Company

Averna Management Team

	Pascal Pilon President and CEO Mr. Pilon has served as a director and CEO of Averna since its inception in 1999. A veteran in real-time computerized systems, Mr. Pilon co-founded Averna after holding executive positions at Mindready Solutions and ATS Aerospace. He won the 2005 ARISTA Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the 2009 SGF – CEO of the Year Award, the 2009 Prix Tremplin Entrepreneurship, an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2009 Quebec Award together with Richard Maltais, and was named to the prestigious Canada's Top 40 Under 40™ that same year. Mr. Pilon holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from École Polytechnique de Montréal and an MBA from HEC Montréal. He is an active director of Société d'Investissement Jeunesse, a non-profit organization that supports young entrepreneurs in their quest for startup funding.
	Richard Maltais Chief Operating Officer Mr. Maltais has been one of Averna's directors since it was founded in 1999. He is a seasoned expert in test engineering, and has nurtured longstanding relationships with leading instrument vendors. He co-founded Averna after serving as the business unit manager of test and measurement solutions for the Informission Group. Prior to that, Mr. Maltais worked for Paramax, where he was involved in the development of military technology. He won an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® 2009 Quebec Award together with Pascal Pilon. Mr. Maltais holds a bachelor's degree in computer engineering from the Université du Québec à Chicoutimi. He is an active board member of the Quebec Technology Association (AQT), the largest group of technology firms in Quebec, where he shares his expertise in business development best practices and inspires the IT frontrunners of tomorrow.
	John Morris Chief Financial Officer and Vice-President of Operations John brings extensive strategic operations and finance experience to Averna. In a career spanning almost 20 years, John has exercised his considerable leadership skills, financial acumen and operational insight to achieve major business results for global corporations in the high-tech sector. As a key member of corporate executive teams, John has been instrumental in achieving solid growth, optimizing business models, securing significant capital financing, among other accomplishments. Over the course of 12 years at Nortel Networks, John rose to become the Chief Financial Officer of the Carrier Voice Applications and Solutions (CVAS) division. John has worked on three continents including forming a Joint Venture with LG and, over the course of his career, has held increasingly vital roles managing operations, streamlining supply chains, implementing business plans, and overseeing mergers and acquisitions. Before entering the high-tech sphere, John worked in commercial banking and industrial sales. John holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Major Finance, Marketing and Entrepreneurship) from McGill University.
	David Jones Vice-President, Product Line Management and Development, Proligent Mr. Jones career spans over 28 years of experience as senior executive and managerial positions in the high technology sector for industry leaders. Prior to Joining Averna David was Vice President of Product Development at Nakisa. From 2002 to 2009 David was Senior Vice President / Business Unit Manager responsible for all Playout & Graphics products & services at Miranda Technologies - having initially joined as Vice President of Software Development. Prior to joining Miranda, David was employed at Discreet/Autodesk from 1997 to 2002 as Vice President Systems Product Development and Senior Director WW Support and Services. Prior to this, David was employed at CAE Electronics from 1984 to 1997 in various development and management positions culminating in role of Manager of Visual Systems Database Development. David holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from Concordia University (with Distinction) and is an active member of Concordia’s Industrial Advisory Board for the ENCS Faculty.
	Benoit Fleury Vice-President, Marketing Mr. Fleury brings 25 years of experience in the high-technology industry to Averna. In his current position, Benoit is responsible for steering the company’s marketing strategy, aligning its Product & Services portfolio, and launching new solutions for the global market. Benoit began his career as a Systems Engineer at Northern Telecom and progressed to key positions in Product Management, Operations, R&D and Marketing. He was the original Product Manager for Nortel’s successful 2.4 Gb/s optical transmission product and also one of the pioneering Development Directors for Nortel’s world-leading 10 Gb/s product line. He subsequently joined several startup and public companies in Marketing, Product Management and Business Development roles at senior levels; one of them was EXFO where he was Vice-President of Product Line Management for its then emerging protocol business, now an important element of the company’s overall portfolio. Prior to joining Averna, Benoit was President and CEO of Lynx Mobility, where he successfully launched a nationwide cellular service provider for remote communities across Northern Canada. Benoit holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Electrical Engineering from McGill and Concordia universities, respectively. He is an advisory board member for Lynx Mobility as well as for Concordia University’s Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, and he is a judge for an international MBA competition held by Concordia’s John Molson School of Business each year.
	Dominique Fréchette Dominique Fréchette, Vice-President of Engineering Dominique has nearly fifteen years of experience in engineering management at both Averna and Servo-Robot, a company specialized in the development of vision systems. Throughout his career, Dominique has acted as a technical expert and manager for his software and hardware development teams. His experience in the sales and technical support processes has enabled him to combine the understanding of client needs with technical expertise to develop reliable solutions. Dominique has a degree in Physics Engineering with a specialization in Optics and Communications from Laval University and a master’s degree in Physics from the National Institute of Scientific Research (INRS).
	Jacques Routhier Vice-President, Business Development Jacques Routhier is a seasoned sales and business development executive who has served in a variety of leadership positions with high-tech companies. Prior to joining Averna, Jacques held Global Account Management and Sales responsibilities with Corning Cable Systems (end-to-end fiber optic and copper products for telecom networks) and started his career at Nortel in manufacturing engineering and operations management. Jacques graduated from École Polytechnique de Montréal and obtained his bachelor’s degree in Industrial Engineering. He attended graduate school at École des Hautes Études Commerciales de Montréal, where he completed an MBA.
	Lori Seidman Chief Legal Officer Lori Seidman has acquired a decade of legal experience in corporate matters. She started her legal career in 1998 at Fasken Martineau, an international law firm, where she advised public and private companies. Prior to joining Averna, she held the position of Chief Legal Officer for a financial services company. She has been awarded the R.T. Honourable Brian Dickson Prize and the Carswell Book Prize for academic proficiency in common law, among other honors. Mrs. Seidman holds a bachelor's degree in communications from McGill University, and bachelor's degrees in both civil law and common law from Ottawa University. She is a member of the Barreau du Québec and the Canadian Corporate Counsel Association.