Atlantic Canadian Expertise Recognized in Awards: Leadership & Innovation

Atlantic Canadians were featured in the 2014 Award Winners at the most prestigious event of the high-tech industry.

The 29th Annual Gala of Canada’s largest high-tech association  -  the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance  --  featured a keynote address from CATA National Spokesperson & Chair of Mitel and Wesley Clover, Sir Terence Matthews who reported on the status of Canada's innovation nation, and next steps for boosting our competitive performance.

The Wilfrid Laurier University Public Sector Leadership Award in Advanced Technology went to Brad Woodside, Mayor, City of Fredericton, New Brunswick.  "Brad has coordinated Fredericton's remarkable drive to high-tech prominence," said CATA President John Reid.  "Fredericton has been named three times as a Top Seven candidate in the Intelligent Community Forum's (ICF) Most Intelligent Community competition, and was once the only Canadian city to be in the running.

The Peter Brojde Award for Canada’s Next Generation Executive Leadership was awarded to Ashwin Kutty, President and CEO of WeUsThem. The award recognizes executive leadership of an individual who has had a major impact on the creation, success and/or transformation of their enterprise.  “Receiving an award is a honour in itself, but to be awarded one in the name of one of Canada's pioneering greats, Peter Brojde, is truly humbling," said Ashwin Kutty of WeUsThem. "The key to my success has been the team I have had the good fortune of surrounding myself with. This award from CATAAlliance, is as much theirs as it mine."   Halifax based business WeUsThem provides for consultative services across various functional areas, such as Marketing and Communications, Information Technology, Information Management, Knowledge Management and across a variety of industries, including healthcare, education, oil and gas, entertainment, fashion, hospitality and real estate.

Salesforce.com is a U.S-based company that picked up much of its acumen from Fredericton-based Radian6.  “They have incorporated our thinking, particularly around where things are changing in the marketing world,” said former Radian6 CEO Marcel LeBrun.  Mr. LeBrun, now SVP and GM of Salesforce, added that “We’re at the core of the vision of where the company is going.”  Salesforce.com was presented with the Special Award for Advocacy Leadership.

St. John’s, Newfoundland native John Kelly was presented with The Telfer School of Management Private Sector Innovation and/or Leadership Award in Advanced Technology.  John is a serial entrepreneur, leading many notable companies in the Ottawa-area. He is co-founder of Murphy Business Ottawa and co-owner of Comfort Keepers Ottawa, a non-medical care business.  John is the former CEO of JetForm Corporation and principal of Reid Eddison Inc.

For more information about the Awards, please see:

http://www.cata.ca/Media_and_Events/Press_Releases/cata_pr05231401.html

For nearly three decades, the CATAAlliance Innovation Awards Gala has been celebrating the best in Canadian advanced technology from coast to coast.