Directors – Nexient Learning Incorporated
A. Robert Sampson, LLB - Chairman
Mr. Sampson completed his Bachelors of Commerce and Law degrees at Dalhousie University, Halifax, and was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1982. In 1985, the partnership of Sampson McDougall was formed and since that time he has remained Senior Partner, practicing predominantly in the areas of corporate/commercial and administrative law. Mr. Sampson has taught at Cape Breton University, principally in the paralegal and business management programs, including legal research and writing, labour relations and business management. In addition to his practice of law, Mr. Sampson is the Past President of the Industrial Cape Breton Board of Trade, Dalhousie Law School Alumni Association, director of Coastal Business Opportunities, Commodore of the Royal Cape Breton Yacht Club, director of Junior Achievement, Governor of the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia, Board Member of Marine Atlantic, Past Commissioner of the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission, and Past Chair of the University College of Cape Breton Foundation.
George A. Unsworth, FCA - Director
Mr. Unsworth has been a Senior Partner at Unsworth Kachafanas, Chartered Accountants since 1998. Prior to this position, Mr. Unsworth had been Managing Partner, Deloitte & Touche, Chartered Accountants in Sydney, Nova Scotia. Throughout his career, Mr. Unsworth has built and maintained a large audit and consulting practice, and has served as the Engagement Partner responsible for a number of companies including the Cape Breton Development Corporation and Sydney Steel Corporation. Currently, Mr. Unsworth serves on the Board of PharmaEng Technology. Mr. Unsworth holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from Saint Mary’s University, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and received his honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Cape Breton University in 2006.
Dr. Jacquelyn Thayer Scott O.C., Ph.D., LL.D. (Hons.) - Director
Jacquelyn Thayer Scott, O.C., Ph.D., LL.D. (Hons.) is Professor of Organizational Management & Public Administration at Cape Breton University, in Sydney, Nova Scotia, and from 2003-2006 also was Deputy Chair of the Prime Minister’s Advisory Council on Science & Technology for the Government of Canada. From 1993-2002, she was President & Vice-Chancellor of CBU (then the University College of Cape Breton), an undergraduate and graduate post-secondary institution offering degrees, diplomas, and certificates in a range of liberal arts, scientific, and technical topics and competencies. Previously, Dr. Scott had served as Director of the School of Continuing Studies at the University of Toronto. She has also been on the faculty at the University of Manitoba, operated her own public relations and management consulting firm, and been employed as a journalist by The Canadian Press and The Columbian Newspapers. She has served (and continues to do so) on a number of corporate, Crown and not-for-profit boards.
Loran E. Tweedie - Director
Loran Tweedie began his business career in the shopping centre industry in 1984 and has managed some of the leading shopping centres in Canada. In 1992, Mr. Tweedie entered the Cable TV industry as a founding partner of Trinidad and Tobagos CATV system Transcable and retained the position position of Director of Administration until its sale in 1997. Mr. Tweedie went on to form a number of companies based in the maritimes specializing in CATV communication construction and network testing. He currently has interests in private companies in canada and abroad. Mr. Tweedie completed his business degree at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.
Stuart Bentley - Director
As Co-founder and President of triOS Corporation, Stuart Bentley has successfully launched a number of information technology companies over the past 15 years. Mr. Bentley is President of triOS College Business Technology Healthcare Inc., a Private Career College with 6 locations in Southern Ontario and triOS Support Services Inc., a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Support Services. Mr. Bentley was instrumental in leading triOS Training Centres Limited to winning awards as Canada’s Microsoft Certified Technical Education Centre of the Year in 2001, 2002 and 2003. Mr. Bentley holds a Bachelor of Commerce from McMaster University and has served on various Microsoft Corporation and Comptia Learning Advisory Councils and Focus Groups.
Mark McQueen - Director
Mr. McQueen is President & Chief Executive Officer of Wellington Financial LP and has worked in the financial services industry since 1993. Mr. McQueen led Wellington's growth from its inception as a $7 million fund in 2000 to its current $125 million size. Mr. McQueen was also Managing Director and Head of Technology Investment Banking at Orion Securities Inc. from January 2000 until December 2004, when he assumed the lead Wellington role on a full-time basis. From August 1993 to January 2000, Mr. McQueen was employed by BMO Financial Group, and spent from 1996 to 2000 as an Associate in the Mergers & Acquisitions Group of Nesbitt Burns Inc. Prior to 1993, Mr. McQueen worked as an executive assistant and advisor in the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada and as an advisor to several federal Cabinet Ministers (1988-93). He was educated at The University of Western Ontario (1988). Mr. McQueen also serves as a board member of several private companies and not-for-profit organizations.
Peter Carrescia - Director
Mr. Carrescia joined VenGrowth in 2000, and has over 17 years of high technology experience in areas such as software development and technical marketing. At VenGrowth his areas of focus are Enterprise Software and Infrastructure Technologies. Peter takes an active role in working with VenGrowth investee companies, providing his expertise in the development of corporate and product strategy, recruitment of key management personnel and creation and execution of sales and marketing strategies. He is a director on the boards of a number of technology companies and is active as a member of Canada's Venture Capital & Private Equity Association (CVCA). Prior to VenGrowth, Peter was at Microsoft Corporation as a senior technical engineer for Microsoft server technologies in North America. Prior to Microsoft, Peter was at IBM as National Technology Manager in the Lotus Software Group. There he managed a national team of system engineers that marketed and supported Lotus technologies. He holds a Joint Honours Bachelor of Mathematics in Computer Science and Business Administration from the University of Waterloo and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from York University.
Graham McBride - Director
Mr. McBride joined VenGrowth Private Equity Partners Inc. as a General Partner in 2003. Graham has over 20 years of experience in a variety of financial roles including the management of both subordinated debt and equity funds as well as corporate finance responsibilities. Prior to joining VenGrowth, Graham was President of LarchHill Capital Inc., an independent banking and consulting organization developing strategic market opportunities for private corporations operating in the Canadian mid-market. Before this, Graham was a Managing Director at the $1.2 billion private investing arm of a Schedule 1 Canadian bank, where he built and managed the team responsible for its $200 million mezzanine fund. From 1996 to 2000, Graham was a Principal at a private $300 million fund company focused on subordinated debt securities where he was responsible for originating, structuring and managing subordinated debt financings. Previously, Graham was a Vice President of a leading manager of equity, senior debt and mezzanine capital pools on behalf of pension funds and life insurance companies. Graham has also held finance positions of increasing responsibility in corporate and commercial lending with both a Schedule 1 chartered bank and a Canadian trust company. Graham earned his Bachelor of Commerce (B.Comm.) degree from Queen's University and is a holder of his Certified Management Accountant (CMA) designation.
Kenneth Rotman - Director
Mr. Rotman is Co-C.E.O. and a Managing Director of Clairvest Group Inc., a Toronto based $600 million merchant bank which focuses primarily on consolidation and value investments of $15-30 million. Mr. Rotman has worked at Clairvest since 1994, was promoted to Co-President in 1999 and to Co-C.E.O. in 2000 at which time he became a director of the corporation. During his tenure at Clairvest, he has overseen $340 million of long term private equity investments in 26 different companies and the realization of $384 million from the same portfolio. He has been personally involved in investments in the electronic security, cable television, textile manufacturing, home medical equipment, auto parts and the bottled water industries. In addition, Mr. Rotman is Chairman of Wellington Financial which provides short term lending to emerging companies. Prior to joining Clairvest, Mr. Rotman spent just under three years in New York at E. M. Warburg, Pincus & Co. principally focusing on private equity investments in media and communications transactions in North America and the United Kingdom. He earned a B.A. from Tufts University in 1988, a M.Sc. from the London School of Economics in 1989 and a M.B.A. from New York University in 1991. Mr. Rotman is currently a Director of Clairvest Group, Van Rob Stampings, Landauer Metropolitan, Shepell-fgi, Winters Brothers Waste Systems, HonestReporting Canada, The LSE North American Advisory Board and the Canadian Opera Company.
Officers/Managers – Nexient Learning Incorporated
Colleen Moorehead - President & Chief Executive Officer
Colleen Moorehead is President and Chief Executive Officer of Nexient Learning Inc. Prior to joining Nexient Learning as CEO in April 2006, she was the Past President, E*TRADE Canada and Past Vice President and General Manager E*Trade Financial Global Corporate Services. As the President of E*TRADE Canada, Ms. Moorehead led the organization from a start-up to becoming the largest independent on-line investment firm in Canada serving both retail and sophisticated institutional investors. Prior to joining E*TRADE, Ms. Moorehead was the Vice President and Managing Director of CIBC World Markets. She has also held progressive management positions at industry-leading brokerages including Wood Gundy and Merrill Lynch & Moss Lawson.
Donna de Winter - Chief Financial Officer
Donna de Winter is Chief Financial Officer of Nexient Learning Inc. Ms. de Winter recently served as Chief Financial Officer for Geac Computer Corporation from November 2003 to March 2006 where she completed the $1 billion sale of the company to a private equity fund based in San Francisco. Donna is a seasoned business leader who brings with her a wealth of experience in corporate finance, capital markets and internal and external financial reporting. She will be a champion of sound corporate governance practices and an invaluable member of Nexient’s senior management team.
Ms. de Winter received her Masters in Business Administration from the University of Toronto in 2000 and her professional accounting designation from the Certified Management of Accountants of Ontario in 1991.