Advisor

With over 28 years of software industry experience, I’ve more than cut and sharpened my teeth in various roles from sales to general management to leading global product teams and being acquired and acquiring companies. I subscribe to the Dave Kellogg “school” of business.

I’m available for advisory and mentoring engagements for individuals and teams in operations, product management, marketing, and sales. I work with startups and larger teams with new product introductions or with teams going through major inflection points to help them scale. You can learn more about my background on my LinkedIn profile. Contact me to get started.

I’m currently advising two organizations.

Convergence.Tech – Chief Product Officer

LearnExperts.ai – GTM and Sales Advisor

Mentor

I work with high school, college, and university undergraduate or masters level students to help them define their career, financial, life goals and objectives, and help them network. Over the past decade I have mentored one to two students per year.

I take on two students per quarter and offer five hours of mentoring time via video conferencing or face to face, if you live in Ottawa. I can mentor in French or English. This is a volunteer activity that brings me great joy. I value the interactions with students as we learn from each other and often build enduring relationships.

If you are interested in having a mentor please send me a message. Please tell me about yourself, why you would like to work with me and what you are looking for in a mentor.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Here are a few words from former students I mentored over the last ten years:

“Gene was my Mentor while I was completing my MBA at the University of Ottawa. While I was completing my MBA I was very much at a career cross-roads and with some great advice Gene helped me choose the right direction. The advice and guidance given was instrumental for me in taking the plunge to move to London and continuing my career in the EMEA region. I am very thankful for the guidance Gene provided as part of the uOttawa MBA mentor program.”
Ben de Groot, Business Solution Architect, Zuora, London

“Gene was my mentor during the last half of my MBA, meeting with me regularly over the course of a number of months; despite a demanding career and a young family, Gene was always easy to get a hold of and very generous with his time and attention. I found these mentoring discussions to be incredibly helpful and rewarding – Gene is thoughtful and patient and asks great questions that really got me thinking about what I wanted to do upon graduation and beyond. Gene is really easy to talk to, and draws from a wealth of experience when providing guidance and advice.”
Mark Woods, Client Experience Program Lead, MD Financial Management

“Gene was my mentor for about a year and he was always a great person to discuss any topic or interest. He was an amazing sounding board and would provide helpful advice and guidance. He was not only kind and actively listened but was able to provide productive feedback based on his wealth of experience. He provided personal stories that were easy to relate to and gave me inspiration for navigating any issues. I gained great knowledge from him and have used those learning experiences for many years.”
        Andrew, University Graduate, now succesfully working with the Government of Canada.

“I had the privilege of having Gene as my mentor for about a year during my MBA program. Very knowledgeable and humble, he provided great advice on career and work-life balance. Getting motivational examples from his own professional and personal experiences was very valuable and encouraging, it came at a time when I was at the turning point of my career. He was a great listener and an exemplary guide with high family values. His insights have been and will be a great source of inspiration!”
        Bhumika Bakshi, Policy Analyst NRCan

“Receiving a scholarship through The Entrepreneurial Culture Challenge was a formative experience and I was pleased to have Gene as a mentor. His goal oriented nature and ability to break down problems was critical in helping me achieve success.”
        Tyler Steeves, Sales Manager, Bennett’s Home Furnishings