22 May 2012
5:30 PM – 8:00 PM
Location: Vancity Theatre (1181 Seymour Street, Vancouver, BC)
Ticket Cost: Pre-registration tickets are $60.00 each, door registration tickets are $75.00
Register: here
Tony Van Bommel of BDC will host a fireside chat with Shaun McConnon, former CEO & Chairman of Q1 Labs.
The Vancouver Enterprise Forum (VEF) is the premier networking forum for technology entrepreneurs. The VEF holds eight events each year – usually on the fourth Tuesday of the month. These events provide attendees with an opportunity to network and learn. The evening involves a feature presenter, covering topics especially relevant to technology entrepreneurs such as financing and CEO war stories. Networking sessions are included before and after the presentation for speakers and attendees to connect with each other.
Speaker: Shaun McConnon
Industry veteran Shaun McConnon is the Executive Chairman of the Board of Q1 Labs, where he brings extensive senior management experience in operations, sales, and marketing to the growing network security management company.
During his career, McConnon has guided technology ventures through the IPO process, and he has also orchestrated several successful mergers and acquisitions.
Prior to joining Q1 Labs in November 2003, McConnon served as CEO of Okena, a next-generation security company, which he led from its inception to its acquisition by Cisco Systems. Previously, McConnon was CEO of Raptor Systems, where he steered that firewall security company through a successful IPO and then its subsequent sale to Axent Technologies (later acquired by Symantec). Earlier, McConnon held various executive positions with Sun Microsystems, most recently as managing director of Australian and New Zealand operations.
McConnon holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Roanoke College.
Moderator: Tony van Bommel
Tony has been with BDC Venture Capital since 2001. He holds the position of Partner in BDC Venture Capital and is in the Vancouver office.
He has participated in numerous investments in early stage technology across Canada returning a 1st Quartile return to BDC. He was the lead investor in successful investments including Q1 Labs (sold to IBM), Satlantic (sold to Danaher) and Welaptega Marine (Sold to private interests). He was also instrumental in bringing Radian6 to BDC (Sold to Salesforce.com). Prior to joining BDC, he spent 4 years as Senior Investment Manager with InNOVAcorp, a General Partner for the Nova Scotia First Fund, an early stage knowledge-based venture fund. Before joining InNOVAcorp, he worked 10 years as lawyer and Partner in the business law firm Little & Wright in London, Ontario. Tony has held multiple directorships in both public and private emerging growth companies across Canada.
Tony earned the Dalhousie Governor General’s Gold Medal for the top graduate student chosen from all faculties at Dalhousie University and the gold medal from the Dalhousie University MBA program. He also received his Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of Western Ontario where he won the Pitney Bowes Award for the top graduating Law Student in Ontario who combined academics, athletics and service to the community. He is a past Chairman of Junior Achievement of Nova Scotia and Volunteer of the year for that organization.
