Profile

Mike Boudreau is an active entrepreneur that applies himself to a number of business and community based ventures. He owns and operates a product incubator that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs develop their product ideas and bring them to market. His strongest market knowledge is based on 30 years of experience in the Forest Industry, however he is a quick study with a keen sense and ability to determine what a market will need. He has successfully taken a number of products, ranging from simple to complex, from the drawing board to market often in collaboration with a strategic customer. Mike’s 18 years of product development and business experience focused on: engineering, sales, marketing, strategic planning, negotiating intellectual property agreements, domestic and foreign contracts. He is strong at networking, and has a nack for developing strategic relationships with customers, suppliers, and even competitors. He is a strong visionary with the ability to communicate his vision clearly, and is a capable manager in small startups and medium sized organizations.

Experience

September 2000 - Present President, Technology Brewing Corporation (www.techbrew.com)

Director and founder of this business consulting company that helps small businesses and entrepreneurs turn their product ideas into dollars through product and business development.

• Intellectual Property Development (patent search & drafting)
• Product Development, Prototyping, Engineering & Design
• Market Research
• License Negotiation and Execution
• Accessing Capital & Investors (SR&ED, IRAP, Angel Networks)
• Business Planning & Development
• On & Offshore Manufacturing

July 97 – March 99 Value Added Business Unit Manager, CAE Newnes Ltd. (www.coemfg.com)

Responsible for Marketing, Sales, Service, Production, Product Development, Planning, and implementation of CAE Newnes strategic focus on the Re-Manufacturing market(s). Developed and maintained partnerships with market collaborators, academia, and new suppliers. Identified intellectual property and new technologies that were of strategic importance and championed the acquisition of these. Actively participated in the promotion of the business to 4 prospective buyers resulting in the sale to CAE Inc. in June of 1998.

• Planned entry into Strategic Remanufacturing Market.
• Developed Greenfield Business Unit
• Intellectual Property Agreements – Techne, UBC,
• Strategic Partnerships – GreCon, Dimter, UBC, PreCarn, Landmark
• Strategic Supply Agreements – IVP, Baumer Optronics, Holometrics
• Sold first system on proof of concept.
• Negotiated seven figure sales contracts.

May 95 – July 97 Grade Scan Business Manager, Newnes Machine Ltd. (www.coemfg.com)

Managed the Grade Scan Business Unit and products from market evaluation through development and production including X-Ray, Laser Profiling, and Machine Vision Technologies used today in Chop Saw Optimization, Strength Grading and Planermill Grading systems. Developed a team of skilled and motivated people to develop, sell, and produce the Grade Scan products.

• Prototyped Business Unit Concept developed by Strategic Planning Team
• Developed Engineering & Service Team.
• Transferred Technology from Strategic Partner MacMillan Bloedel.

Oct. 1992 - May 1995 Manager, Electrical Engineering, Newnes Machine Ltd. (www.coemfg.com)

Managed a rapidly changing department of Software, Electronics, Controls, and Production Engineers, Technologists, and Support Staff. Developed and implemented a Organization Plan for the new Electrical Engineering Department of Newnes as part of a 3 company merger. This included defining jobs and structure, relocation planning, process and procedure definition and implementation. Responded to sales more than doubling by outsourcing and hiring 55 people in one 12 month period without a Human Resources department. Implemented a performance measurement system in Electrical Engineering based on project accounting. Developed and implemented a Product Management process through Product Champions and Product Teams charged with the responsibility of maintaining product health of both the existing installations and future releases.

• Merged three separate companies into one.
• Managed explosive growth in sales.
• Planned and implemented corporate network

August 1992 - October 1992 Project Manager, Newnes Automation Inc. (www.coemfg.com)

Planned and launched a development project that commercialized the Research and Development work patented by Weyerhaeuser Inc. for the purpose of predicting lumber strength using density as measured by X-rays. This project required the coordination of Software, Controls, and Mechanical Engineering talent. The project was successfully handed off to another Project Manager upon my promotion resulting in more than thirty successful installations of the system to date.

July 1989 - August 1992 Chief Engineer, Novax Industries Corporation Limited (www.novax.com)

Managed an Engineering department of eight people and several simultaneous projects. This included planning, sales, specification writing and review, consulting, setting priorities, scheduling and monitoring work. Performed Project Management and Research & Development, reporting directly to the customer and the Vice President of Engineering on each project. Responsibilities included both application and development engineering, with a scope including hardware, software, optical, system design and integration. Developed products include Traffic Signal Controller and a Infrared based Green Lumber Moisture Meter.

May 1985 - July 1989 Manager of R&D, Porter Engineering Limited (www.portereng.com)

Responsible for the development of new wood processing Optimization and Process Control packages based on customer requirements. Included machine vision engineering, project management, visiting customer sites, working trade shows, and presenting papers at industry forums. Projects included Sawmill Optimizers, Plywood Robot, and Medium Density Fibre Board scanner.

Awards

• OSTEC Member of the Year 2006

Director

• Okanagan Angel Network (President)
• OSTEC (President)

Education

• B.ApSc., Electrical Engineering, University of B.C. 1985
• Management Skills in Advanced Technology, SFU. 1991
• Engineering Document Management Systems - Khaltoff Orlando Florida. 1994
• First Things First, Steven Covey, Vancouver BC 1994
• Pursuit of Excellence, Context Associated, Vernon BC 1994
• Attracting, Training & Retaining the New Generation, Philips & Assoc., Portland OR. 1995
• Managing Negativity in the Workplace, Kelowna BC. 1995
• 21st Century Leadership, Context Associated, Sun Peaks BC. 1999
• Rotary Group Study Exchange to District 3030 India. 2000
• SRED Tax Credit Seminar, Kelowna BC. 2002
• Investor Ready 101, Vancouver B.C. 2003

Professional

• Vancouver Enterprise Forum
• Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia
• Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers Inc. - Senior Member.
• Okanagan Science and Technology Council

Community

• Rotary Club of Salmon Arm (retired)
• Boy Scouts of Canada - Leader / Builder (September 1993 – May 2001)
• Science Council of BC – Forest Renewal – Value Added Review Committee 1997-2002.
• Salmon Arm Economic Development (Past Director).
• Co Founder of Young Entrepreneurs Workshop and Competition (Salmon Arm)
• Founder Okanagan Angel Network.
• Okanagan Partnership Knowledge Services Cluster – Access to Capital Group.
• Okanagan Science & Technology Council (Past Director).
• Okanagan Business Mentorship Network (Cofounder).
• Young Entrepreneur Competition – Kelowna (Judge 2003-present)
• Telus New Ventures Competition – Vancouver (Mentor 2004 – Present)
• Salmon Arm Business Development Program (Sponsor 2005 – Present)
• OSTEC Access to Capital Series (Sponsor 2005 Present)

References

• Available upon request.