In the last week, two Canadian SaaS companies and one government research organization have added new members to their teams. Here’s a breakdown of who is joining, and what they bring to the table.
Vention adds Guillaume Mercier as CMO
Montreal-based digital manufacturing startup Vention has announced Guillaume Mercier will join the company as chief marketing officer.
Mercier has served as an investment professional at Real Ventures, which was an early investor in Vention
Mercier has served as an investment professional at Real Ventures, which was an early investor in Vention, and also as an entrepreneur working under Lune Rouge, which operates and invests in technology, entertainment, arts, and real estate. Mercier also worked as vice president of marketing at e-commerce company SSENSE, where he led its creative and marketing teams.
“We are thrilled to welcome Guillaume to the team,” said Etienne Lacroix, Vention’s founder and CEO. “Vention will benefit greatly from Guillaume’s leadership as well as his impressive startup and marketing background. Very few people combine the analytical rigour and creative spirit required of a marketing leader. We believe Guillaume possesses a unique combination of qualities that make him the ideal leader to add to Vention at this stage.”
Founded in 2016, Vention calls itself the only combined software and hardware platform certified by Universal Robotics, and counts Thomson Industries, Interroll, and PolyAlto as partners. This new hire comes shortly after Vention raised a $17 million CAD Series A, led by Bain Capital Ventures.
Simon Stanlake joins Procurify as SVP Engineering
Procurify, a Vancouver-headquartered SaaS spend management company, has announced that Simon Stanlake, former CTO at Hootsuite, has joined Procurify as senior vice president of engineering.
Stanlake will be leading the engineering and quality assurance teams at Procurify, which manages more than $7 billion of organizational spending for growing companies. He will be responsible for product delivery, talent acquisition, performance management and professional development, engineering practices, and technical strategy.
“What attracted me to Procurify is the team, and the market opportunity that faces us,” said Stanlake. “You have this energetic group of talent that has immense potential to achieve.”
Stanlake spent four years at Hootsuite as CTO, during which time the company grew from 14 to more than 500 team members, and grew its revenue from $0 to $50 million dollars. After four years as Hootsuite’s CTO, Stanlake co-founded the New Product Growth department as a vehicle for scaling new product ideas into successful new business lines for the company. Stanlake led the hiring efforts and ran professional development programs where he grew the engineering team from three to 25 people.
“We are excited to have Simon join the Procurify journey and lead us to continue to scale and build the rocket ship we call home, and for him to be the driving force behind crafting a unified and motivated engineering team that delivers on customer value and innovation,” said Aman Mann, CEO and co-founder of Procurify.
In 2015, Procurify received a $4 million investment from Nexus Venture Partners, Point Nine Capital, and BDC. In late 2016, Procurify raised a $7 million Series A, led by Runa Capital, with participating investors Point Nine Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, and BDC. Hedgewood Inc. and Tom Williams.
Douglas Muzyka, chair of National Research Council
National Research Council (NRC) Canada, the federal government’s primary research and technology organization, has appointed Douglas Muzyka as chair of the council.
Muzyka has held several senior leadership positions in the past, including president and CEO of DuPont Canada, president of DuPont Mexico and Greater China. He has also participated in establishing many DuPont plants and new venture developments throughout the Asia Pacific region.
“[Muzyka’s] more than 30 years of experience in innovation and economic development will be of immense value to the Council.”
The NRC focuses on industrial innovation and the development of knowledge and technology. The council invests in research excellence and is a collaboration partner that aims to help high-potential small and medium-sized businesses scale. Last November, the council opened a Centre for Research and Application in Fluidic Technologies (CRAFT) at the University of Toronto. The goal of CRAFT is to act as a hub for innovations in vitro diagnostics, regenerative medicine, and precision medicine.
“I would like to welcome Dr. Muzyka to his new position as NRC Council Chair,” said Minister of ISED, Navdeep Bains. “His more than 30 years of experience in innovation and economic development will be of immense value to the Council.”
The NRC conducts research in a broad range of areas, from applied to emerging technologies, in areas spanning engineering and life sciences, digital and emerging technologies, and transportation and manufacturing.
Images courtesy Vention, Procurify & Newsgd.com