Board of Directors

Pascal Pilon, Chairman

President and CEO, Averna

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.

William Wignall, Lead Director and Chairman of the Governance Committee

President and CEO, Truition

Mr. Wignall has been one of Averna’s directors since 2006. Bill has more than 12 years of experience running Technology companies around the world. Most recently, he was the President and CEO of Electronics Workbench, which he proactively sold to National Instruments in a deal that was highly attractive to shareholders of both companies. Prior to that, he held General Management responsibilities at both Telezone and Broadband Networks Inc. Bill started his career at Nortel/BNR, where he was one of the youngest Directors in the history of the company.

Bill is a graduate of electrical engineering from the University of Toronto . He is also a graduate of Stanford University 's Executive Program for Growing Companies.

André Gauthier, Chairman of the Audit Committee

Managing Partner, Tandem Expansion Fund

André Gauthier has over 25 years of experience in private equity investing, and in international financial management in the information and communication technologies and other sectors. Mr. Gauthier is Managing Partner of Tandem Expansion, a Canadian growth equity fund. Previously, he was Managing Partner of Echo Capital, a venture capital firm, and CFO at Telesystem International Wireless Inc., a leading provider of wireless communication services in Central and Eastern Europe that was sold to Vodafone Group Plc for US$4.5 billion. Mr. Gauthier is a former director of xtranormal Inc., an animation software company and Enlaces Radiofonicos S.A., MobiFon S.A., and Oskar Mobil A.S., wireless telecommunication service providers in Mexico, Romania, and Czech Republic, respectively.

Mr. Gauthier holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HEC Montréal and is a member of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the Ordre des comptables agréés du Québec since 1984.

Richard Maltais

Chief Operating Officer, Averna

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.

Jean-François Grou

President and COO, 20-20 Technologies Inc.

Mr. Grou has served as a director of Averna since 2003. He is the current president and COO of 20-20 Technologies Inc. (TSX:TWT), where he has been in charge of its worldwide operations and business activities since 1999. Prior to that, he was vice president of European Operations at LGS Group Inc., a Canadian IT consulting and systems integration firm.

Mr. Grou holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a major in finance from HEC Montreal.

Mark E. Burton

Business Strategy Consultant

Mr. Burton was President and CEO of privately-held Longview Solutions, a provider of enterprise software for corporate performance management, before its acquisition in 2007 by Exact Software. Prior to joining Longview, he served as President and CEO of AD Opt Technologies, a TSX-listed provider of enterprise software for workforce management. Ad Opt was acquired by Kronos Inc. in 2004. Prior to AD Opt, Mr. Burton held the positions of President and CEO of Digital Processing Systems, a TSX-listed manufacturer of hardware and software for use in the broadcast and post production industries, and was a Partner at law firm Stikeman Elliott LLP’s Toronto and Ottawa offices. He holds a B.Sc. (Honours), Queen's University, and LL.B. (with Distinction), University of Western Ontario.

Brian Piccioni

High Technology Analyst, BMO Capital Markets

Brian has been covering hardware stocks for BMO Capital Markets since 1998. Previously, he worked as an analyst at another investment dealer, which specialized in researching and financing Canadian technology companies. Prior to entering the investment industry, Brian spent two years as Hardware Manager at Eicon Technology, a data communications firm in Quebec; five years at Philips Information Systems, part of the Dutch multinational, and several years at other high technology companies in various design functions.

Brian holds a BSc. in biology from McGill University (1988) and an MBA from Concordia University (1992) and has earned the CFA designation. He co-authored a chapter on high technology in the Handbook of Canadian Security Analysis (Wiley, 1997).