008.

Please visit www.kiraawards.com for more detailed information.

KIRA is an annual celebration recognizing the successes and innovations of individuals and companies within New Brunswick's Knowledge Industry. At the 2008 KIRA Gala, the outstanding achievements of companies and individuals within the knowledge industry across the province will be honoured.

(All submissions should be a maximum of two pages.)

Name of company or individual being nominated; contact for nominated company along with address, phone number, web address, e-mail, or other pertinent contact information. Include name of person or company completing nomination (if different from company or individual being nominated).
Identify the Award Category for which the company / individual is being nominated
Describe activities that support the nomination. Appendices may be attached; however, the pertinent information must be provided in the two-page submission. Six copies of any appendices must be provided.

In preparation for the multimedia component of the awards evening as well as the program, please provide:

The company logo in JPEG format, at least 200 dpi.
A brief description of the company and its activities, limited to 20 words in each English and French.

Nominations close on Friday, March 28, 2008. Please submit nominations to info@ent-fredericton.ca

KIRAs have come a long way in the past decade

admin — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 10:32:02 -0400

Author

Melissa Dunne

Source

For the Telegraph-Journal, Published Monday March 3rd, 2008, Appeared on page B1

Reference

http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/journal/article/228559

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Technology sector veteran Al MacDonald was among the originators of the Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement Awards.

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Annual celebration of achievements in New Brunswick IT industry marks 10th anniversary

In the past decade the Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement Awards have grown into the premiere event of the year for New Brunswick's knowledge sector, say local industry leaders.

The success of the KIRAs, which celebrate innovation in the province's technology industry, has exceeded all expectations, says one of the awards founders.

In the mid-1990s, Al MacDonald, a long-time technology leader, helped form Fredericton's Knowledge Industry Taskforce - which came up with the idea to have an awards ceremony to raise awareness of the Fredericton's technology industry.

"The first year it was obviously very special, the whole concept was new to the area," says MacDonald.

"But, no one had any idea what the importance of it would become."

These days the tickets for the 10th annual KIRAs, now a high-profile provincial event, are being snapped up quickly and nominations for this years winners are pouring in, says Heather MacLean, co-chairwoman of the awards for the third consecutive year.

The annual event has become of the few times modest New Brunswickers pat themselves on the back for a job well done, says MacLean.

Snagging a nationally recognized fig-ure, Seamus O'Regan, co-host of CTV's national morning show Canada AM, to host the glitzy awards gala this year shows how far the KIRAs have come, says MacLean.

Over the years, as the awards have grown in size and stature so, too, have past KIRA winners.

Local startups, such as Whitehill Technologies Inc., now a part of Skywire Software, FatKat Animation Studios and MITI Information Technology Inc., now a part of xwave, are all examples of well-known firms that were recognized early on as small companies with big potential by the KIRAs.

For xwave - which won KIRAs in 1999 and 2002 in the employment growth category and in 2001 in the community involvement and industry commitment category - there have been many benefits to winning prestigious KIRAs, says Jeff McGuigan, N.B. sales manager, government markets for Bell Aliant and xwave.

First, winning has helped to motivate employees who are recognized for their hard work. Secondly, snagging a KIRA really drives home to xwave customers and clients that the company is a solid, award-winning brand. And, thirdly, winning highlights the capabilities of xwave, which ultimately helps to recruit new workers and clients, says McGuigan.

Also, the awards ceremony itself, which McGuigan calls the "gala event of the year for the New Brunswick technology industry" is used as a tool by xwave, which has been a major sponsor of the event over the past decade, to give invited employees and customers the chance to network, showcase their talents and celebrate the achievements of their peers.

"There is a marquee value with the KIRAs," notes McGuigan."You want to be associated with that success - every year they just keep raising the bar."

MacDonald agrees the importance of the awards just keeps on rising, saying that, while he is thankful for having won the Special Recognition award, now called the Industry Person of the Year award, in the first year of the KIRAs in 1999, winning now would mean more since the KIRAs have become so well-known and respected in Atlantic Canada.

"If I had've won last year the importance of that would have been greater," says MacDonald, the former senior vice-president of CGI Atlantic.

"Because now the KIRAs is a proven commodity "¦ The technology industry is a lot bigger now and it is now a more established honour."

The technology leader, who retired last year, has not been to the KIRA awards ceremony in a few years, but plans on attending this year to catch up with former colleagues and celebrate the 10-year anniversary.

"It's become such a trademark event," says MacDonald.

"It's all about visibility, shining a light on the very best New Brunswickers can do "¦ And getting citizens, politicians, and other sectors to realize how important the technology sector is to our province."

MacDonald also hopes young New Brunswickers, from kindergarten to high school, are inspired by seeing fellow NBers being successful in their chosen field in their home province.

The awards are hosted by Enterprise Fredericton, a regional economic development agency dedicated to improving economic performance in the Fredericton region. Close to 500 industry leaders and politicians are expected to attend the gala event, which is being held at the Delta Fredericton this May, says MacLean.

The call for this year's nominations is open until March 28 and tickets for the gala event are on sale now. Visit kirawards.ca for more details.

Time to nominate for KIRA Awards

admin — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 09:22:19 -0400

Author

Richard Duplain

Source

duplain.richard@dailygleaner.com, Published Friday February 29th, 2008, Appeared on page D1

Reference

http://nbbusinessjournal.canadaeast.com/gleaner/article/226296

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The 10th annual Knowledge Industry Recognition and Achievement Awards (KIRA) ceremony and gala are set for May 1 at the Delta Fredericton Hotel and nominations for the event are open.

The ceremonies will recognize and celebrate New Brunswick's excellence in the knowledge industry through awards for Export Product, Export Service, Technological Advancement/Innovation Private Sector, Technological Advancement/Innovation Public Sector, Employment Growth, Most Promising Start-Up and Industry Person of the Year.

"The KIRA Awards represent a vibrant industry with a unique spirit and entrepreneurial character that New Brunswickers possess," said KIRA 2008 co-chairwoman Heather-Anne MacLean.

"It is the one event where industry members, their partners, academia and government gather together to not only celebrate, but to network and foster new ideas.

"It is particularly pleasing to know that New Brunswick solutions continue to be some of the best, if not the best, in the world," added co-chairwoman Lori MacMullen.

"As New Brunswickers we have a lot to be proud of, and the night of the KIRA Awards is a night when we get to showcase our talents and really shine."

The selection committee is a panel of experts brought together by Enterprise Fredericton. Members are unknown to the organizing committee.

The committee will select the top three candidates from each of the award categories. The three finalists in each award category will be announced during the week of April 14-18.

To nominate a person or business, provide the name of the company or individual as well as contact information for the nominee, the category of nomination and detailed reasons for the nomination.

Six copies of the nomination, accompanied by a digital copy of the company's logo and a short company biography, must be submitted no later than March 28 by fax at 444-4649 or www.enterprisefredericton.ca.

They can also be mailed to Enterprise Fredericton, c/o KIRA Awards, 570 Queen St., Fredericton, E3B 6Z6.