I founded this boutique big data analytics consultancy partnering with my ex-colleagues from Yesmail Interactive where I was VP Analytics and VP Engineering. Our internationally distributed engineering team focuses on building big data and cloud infrastructure solutions, plus analytics for web and mobile apps. I led the team to successfully deliver data-driven marketing solutions for leading companies including Corus Entertainment, A&E Networks, Cirque du Soleill, AcquireWeb, Digital First Media, Learning Care Group, and the Sundance Festival.Some of my key achievements include:• Responsible for all business development and brought in all major clients/projects and managed all client relationship • Architected and integrated Krux data management platform (DMP), Gigya single sign on (SSO), Tealium tag management, Adobe web analytics and Salesforce CRM solutions for major companies • Designed a big data analytics and BI solution using Hadoop/Hbase and JasperSoft BI for intelligent and “situational aware” ad targeting for an e-commerce platform• Created a multi-channel marketing platform leveraging data from web analytics, email, social network, online surveys, point of sale systems, and demographics to build a Customer Master Profile using Databricks Spark (Python and Scala) • Designed and developed sophisticated data models to predict customer loyalty based on engagement data from multiple sources, both legacy and web/social• Advised on a multi-instance redundant and scalable Magento e-commerce platform hosted at Amazon Web Services using OpsWorks, ElasticSearch, RDS, Cloudfront CDN, Google Analytics and integration with social networks and payment gateways• Built, managed and motivated a technology team with members in Canada, US and China, and implemented a successful and repeatable Agile development process• Provided vision for all technical aspects of the startup’s go to market strategy, and participated in the seed round funding process

Claritas is a leader in customer identification integration technology. Claritas Identity Graph, the company’s proprietary software, identifies customers who appear in client databases under multiple identities. The Identity Graph software integrates customer identities across databases, platforms and channels.As SVP Data Science and Development, I lead our world-class data scientists and engineers who have spent decades gathering data, analyzing data, and making data useful for marketers to use. Our researchers know the questions that need asking and ask them. Our sales professionals know what works, and perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t, to help our clients make the most effective use of all our tools. Combine this passion for data with the precision of our data, and we help all our clients achieve the results they’re looking for. * Develop the strategy and architecture of the combined company's next generation digital ID Graph for effective data-driven marketing.* Research and design data visualization capabilities and business intelligence requirement for the SaaS marketing platform. Evaluate, test, and recommend the best technology tools and development framework for the new platform.* Recommend best of breed artificial intelligence, machine learning techniques, and algorithms to enhance the company’s segmentation, audience modeling, campaign optimization and performance.* Recommend best practices and coaching the data science and data engineering teams on implementing the software and cloud-based system using an agile methodology on time and on budget.* Provide C-suite management advice and input to the company’s overall technical direction to become a market leader.* Recommend and help define the formal data engineering process for the company.

I spearheaded the effort to transform this traditional marketing agency into a data-centric digital agency by creating a new data analytics and business intelligence practice to support a number of key digital marketing clients including ScotiaBank, Cineplex SCENE, CPA Canada, Coast Capital Savings, McMaster University, and D+H Finastra.

I led a team of product experts and developers in the design and architecture of a SaaS platform for SimplyEngage which offers an integrated, online marketing solution for national brands with local stores, including franchises such as Subway Restaruant, Ruth's Chris Steakhouse, and Dunkin' Donuts. The solution provides for a website, content manager, email, social media, SEO, reporting, analytics and a recommendation engine based on advanced data mining and AI technology. The target audience for the sophisticated platform is franchises and companies with multiple store locations (multi-units). The solution is a self-service tool that enables a local business owner to create and manage their own websites, media assets and customer engagement interactions (social media, search and email) via a software-as-a-service (Saas) platform that connects directly to their website.Some of my key achievements include:• Managed a geographically distributed inter-disciplinary product development team• Architected an omni-channel campaign management SaaS platform specially for franchises and franchisees • Created a comprehensive data tracking and collection solution that enabled a master data store for consumer online behavior analysis, data mining, reporting and prediction• Provided vision for all technical aspects of the startup’s go to market strategy, and participated in the seed round funding process• Accountable for both product engineering and cloud-based production operational environment currently hosted at Amazon EC2• Established technology and software development standards and procedures based on Agile methodology to ensure quality products are delivered on time and on budget• Worked closely with business and marketing groups to ensure our product offerings meet the needs of our customers• Implemented data security standards and software development best practices within the company

Terapeak is a leader in data analytics for e-commerce marketplaces such as eBay, Amazon, and Alibaba. They provide a suite of Software as a Service (SaaS) solutions and tools for online sellers to make sense of the complex dynamics of supply & demand, pricing trends, and market opportunities. I was brought in as a "turnaround" CTO and big data evangelist by the CEO and company founders to revamp the entire technology and big data engineering organization, product development process, and cloud-based server infrastructure. Introduced new agile development methodology and hired and built a new highly capable team. Improved the performance and reliability of Terapeak’s flagship ecommerce big data analytics platform.Some of my key achievements include:• Championed both business and technology sides of Terapeak’s data platform/product strategy, from data acquisition through to ensuring that data ingredients can be readily monetized• Led the architecture and design of a scalable data architecture using the latest big data stack including Hadoop, Spark, ElasticSearch, and Kafka to support high performance and a tremendous customer experience, while reduced product outages, delays and quality issues• Coordinated the implementation of a highly scalable cloud-based strategy and infrastructure to support the products and the business outcomes of Terapeak’s customers and partners.• Performed a full assessment of the current data/product architecture, processes, analytics and storage capabilities, and defined the technology and process roadmap for improving product KPIs such as performance, scalability, reliability, availability, agility and interoperability• Provided strategic guidance to the engineering team towards developing best in class software solutions• Hired and maintained a strong team, with full coverage of skills and a culture of excellence, while successfully leveraged a high performing offshore team in China to assist with both development and operation

I was part of the founding executive team of this big data analytics startup that secured private venture at an early stage. The company provides a SaaS-based Business Intelligence and Customer Insights solution using an Oracle-based technology for the core datawarehouse, as well as open source BI and big data technology stack for analytics and data mining. The platform tracks shipment data from pharmaceutical manufacturers and wholesalers to pharmacy outlets and hospitals to offer valuable insights into sales trends and market share with improved speed, reliability and value.Some of my key achievements include:• Championed all aspects of the design and development of the new SaaS BI and analytics platform for web-based and mobile data reporting and analysis for the Canadian pharmaceutical industry • Responsible for overall software engineering team management, processes, policies, procedures, development tools and platforms, and technical direction • Led the architecting of an Oracle based data warehouse that powers the innovative analytics and dashboard portal• Participated in the architecture of the core data model and the solution design of an intelligent ETL process that combined and aggregated data from many disparate sources• Built and hired the entire software development organization from the ground up, including a core in-house engineering team and a partnership with an offshore dev shop • Responsible for all software, hardware and data centre budgeting and operations

I was asked to join a group of original senior executives that left Yesmail Interactive after a successful exit to help found this technology startup to focus on develping a mobile platform called abra using NFC and QR code for the real estate industry. When a house goes on sale, the real estate agent representing the seller cannot be at the house 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The For Sale sign outside on the lawn tells the buyer who the agent is and his/her contact information, but not much about the house itself.I led a team of product designers and engineers to develop and design a solution to embed a RFID chip in the For Sale sign. When a buyer passes by the house that is for sale, and is interested in getting additional information on the house, she can take out her smart phone and wave it in front of the chip. Immediately, she is re-directed to a webpage that contains all the detailed information associated with the house. The listing agent is notified of the potential buyer's interest immediately.I helped the company to source the RFID chip from manufacturers in China, and led the effort to build a self-serve web platform for the real estate agents to sign in and manage the details of all of their listings. They can upload stunning pictures and even panoramic videos so the potential buyers can get a 360 degree view of inside the house. My team and I created mobile-friendly iOS and Android apps so that potential buyers get the best impression possible about the house.

Yesmail Interactive is a leader in cross-channel online communication and marketing. They provide a sophisticated technology platform that seamlessly integrates email, SMS, Push, social, display, and other channels to enable some of the world’s best known brands to have a 360 degree view of their customers.As VP Analytics and Research at Yesmail, I co-founded the new Yesmail Lab and championed our patented technology and product architecture. I led a team of senior architects and engineers based in Portland OR and Oakville ON in advanced technology research and development projects in the areas of business intelligence, big data analytics, cloud computing, social networking, high performance indexing, machine learning and data mining. Several of the prototypes developed in my lab have been successfully productized and are key elements of Yesmail’s current competitive advantage.

Based in Portland OR, Yesmail was the email services provider division of InfoUSA (later became InfoGroup). They acquired our Canadian-based ESP Digital Connexxions where I was the CTO. Since then, Yesmail has evolved into a world leader in cross-channel online communication and marketing. My initial role in the comined company was Vice President of Engineering, responsible for all aspects of product engineering and development. I directed the design, architecture, development and quality assurance of two of the company's leading email marketing and lead generation products. I helped to conceive and create a new Pay as You Go platform for SMEs to compete with the likes of Constant Contact, and successfully launched the new product to contribute to the company's top and bottomline. As a strong proponent of high quality and high performance software development process, I transitioned Yesmail's product engineering team into a top performing group leveraging a time-boxed Agile methodology.

Digital Connexxions was initally founded by a team of executives from Doubleclick after they acquired then Toronto-based based Flonetwork, an early email services provider. I joined the company as its first Chief Technology Officer as a result of a merger between Digital Connexions and ResponseLogic where I led the R&D effort to create one of the earliest patented AI-based content personalization engine for the world wide web.As CTO, I was responsible for all aspects of overall technology vision, strategy, operation, product development, architecture, quality and reliability, and roadmap for a Software as A Service Online Marketing Platform. I was the key decision maker in technology selection, make vs. build, vendor and partner selection. I was also a pioneer in leveraging offshore development resources by establishing offshore engineering and building data centers in China as well as in India. I managed a geographically diversified engineering team successfully to deliver quality software products on time and on budget. I also participated in various technical due diligence role in the merger and acquisition activities of the company, both on the acquiring and acquired side, ultimating leading to the successful exit and the acquisition by InfoUSA (Yesmail).

ResponseLogic was a pioneer in intelligent dynamic content personalization technology for more targeted 1:1 online marketing. It was founded by a team of ex-IBMers with offices in New York City and in the Toronto area. I joined ResponseLogic's Canadian R&D division as the Chief Technology Officer and led all aspects of research and development. I co-invented and architected the patented artificial intelligence expert system for content personalization based on a user’s online behavioral and demographics data, with a machine learning component based on Bayesian supervised learning that automatically discovered patterns and associations between behavior and response.

Brightspark-funded Infotriver was a revolutionary mobile CRM software product startup incubated by one of Canada's best known Venture Capital firms. I joined the startup as its CTO and was part of the original management team that founded the company. I recruited and hired the entire research and development organization, and led all aspects of conceptual design, platform architecture, software development and quality engineering.

E-Certify was one of the high-tech spinoffs from Reston VA based TRW (now Northrop Grumman Corporation), the global defense contractor. It was created to build and commercialize a secure email system based on the open-PKI stack.I ran the Canadian R&D Center as the Director of Engineering. I built and hired the entire engineering team, and led all aspects of software development and engineering. I also participated in the marketing and technical sales process, and successfully implemented Public Key Infrastructure platfoms and directed many internet security projects at several Fortune 500 companies, including TD Waterhouse, TRW, IVANS, Johnson & Johnson and others.

Harbinger Corporation, based in Atlanta, GA, was a leader in e-commerce software and network services. It was acquired by Peregrine Systems in June of 2000, and Harbinger's main e-commerce product suite that I helped to build ultimately became part of Open Text Corporation.I joined Harbinger as a Manager of Engineering when they acquired Premenos Corp. As a hands-on engineering development manager who also coded many key components of the application, I was instrumental in the development and launch of one of the very first Web-based B2B EDI/XML applications in the world. I led the design of the technical architecture of the core product and researched and selected software and hardware tools for the development life cycle. I managed a team of developers and championed the use of object-oriented design and development methodologies in porting the e-commerce product from Windows NT to Unix (HP-UX, Solaris) using Netscape Commerce Server, Java, Informix and Oracle RDBMS

Premenos is a leading provider of electronic commerce solutions for established and emerging trading communities. Its standards-based business applications leverage the strengths of traditional EDI systems, TCP/IP networks, secure information and Web technologies.I joined Premenos initially as a senior development engineer, team lead, was quickly promoted to Engineering Manager. I led a team of developers and QA engineers in the successful development and marketing of one of the world's earliest EDI over secure web applications on the Microsoft Windows platform, enabling many smaller suppliers to participate in the world of electronic data interchange for e-commerce.

CaseBank Technologies was a high-tech spin-off from Atlantis Aerospace Corp. (now Atlantis Systems International). CaseBank’s software solutions leverages sophisticated AI techniques, specifically case-based reasoning, to improve fault isolation and defect trend analysis of complex equipment and systems—supporting engineers and technicians as they respond to product defects and unscheduled maintenance events—in a variety of industries, including aviation and defence, rail and transit, automotive and heavy equipment, high technology, energy exploration and extraction, and continuous process industries.I worked at CaseBank part-time while pursuing my Masters and PhD studies in AI and Machine Learning at the University of Waterloo. As a senior research engineer, I co-authored and co-invented US Patent #5,822,743 and led the design and development of an Artificial Intelligence software package for aircraft and industrial diagnostic and maintenance. Using a variety of software development tools including C++, Delphi and Visual Basic, I designed and implemented several decision support applications leveraging rule-based expert systems, case-based reasoning, neural networks, fuzzy logic and other artificial intelligence techniques.

Accenture (then Andersen Consulting) is a leading global professional services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology and operations. As a senior consultant, I worked on several CRM and ERP implementation projects, including a full-scale SAP migration, for some of the largest companies in the world, including GE, Dupont, and Dow Chemicals. I was able to sharpen my consulting and client service skills early in my career and while working on several key IT consulting and CRM implementation projects through out North America.