BOARD OF DIRECTORS' BIOGRAPHIES
Charles Levine,
Chairman of the Board
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Charles E. Levine has been a member of the Sierra Wireless board for more than three years, and was elected Chairman of the Board in April, 2006. Mr. Levine serves on three high tech boards. The companies range from web start-ups wireless, and Mr. Levine focuses on the companies’ responsiveness to customers’ needs. Mr. Levine also served on three other NASDAQ boards of companies that were recently acquired at substantial premiums to market.
Prior to retirement, Mr. Levine was President of Sprint PCS. In that role, he led the fastest growing Company in history, growing from nothing to over $10 billion in revenue in less than five years. Sprint changed the face of wireless, from an industry catering to the rich to one used by everyone. In 2001, Sprint PCS was named Supercarrier of the Year by Wireless Week, and Levine was named CEO of the Year by Frost & Sullivan.
Mr. Levine served as the Sprint PCS’ chief sales & marketing officer, prior to his presidency, and in 1999, MC Magazine and the New York Times named him their 1999 Marketer of the Year. Prior to Sprint PCS, Levine successfully built new businesses for Octel, AT&T and General Electric, and has been an integral part of business turnarounds. His career began at Procter & Gamble, where he was brand manager for P&G’s largest business, Pampers.
Mr. Levine is originally from Columbus, Ohio. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Trinity College with a major in economics. He received his masters in business administration from Northwestern’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management, graduating at the top of his class.
Gregory D. Aasen
Chief Strategy Officer, PMC-Sierra
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Greg Aasen was the founder and the chief strategy officer at PMC-Sierra up to June 2007. Previously he was vice president and general manager of the Communications Products Division. Prior to that, Mr. Aasen was chief operating officer and chief technology officer of the Company.
Bringing over 20 years of experience to the semiconductor industry, Mr. Aasen began his career at Mitel where he held both product and design engineering positions. In 1986, he joined MPR Teltech and later established the Pacific Microelectronic Centre (PMC), MPR Teltech’s first business division. In 1992, Mr. Aasen's vision was realized when PMC-Sierra was spun-out from MPR Teltech through an investment from Sierra Semiconductor.
In addition to Sierra Wireless, Mr. Aasen currently serves on the Board of Directors for Sutus Corporation and the B.C. Innovation Council.
In June 2000, Mr. Aasen was named “Person of the Year” by the B.C. Technology Industries Association. He was awarded “Entrepreneur of the Year” in BC from Ernst & Young in 1996.
Mr. Aasen received a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of British Columbia in 1979.
Paul G. Cataford
President and Chief Executive Officer, University Technologies International, Inc.
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Paul Cataford joined University Technologies International (UTI) as President and CEO in April 2004. UTI is an industry leading technology transfer, commercialization and incubation centre which was founded in 1989. As an integral part of the University of Calgary, UTI matches research discoveries and inventions from institutions, corporations and individuals with licensees, developers or manufacturers to produce commercial products and services.
Mr. Cataford has extensive investment, technology, start-up, governance and business development experience gained over 15 years in the venture capital/private equity industry.
In addition to Sierra Wireless, Mr. Cataford currently sits on the boards of Hemisphere GPS, Inc. (HEM-TSX), as well as the TELUS World of Science and Creative Kids Museum. Prior to moving to Calgary, Mr. Cataford was Managing Partner of HorizonOne Asset Management, a Toronto-based private equity boutique he co-founded in 2001. He was formerly Executive Managing Director of BMO Nesbitt Burns Equity Partners and prior to that President and Managing Director of BCE Capital, a venture capital firm specializing in high technology sector investment.
Mr. Cataford completed a B.Sc. (Mechanical Engineering) from Queens University, an MBA from York University’s Schulich School of Business and an ICD.D from the Corporate Governance College – Rotman School of Business. Mr. Cataford is a member of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Mr. Cataford lives in Calgary with his wife and two girls.
Peter Ciceri
President, Custom House Global Foreign Exchange
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Peter Ciceri is responsible for the overall operations and management of Custom House.
Previously Peter was a corporate director, management consultant and CEO Coach with twenty-five years experience in the technology industry. He was with Compaq Computers from 1995 to 2000, and during that time, held the position of President and Managing Director of Compaq Canada Inc., from 1997 to 2000. He was also Managing Director of Tandem Asia Pacific Ltd. from 1995 to 1997. Mr. Ciceri served as Lead Director and Chairman of Sierra Wireless from 2002 to 2005.
In addition to Sierra Wireless, Mr. Ciceri’s directorships have included MDSI Mobile Data Systems Inc., AERS Inc., and Progressive Solutions Inc. He also serves on the University of Victoria's Board of Governors and their Innovation and Development Council, as well as on British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell's "Premier's Technology Council".
Mr. Ciceri is an authority on international business - particularly Japan & Asia where he lived from 1987 to 1997. He was named one of Canada's Top 100 Business Elite by the National Post and awarded the University of Victoria’s Alumni of the Year for Business Achievement. He is a frequent speaker on leadership and business counselling. He completed the Institute of Corporate Director's "Directors Education Program" in conjunction with the Rotman Business School. Peter recently relocated back to his home town of Victoria with his wife and two children.
Jason W. Cohenour
Chief Executive Officer, Sierra Wireless Director (see executive biographies)
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Jane Rowe
Executive Vice President, Domestic Personal Lending & Insurance
President & CEO, Scotia Mortgage Corporation
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Jane Rowe is Executive Vice-President, Domestic Personal Lending and Insurance, and President & CEO, Scotia Mortgage Corporation. She is responsible for consumer, small business and commercial automotive lending. This includes mortgages, credit cards, retail loans, automotive finance and indirect lending, as well as the Dealer Finance Centres; risk management; and integrated business solutions. Ms. Rowe also has responsibility for domestic insurance services, including creditor insurance.
After joining Scotiabank in 1987 as an Account Manager in the Corporate Banking Division, Ms. Rowe progressed through a variety of positions of increasing responsibility with the Scotiabank Group, including workouts, corporate finance, loan audit, private equity and risk management. She was appointed Senior Vice-President, Corporate Credit, in 2002, a position she held until joining Roynat Capital as President and Chief Executive Officer in September 2004, a position she held until May 2006 when she became EVP, Domestic Personal Lending and Insurance.
Born and raised in Newfoundland, Ms. Rowe received her undergraduate degree from Memorial University and also holds a Master of Business Administration degree from York University in Ontario.
In addition to Sierra Wireless, Ms. Rowe sits on the External Advisory Board for the University of Guelph Centre for Studies in Leadership, as well as the Board of Directors for Scotia Mortgage Corporation, Maple Trust Company, and Scotia Merchant Capital Corporation.
David B. Sutcliffe
Corporate Director
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David Sutcliffe is a corporate director. Previously, Mr. Sutcliffe served as Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Wireless from May 1995 through October 2005. He has over 25 years of experience in the high technology industry including assignments as President and Chief Executive Officer of Xillix Technologies Corp., as Vice-President and Business Unit Manager with Motorola Inc.’s Mobile Data Division and as Vice President and Business Unit Manager with Sydney Development Corporation.
In addition to Sierra Wireless, Mr. Sutcliffe currently serves on the Boards of Ballard Power and EComm (Emergency Communications for Southwest British Columbia). He is a founding partner and past Chairman of the British Columbia Technology Social Venture Partners (BCT-SVP).
Mr. Sutcliffe has served as an elected director and as a member of the executive committee of the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association (CTIA). He is also a past Chairman of the Wireless Data Forum, a past Chairman of AceTech (the Association of Chief Executives of Technology Companies) and a past director of CATA (the Canadian Advanced Technology Alliance).
Kent Thexton
Founder and Chairman i-wireless LLC, Chairman SEVEN Networks, Inc., Chairman Redknee Solutions Inc.
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Kent Thexton is very active in the wireless industry. With 17 years international wireless experience and executive positions at major wireless carriers, Mr. Thexton is now engaged in building and growing a range of wireless companies.
Mr. Thexton has co-founded and is chairman of i-wireless LLC. i-wireless is a U.S. MVNO working with Kroger, the nation’s largest grocery store chain, to build a large wireless subscriber base. He is also the Chairman of SEVEN, and was previously CEO. SEVEN is the leading global white label provider of push email service for wireless carriers – SEVEN has over 130 carrier customers globally. In addition, he is the Chairman of Redknee Solutions Inc; RKN on the London AIM exchange.
Mr. Thexton joined SEVEN from leading UK operator O2, where he served as chief data and marketing officer, president of O2 Online and a member of the board of directors. During his tenure, O2 grew to be the leading mobile data provider in Europe, with 23% of revenues from data services by the end of 2003, and established a market position as an innovative operator and attracted high value subscribers. He was responsible for launching the O2 brand across the O2 operating business, lauded by Accenture as the best brand launch in Europe. Additional responsibilities included the management and procurement of the 5 million mobile devices sold annually. O2 was subsequently acquired by Telefonica for $31 billion US.
Prior to joining O2, Mr. Thexton spent eight years in the Canadian mobile industry, holding the position of Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President of Rogers Cantel (now Rogers Wireless). Prior to this he held management positions at Northern Telecom and Bell Canada.
Mr. Thexton holds an M.B.A. and B.S. in electrical engineering from University of Western Ontario.