Montreal Start Up

John has more than 10 years of experience, both as a founder and an investor, in start-up, early stage and growth companies. A strategist and marketer, his vision and expertise in business performance have driven notable enterprise growth in the wireless, internet, and media sectors.

A start-up specialist, John has been recruited to establish regional operations for global corporations in the Wireless Industry such as Aethos Systems (acquired by Logica CMG (LSE: LOG) (India, Taiwan, China, SEA) and Brighpoint Inc. (NASDAQ: CELL) (Philippines, Taiwan, South Africa, Australia) and is recognized for his success in growing sales and profits. In his role as Chief Operating Officer for Livedoor Group Inc., Japan’s first free Internet Service Provider, John took responsibity for the securing of venture capital investment (HSBC, Texas Pacific Group) to the tune of $US30 Million, which at the time was the largest ever investment in a Japanese start-up entity. His turnaround capability is highlighted by his accomplishments as President & CEO of Vogue Planet KK (Japan) (acquired by FremantleMedia, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann, Germany) where he turned a struggling internet start-up into Japan’s first foreign owned television production company. His vision and expertise in analyzing market opportunities and strategic partnerships led to the formation of a strong joint venture and a structured exit.

In June 2000 he founded Piermont Ventures; a Hong Kong based boutique investment and advisory business with a focus on media, technology and financial services. His strategic approach for analyzing a market opportunity is reflected in Piermont Ventures’ early stage investments in wireless companies such as Forte Communications (GSM Messaging solutions; acquired by Bulletin.net) and RoamAD Holdings (Wi-Fi Mesh infrastructure); internet services such as StaffCV (parent company of QuietAgent.com); and consumer finance companies such as Bluestone Mortgages (acquired by ABN AMRO).

John’s track record of business and investment success is based on his philosophy of strong research, strong leadership and focused execution. He is known for his ability to quickly identify and diagnose sales and growth impediments that go far beyond marketing, working with companies to refine their organizational structure and market position, as well as there distribution channels and strategic partnerships.

John received his BSc. (Hons) from MMU (Manchester, UK) and commenced his career within the sales and marketing departments of organizations such as Fuji Xerox and BellSouth New Zealand (now Vodafone New Zealand). He is a citizen of the UK and New Zealand and lives in Montreal, Canada. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Piermont Ventures Ltd, Vogue Planet KK, and Football 360 KK.

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