About Colin

Whether it was developing my first GW BASIC programs, similar to the diary program used on television by Dr. Doogie Howser, or applying for a Microsoft product support role at the age of 13, I always knew that technology would play an important role in my life. Well beyond the years of DOS, GW BASIC, and bulletin board systems, I have had the opportunity to play roles focused on bridging gaps between business and technology professionals. Technology has the power to drive business efficiencies, create competitive advantages, and open up the new possibilities that are only limited by ones imagination. My mission in life is to turn those possibilities into reality.

During my school years, I began to hone my skills assisting my school and several local small businesses with their technology needs. Countless hours hanging around the computer lab paid off through boosting my confidence in the knowledge that anything is possible with a little hard work. As I entered university in Waterloo, Canada, I started a consulting practice catering to local businesses in the legal, marketing, manufacturing and internet sectors. During that time, I worked to take an idea that small businesses could consume technology as a utility to the next level. Calling on several colleagues, we developed a plan and pitched to Bay Street venture capitalists as well as local business legend Jim Balsillie. While the venture did not make it off the ground, I took many important lessons from it that stick with me today.

BillG & Me

He has an unparalleled passion for technology and customer-service, a deadly combination. He can successfully lead teams in the delivery of large, complex projects and can set and drive the vision for an organization looking to leverage technology as a strategic enabler of business success.

- Isa Qureshi, Executive Vice Presient & Chief Operating Officer, QLogitek

An opportunity came up to join the team at Microsoft. Seven interviews later, I began a journey inside the consulting arm of Microsoft where I connected with the enterprise customers to help them deploy the latest products. Through several years, I gained exposure to the challenges faced in the enterprise space and an opportunity to work with very smart and passionate people. Within the Canadian subsidiary, I gained exposure to customers here while taking on opportunity to travel the country to spread the word of upcoming product launches. Some of the memorable projects include early deployments of Active Directory, driving the first .NET development projects inside Canada's financial institutions and contributing code into the Windows code base.

Building Online Communities for Rock Stars

Colin has a broad range of technical understanding. He has an extraordinary ability to interpret the business vision and design and budget the technical execution.

- Kevin Leflar, President & Chief Executive Officer, officialCOMMUNITY

Leaving Microsoft was a difficult choice. It is a place built on intra-preneurship where success is directly attributed to hard work. Joining the early start-up team of officialCOMMUNITY, then known as InDIMENSIONS, was an opportunity I could not pass up. We started out on a mission to rethink information management with a multi-dimensional approach using recording artists as our foundation. During the early years, we also managed to build out a practice focused on the domain of community management. The information management piece continues today in Primal Fusion and officialCOMMUNITY grew up from the four of us crammed inside a tiny office at Blue Rodeo's Toronto studio to over forty people including my technology team of twelve serving legendary artists such as Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper, Mark Knophler, and more.

Coaching for Success

Colin is a very foward looking individual with a drive to push the status quo. He exudes a "can do" attitude and provides valuable insight into leveraging technology for maximum benefit. Colin is also very personable and challenges people to rethink their current paradigms.

- Robert Leaker, Vice President, Emerging Markets and Innovation, Meridian Credit Union

With the community business on a steady state for growth, it was time to continue pushing myself for new challenges. Jumping back into the consulting realm working with the high calibre team at ObjectSharp was my next and current step. Reaching out to clients undertaking software development projects I am focused on delivering advisory services focused on team building, software craftsmanship, and technical excellence. The client receives an honest assessment of their plans along with pragmatic options to help them achieve their objectives. Working one-on-one with team members, I help them reframe their challenges for action and help them build upon their strengths. My contribution is the rare insight into balancing of IT and development efforts to meet the challenges set forth by business leadership.

Share and Share Alike

When I am not working with clients I am spending time in the community working with fellow developers and IT professionals. You will find me contributing at local user groups such as the Metro Toronto .NET User Group and IT Pro Toronto, along with other conferences both in the greater Toronto area as well as around the world.

On the Shelves

While I prefer delivering results to writing, I found the time to contribute some thoughts to two certification study guides. The experience was fascinating in that technical writing is something that requires you to invest many hours into finding the right way to frame the knowledge. In these books, I felt that I was able to contribute an angle that helped IT professionals connect with a world where they need to communicate with their software development peers and tackle real world business scenarios.

I have also had the opportunity to participate in the technical review process for other great books from the Addison Wesley and Microsoft Press families.