Born and raised in Montreal, I went to university in Kingston and Toronto and split my business career between Toronto and Vancouver. Having met my financial objectives, I left business to pursue a passion for web education, to which I devoted eight years, only to run out of money on the edge of success. I had long wanted to write fiction, but thought I needed to wait until life taught me what to write. At 65, I started a novel, writing over 40 hours a week. I sent a first draft to family members, both published authors, who responded positively, encouraging me to continue. Almost seven years later, I have finished my first novel, having engaged a thrice published author to provide a structural edit. I am currently seeking a publisher, while I write my second novel.

Thinkable was a web content studio whose mission was helping high school students and their teachers succeed. We received a significant grant from a Canadian charity and recruited an award-winning, multi-disciplinary team of content experts, web developers, community architects, designers, programmers, marketers and branding experts. Our alpha resource — Thinkable Math — was researched, designed and tested in North America through three prototypes with the support of 40 teachers and 80 high school students. In 2013, we tested Thinkable Math against two gold standards. Students using our resource answered 17% more test questions correctly than students using the textbook and website of one of the largest educational publishers in the world and 28% more test questions correctly than the leading website for online education. The focus group teachers said it was the first web resource they had seen that they would use regularly in their classes. But investors want apps, not content. We were unable to raise the capital needed to launch Thinkable commercially and shuttered the project in September 2014.

CFO during high growth phase of a well managed, owner operated newspaper business. Retained in middle of tech crunch of early 2000's to restore toxic banking relationships that represented a serious threat to the company's future. Member of small executive team responsible for strategic direction of company, including assessment and execution of m&a transactions. EBITDA tripled, significant debt and equity issues, several acquisitions and rebuilding of revenue management and financial reporting systems. Sold shares advantageously and left on very amicable terms to pursue my interest in new media.

Worked for a succession of increasingly senior investment banks in increasingly responsible positions in Toronto and Vancouver, latterly as head of Merrill Lynch Canada's corporate finance operations in Vancouver. Primary responsibilities were to win the confidence of clients through idea generation, build positions within syndicates and execute mandates. Increased business significantly as responsibilities grew. Ultimately recruited by a client, Black Press Ltd., as its CFO.

In 1985, transferred by CIBC to an Edper Group subsidiary in which it had taken an ownership position. At Edper, invested and harvested quasi-equity capital in meaningful chunks in all markets. Raised and invested a mezzanine fund and worked with colleagues in transactions ranging from $20 to $150 million. During the recession of 1993, extracted substantial value and liquidity from investments otherwise thought to be illiquid, almost invariably without loss.When Royal Trust, an Edper controlled financial institution, was liquidated in a forced sale, sent in to organize the effort to collect approximately $4 billion bad loans in Canada, the UK and the west coast of the US left over from the sale. Personally reviewed all three portfolios, declared to skeptical stakeholders and a nervous board that reserves were adequate and brought order to a confused and shell shocked environment. Mandated and led the collection teams and created the systems to support and track them through the critical first 18 months during which time significant cash was generated in transactions well within original loss estimates, resulting in significant share price increases.

Recruited after completing bar exams as one of the early members of CIBC's project finance group in Toronto. Promoted regularly over the next six years, ultimately serving as the head of its communications lending group. During the 1981 recession, became one of the first members of CIBC's special loans group, charged with harvesting value from a large portfolio of bad loans. Managed mid market bad loans independently and worked as a member of the team on one of Canada's largest insolvencies, Dome Petroleum.