Review of sessions:

PRESENTER	TOPIC	COMMENT
Ken Spencer (Co-founder of CREO)	Welcome	Ken Spencer opened the program on a high-energy note
Bruce Stuart CEO, CHANNELCORP Management Consultants, Inc.	Characteristics of a Good CEO	Bruce has energy to spare and kicked-off the program by ensuring we were taking a hard look at our own strengths and weaknesses as CEOs, working "on" rather than "in" the company. CEOs key calls: where to grow, how to grow, what products/services, what tech strategy, what growth options, what timeframe, what CEO? Addressed the creation, composition and utilization of a Board of Directors.
David Snell VP Sales & Marketing, Salescentrix.com In.	Sales 101 for Executives	A solid sales & marketer, he discussed general sales concepts, early stage sales & marketing issues: target markets, influencers, congregation, sophistication, decision makers, product differentiators, channels, and the team. 7 steps to client development, and remembering to create the right team with the right personalities for the type of sales your company is doing.
Bob Wiens President and CEO, FACS Record Center Inc.	The Hired Gun	Absolutely hilarious, even though Bob is a hired gun, he spoke about the net advantage of hiring experts to help you build your company – "renting" experts who can assist you makes all the difference, whether a tax accountant, a lawyers, a consultant to help build your infrastructure, they all have a role. Cash, bonus incentives and stock motivate hired guns.
Grant Gisel President, Sierra Systems and Heather Claridge Director of HR, Pivotal Software Inc.	21st Century Employees	For those unaccustomed to HR issues, this was an eye opener, for those who have been hiring and organizing staff for many years it is a good review. Clearly staff is much harder to find and to keep, a high motivation factor is stock and option incentives vesting over a few years. Companies must market themselves to potential employees, and recognize achievements within the ranks. No company is too small for an HR function, if your high-tech company is in growth mode, they success bringing on board an HR person very early and also utilizing the services of personnel consulting firms to help manage the large number of resumés coming in.
Amos Michelson CEO, CREO Products	Strategic Partnerships: How to Win and Keep Your Sanity	I would consider this the most enlightening of the presentations. Amos openly discussed the history of CREO’s ability to develop computer-to-plate then thermal CTP technology before others (see www.creo.com ), the negotiations, the contracts, the partnerships, the joint-ventures and how Amos came to work for CREO rather than as a customer! Partnering was and is still key to CREOs success, CREO knows it’s strengths in development, delivery on promises, and also fully understands the markets that their partnerships are selling into (whether the partner sells, or they both sell into markets).
Tom O"Flaherty Tom O"Flaherty Financing Consultant and Phil Dubois President and CEO, CityXpress.com Corp	Fingers Burned, Lessons Learned (Surviving the Modatech Experience)	What a pair! Tom and Phil openly talked about the Modatech experience, their personal experiences as CEOs of Modatech, the learning, the lessons, the heat and what they would do differently next time around. One clear message was the composition, agendas and support of the Board – critical success factor. Another is to correctly plan mergers and acquisitions, corporate cultures must meld and support a common visions for the company. They reminded us that in the Silicon Valley, many investors are seeking CEOs who have failed at least twice – as most of the learning comes from the failures, not having a silver spoon in your mouth.
Richard Robertson Managing Partner, John Fleury & Associates Ltd	Finding and Developing a Mentor	Richard walked us through the results of the survey he had sent around a week or so before this event, in general CEOs understood mentoring, but had difficulty in finding someone to become a mentor. The message was to clearly define our goals, decide where we need help (and perhaps the mentor will also suggest areas which we don’t realize we need help in!), then go find a mentor. A mentor: a guide who accepts responsibility for facilitating the career and or professional development of someone outside the normal boss / subordinate relationship, someone who support and facilitates the protégé’s dreams.
Brent Bolleman Former CEO, Sonogistix	When and How a CEO Should Exit	Brent was CEO of Sonogistix, a UBC spin-off to commercialize flat panel speaker technology from ’94 to ’99. Clearly an entrepreneur rather than an operating CEO, Brent had the early support from his Board for an exit strategy. Transitioning from CEO has permitted a brand-name CEO to join Sonogistix, kept Brent on the Board, and leveraged the company for higher growth. We can all learn from Brent’s understanding of his own skill set and goals, thus be reminded that "your greatest weaknesses are your strengths overdone!"
Richard McMahon Senior Associate, Ventures West Management Inc.	Angel Investors	Richard painted a motivating picture of the angel investment community and encouraged those who have a good story, good numbers and potential to seek angel financing & hands-on involvement from angels who are "wanting to do it again" – success that is. Angels answer only to their conscience where VCs represent institutional money, although we are reminded that together they reject 95% of opportunities. Where to find angels: networking at AceTech, VEF, ASI, TIA-BC and personal referrals. Business plan summary: what market need will I address? How big is the market? With what (tech) will I address it? How will I protect that technology? Who, exactly, are some of the customers? Who will you collect their $ (business model)? Who are the competitors & alternatives? How much money do I need? How will I use that money? Who am I? Who is the team? …. For any .com business, always present the team that will make this happen– not one individual with an idea!

Other:

• AceTech CEO discussion groups
• AceTech Symposium in March, 2000
• The breakout sessions were an opportunity to discuss subjects in smaller circles - excellent

Local angel groups:

• www.bctechnology.com
• www.vef.org/angel/
• www.flynnventures.com
• Shaheen, Smart Seed 649-4980
• www.ideapark.com/
• Shell companies for reverse take-overs …but you may go public WAY too early!
• BDC Angel Forum
• www.milestonemedica.com (for Biotech)

Must read for anyone in this business: