Sure;
Firts of all tracking a stock on the OLD cdn was easy.
I used Stockwatch of The Globe and mail Purchased shares from TDWH
I suggest you read from the people who bought in a long time ago
new board
stockhouse.ca
old sigem board
stockhouse.ca
As for management.
When I invest in an "unknown" company I always use the make up of management as a tool to assist my decision.
What have they done before---and how have their previous
exploits done.
Who do they know...how can this assist the company.
Our main asset is John Roberts----mch experience with
Newbridge
Microsystems International
Mosaid
Tundra
I direct you to an article from The Ottawa Citizen
Mentions Sigem, plus kind words for founder J. Roberts...
The Ottawa Citizen
October 2, 2000, Monday, FINAL
SECTION: Tech Weekly; D2
LENGTH: 3255 words
HEADLINE: Terry's town: Terry Matthews dominates the new economy like no other ..... . But he's not the only one making his influence felt town
SERIES: Boomtown
BYLINE: James Bagnall
BODY:
Early on a weekday morning in the north end of Kanata, Leo Lax, one of the city's more influential venture capitalists, is preparing for a private meeting. His guest arrives, glances out an office window that overlooks the Legget Drive construction zone, then notices that the financier has left his cell phone turned on. ''Aren't you going to turn that off,'' the guest suggests. ''I can't,'' Lax replies with a smile, ''Terry might call.''
If you want to understand how power works in Ottawa's fastest-growing sector, you have to begin at the doorstep of Terence Matthews, the 57-year-old Welshman who has his fingers everywhere. He is one of the city's biggest landlords and owns what is now the country's most successful venture capital firm, Celtic House International.
In the past decade alone, Matthews has also helped to launch more than two dozen high-tech firms, including Newbridge Networks, the data communications company he founded in 1986 and sold earlier this year for more than $10 billion. Not least, he has amassed a personal fortune valued at more than $3 billion.
Such wealth provides a huge base of support for his influence but it is his sheer, physical energy that distinguishes him. After four decades in the business, Matthews can call just about anybody and expect to get an audience.
Even from his new perch atop March Networks, a tiny video networking startup, Matthews uses his extraordinary list of contacts constantly to massage deals, link former colleagues in new ventures and put them in touch with his bankers. And, by his very example, he has served as a role model for a whole generation of younger entrepreneurs.
It's no accident that former Newbridge employees account for a disproportionate number of Ottawa's latest startup firms -- far exceeding the entrepreneurial endeavours of engineers from Nortel Networks, the region's biggest technology company. ''They haven't seen the movie,'' is Matthews' derisive dismissal of Nortel's relative inability to launch spinoff firms.
Matthews makes his influence felt in other ways, as well. Because he was generous with share options at Newbridge and Mitel, his first venture, he ensured the tech boom showered plenty of wealth all around. Those who joined Matthews' ride in the early years are now exercising considerable influence of their own.
At least 10 of the high-tech industry's 25 most powerful players -- as compiled by the Citizen -- have either worked with Matthews directly or rely heavily on him or his companies for business contracts.
Andrew Waitman, a former Bay Street analyst, runs Matthews' venture capital operation. Bronwen Heins, the 40-year-old lawyer who looks after Matthews' growing real-estate empire, was legal counsel for Newbridge in its earliest years.
Michael Caughey, John Roberts, Adam Chowaniec and Leo Lax are among those whose careers intersected with that of Matthews'.
But Matthews' tentacles don't reach everywhere. The city has been inundated in recent months by outside venture capitalists from the U.S. and Europe -- all hoping to acquire a piece of Ottawa's booming fibre-optics, wireless and data communications business before it all becomes too expensive.
Ottawa's high-tech industry also has several other home-grown circles of influence that are expanding rapidly. The biggest one encompasses Nortel, which employs 17,000 locally. A second circle includes the software crowd, which centres on Cognos.
Although he resides north of Toronto, Nortel's chief executive, John Roth, is a power in Ottawa because he has the ability to add or subtract thousands of workers starting tomorrow, should a changing company's outlook dictate.
His colleague, Greg Mumford, the president of Nortel's optical networking portfolio, also lives in the Toronto area but maintains his only office in Nepean. More to the point, he's in charge of the project designed to secure Nortel's lead in optical networking technology. Whether he and his team succeed or fail will have a profound impact on Ottawa's technology sector.
And, Matthews' observations notwithstanding, Nortel's engineers are beginning to show some talent for startups. Former Nortel employees recently launched two of Ottawa's more promising high-tech companies -- Catena Networks and Solinet Systems. And Entrust Technologies, which was spun out of Nortel in the mid-1990s, now trades publicly and is worth about $2.5 billion. That's more than any other startup involving Matthews has been able to achieve to date.
One of the more interesting set of relationships in Ottawa involves the software crowd -- which is still relatively small compared to the region's telecommunications specialists.
Prime among the software powers is Michael Potter, the former chief executive of Cognos and still the firm's single largest shareholder. Since he stepped down from the top job five years ago, Potter has invested in nearly a dozen startups including WebPlan and Espial.
But, unlike Matthews, he has been resisting the pull to immerse himself in the role of full-time investor and mentor. Potter has other priorities, including two very young daughters and a couple of time-consuming hobbies, flying and sailing.
One of the busiest software investors is Dave Thomas, who three years ago sold his firm, Object Technology International, to IBM Corp. In 1998, he formed Bedarra, a personal firm that manages his investments in 23 startups around the globe.
Thomas is an unusually generous patron. When he orchestrated the sale of Object Technology, a Java technology specialist, he shared half the proceeds with his employees -- even though he owned the entire company.
Thomas is also unusual in another way. He is one of only five members of the group of 25 who were actually born and raised in the Ottawa area. (The others include Denzil Doyle, Bronwen Heins, Steve Kaminski and Lawrence Weinstein).
Nine members of the inner circle are from Europe while 11 others were raised in other parts of Canada. It's a testament to the attraction of Ottawa as a high- tech centre. It also says a lot about the opportunity a new industry affords outsiders with talent and ambition.
Thanks to the example set by the group of 25 and others, Ottawa is now loaded with engineers who embody both qualities.
Adam Chowaniec, chief executive, Tundra Semiconductor
With his recent appointment as chairman of the Ottawa Economic Development Corp., Chowaniec has become the tech sector's designated spokesman for issues ranging from overcrowded highways to capital gains taxes. The clear-speaking native of Britain got his start in Canada at Nortel before moving to Newbridge Networks. There, he helped to orchestrate the 1995 spinoff of Newbridge's semiconductor unit, now known as Tundra.
Kirk Mandy, chief executive, Mitel Corp.
(Except for the fact he was born in Whitehorse, you couldn't be any more Ottawa Valley than Kirk Mandy, who runs one of the city's biggest private-sector employers. Mandy has lived here since he was 12 and recently bought a riverfront property in West Carleton. He's an exceptionally active proponent of the region and knows all the key players in government and the universities.
Greg Mumford, president, Nortel's optical networking portfolio
A 10-year veteran of Nortel's fibre-optics group, Mumford, 54, took over the job earlier this year. The B.C.-native is now responsible for making sure Nortel can successfully develop the next- generation fibre-optic gear that's meant to sustain the firm's growing lead in this lucrative market. If he succeeds, and the betting is that he will, Nortel will likely continue its Ottawa-area hiring boom.
Hubert de Pesquidoux, chief executive, Alcatel Canada
Here's a Frenchman, fresh from a stint in Texas, who is working overtime to make Alcatel and its 3,000-plus local employees part of the community. Under his direction, Alcatel is sponsoring more community events -- from bike-a-thons to wine and food shows - - than its predecessor firm, Newbridge, ever felt comfortable with. De Pesquidoux is also playing a key role helping France-based Alcatel to identify new takeover targets in Canada.
John Roth, chief executive, Nortel Networks
Ever since he took over the top job at Nortel in 1997, Roth has mounted a series of expansions locally, most notably in his firm's fibre- optics group. The result has been a 70-per-cent surge in employment to 17,000 for Ottawa's largest private-sector employer. Roth is not a deeply sentimental man when it comes to running a business but he does seem to have a soft spot for the Ottawa-area -- his home when he ran Nortel's labs in the early 1980s.
Jozef Straus, chief executive, JDS Uniphase Corp.
A former refugee from his native Czechoslovakia, Straus has presided over one of this region's most dramatic corporation expansions. JDS, a fibre-optics star, has seen its employment rolls jump to more than 9,000 locally from fewer than 500 in 1996. The firm is set to add 3,000 jobs locally over the next year. JDS's stunning rise in market value has also made millionaires of many of its longer-term workers. For Straus, 54, it's a very long way from washing dishes and picking berries, among the jobs he did in Britain in the late 1960s before setting off for Canada.
Ron Zambonini, chief executive, Cognos
The 53-year-old Scot is one of the industry's most entertaining public speakers with a penchant for over-the-top portrayals of Mick Jagger and Braveheart. He has been a key force in the rise of the region's most valuable software firm. Cognos now employs about 1,200 locally -- a figure that's expected to grow 20 to 30 per cent annually.
Rod Bryden, chief executive, World Heart Corp.
Rod Bryden's career is a mirror held up to the Ottawa economy. Since the early 1970s, he has been a senior federal bureaucrat, high-tech entrepreneur and, as owner of the Ottawa Senators hockey franchise, a major figure in the business of sports. Four years ago, Bryden entered what promises to be one of the big industries of the 21st century -- advanced medical devices -- by co- founding World Heart Corp. A compelling public speaker and longtime regional champion, Bryden is often tapped by public officials to help market Ottawa to outsiders.
Denzil Doyle, chairman, Capital Alliance Ventures International
This may be the most connected engineer in town. The 68-year-old native of Pontiac county has been a fixture in the local technology scene for five decades. He served lengthy stints as president of Digital Equipment's Canadian operations and director of Newbridge Networks. Doyle also runs a consulting firm and is a prominent advocate for the region's tech industry -- all of which helps drive a parade of outside politicians, financiers and would-be entrepreneurs through CAVI's doors at 60 Queen St.
John Kelly, chief executive, Rebel.com
Here's a high-tech pioneer who keeps showing up in the oddest places -- like in the top job at Rebel.com, for instance. The Ottawa-based maker of Linux servers had difficulty enticing investors during an attempted round of private financing earlier this year. The solution? Bring in a seasoned pro like Kelly to help prepare Rebel.com for a public share offering. Kelly has already launched half-a-dozen startups, including two that went public -- SHL Systemhouse and JetForm Corp.
THE FINANCIERS
Dave Furneaux, managing general partner, Kodiak Venture Partners
The Boston-based financier has done well by the Ottawa area. A few years back, he reaped a healthy profit by investing in Nepean-based Skystone Systems. He's been an enthusiastic investor here ever since, buying early stakes in Sedona, Sibercore, Tropic Networks, Watchfire, Philsar and Extreme Packet Devices. His father, Jim, is also a player locally -- he's the chairman of (and investor in) Chrysalis-ITS, a chip firm set to go public soon.
Leo Lax, principal, Skypoint Capital Corp.
A furrier's son, Leo Lax spent his formative years near Haifa in Israel before emigrating to Canada. He developed a wealth of contacts while working as the point man for Newbridge Networks' group of affiliate companies. Two years ago, Lax co-founded Skypoint Capital, which invests in telecommunication startups in Ottawa, Britain and Israel. The first fund, capped at $54 million U.S., has yet to record a big win, but it's early days yet. Skypoint is already attracting contributions for its second fund, expected to top $200 million U.S.
Terence Matthews, chief executive, March Networks
If you're looking for the epicentre of influence in the region's high-tech economy, it's right here. Terry Matthews has his own real-estate colossus (Kanata Research Park Corp.) and venture capital operation (Celtic House International). Matthews can easily access the heads of just about any large technology conglomerate you care to name. The source of much of his influence is a fortune that towers above the wealth created by the region's other super-achievers. His 3.1-per- cent stake in Alcatel alone is worth roughly $2.4 billion U.S. Now, at 57, he shows no signs of slowing down -- he's determined to create another multi- billion dollar tech empire through March Networks, a video networking specialist.
Antoine Paquin, angel investor
This 33-year-old wunderkind struck it rich in 1997 by selling his stake in Skystone Systems. He went one better earlier this year when he sold Philsar Semiconductor. The Montreal- born entrepreneur has invested in more than a dozen Ottawa startups and is now mulling whether to launch another company of his own or become a partner in a venture capital firm.
Michael Potter, angel investor
Five years after he stepped down from the top job at Cognos, Potter has seen the value of his 13-per-cent stake in the company soar to $675 million. Yet, the 56- year-old native of Britain has been reluctant to commit himself aggressively to the role of angel investor. He takes each investment seriously, which means he must commit sufficient time to discharge his responsibility and still leave time for his young daughters and hobbies like flying and sailing. Even so, he finds it hard to say 'no' as much as he would like to -- he's got a piece of the equity in nearly a dozen Canadian startups.
John Roberts, chairman, Sigem Inc. and chief executive, CS-live.com.
A paid-up member of the city's Welsh community, John Roberts is one of the city's more active angel investors and entrepreneurs. He has two degrees in engineering from the University of Wales -- Terry Matthews' alma mater. His career specialty, semiconductor research, has been sharpened by more than 30 years of hands-on experience at Microsystems International, Mosaid, Tundra and other local firms.
Dave Thomas, angel investor
The 54-year-old founder of Object Technology International sold his firm three years ago to IBM and has been reinvesting his share of the take in startups ever since. Through his private firm, Bedarra, Thomas is currently working with 14 companies in Canada, four in the U.S., three in Europe and two in Australia. Among his 10 Ottawa-area investments: Amikanow!, Espial Group, GotMarketing.com and Watchfire.
Andrew Waitman, president, Celtic House International
Andrew Waitman is one of two former Bay Street analysts hired in 1996 by Terence Matthews to run his personal venture capital firm, Celtic House International. Matthews contributed an initial $25 million U.S. before the firm became self- financing. In the past few years, Celtic House has scored a series of big hits, with the result that its portfolio is now worth in excess of $1 billion U.S. Waitman has expanded the operation to include seven partners and has opened offices in San Francisco and Toronto.
HIGH TECH SERVICES
Michael Caughey, principal, Caughey & Associates
Part of the invasion of talented British engineers in the 1960s, Caughey has proved a masterful social catalyst. While serving as entrepreneur-in-residence for the Ottawa Centre for Research & Innovation, Caughey helped to launch the Technology Executive Breakfast, a monthly gabfest at the Corel Centre that now attracts more than 300 members of the high-tech scene. The 65-year-old former Nortel executive also links would-be entrepreneurs with financiers at his Technology Venture Dinner, a five-times-a-year event.
Bronwen Heins, president, Kanata Research Park Corp.
A razor-sharp lawyer, Heins signed up with KRPC as general counsel in 1996, just as the real-estate operation was snapping up hundreds of acres of land near Newbridge headquarters. The next year, KRPC owner Terence Matthews handed her the job of running the firm. The 40- year- old Ottawa native is now managing the construction of roughly 1 million square feet of office and hotel space in the Kanata area.
Steve Kaminski, president, Colonnade Development Inc.
The 39-year-old native of Ottawa is part of a family with technology in its blood. Colonnade, also managed by father Jan Sr., was early to specialize in building techniques favoured by high tech. Steve's brother, Jan Jr., an entrepreneur, recently guided FastLane Technologies to a rich buyout. Colonnade is set to add half-a- million square feet of office space over the next three years on a 25-acre high-tech park near the Corel Centre. That's on top of some 280,000 square feet of construction activity being managed by the firm elsewhere in the west end.
Paul LaBarge, Randy Taylor, Lawrence Weinstein and Deborah Weinstein, co-founders, LaBarge Weinstein
Talk about good timing. These four legal entrepreneurs exited Blake, Cassels early in 1997 to create a firm dedicated to serving high-tech. The result: Labarge Weinstein has grabbed the lion's share of the billings for high-tech startups and now counts 16 lawyers on its roster. It's a niche business. After the startups get big, they tend to move on to one of the bigger legal firms around town such as Ogilvy Renault, Osler Hoskin or Fraser Milner.
Jim Blattman, senior manager, Royal Bank's technology banking group
A quiet-spoken native of Montreal, Blattman runs what may be the most dominant services business in the area. The Royal lays claim to more than 300 high-tech clients here, including most of the big ones. The Royal scored a coup earlier this year when it stole the JDS Uniphase account away from rival TD. The Royal's secret: it targeted the tech sector in the mid-1980s, ahead of everyone else. It also covers the map -- you can find Blattman or one of his nine colleagues at just about every tech event in town.
Peter Liebel, executive director, CIBC World Markets
Here's a rarity -- an investment banker who resides in Ottawa. Usually when local tech firms prepare to raise money through a share or debt offering, they head straight to New York, Boston or Toronto. Liebel, a 49-year-old former assistant deputy minister of Finance, serves as the main point of contact in Ottawa for the CIBC's equity experts in Toronto, New York and elsewhere. A key CIBC client: fibre-optics giant, JDS Uniphase.
Lori O'Neil, partner, Deloitte & Touche
This Carleton University commerce grad has been leading D&T's high-tech practice since 1998, when the accounting firm already enjoyed a leading share of the local market for accounting services. The 34-year-old Toronto native directs a team of nearly 50 financial services professionals -- who appear to be maintaining their hegemony over rivals. |
