Montreal, January 27th, 2016– The Quebec Technology Association (AQT) last night unveiled the finalists for the prestigious title of CEO of the Year Investissement Québec 2016. An independent jury of Presidents of ICT companies and representatives of Investissement Québec and AQT has selected the three finalists:

DAVID HERVIEUX, PRESIDENT, DEVOLUTIONS

Devolutions offers to IT professionals worldwide a complete remote connections and passwords management solution available on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android. The company has more than 270 000 users in 120 countries on 5 continents. 97% of its sales come from outside of Canada with customers such as Boeing, Shell, Walt Disney, Dell, Sony, Airbnb and NASA. Devolutions has no sales representatives and counts exclusively on an integrated Inbound Marketing strategy where all the sales are made online directly from the company’s website.

PAUL RAYMOND, PRESIDENT AND CEO, ALITHYA

Alithya is a rapidly-growing firm providing advisory services in the fields of information technology and organizational management. Led by Paul Raymond since 2011, the company’s revenue has soared by more than 300%, with a significant 600% increase in EBITDA over three years. The company’s workforce has grown from 220 advisors to nearly 1,200 in the past four years.

SAMER SAAB, PRESIDENT, EXPLORANCE

Samer Saab is the founder and CEO of eXplorance, a private Montreal-based corporation and leading provider of Learning Experience Management (LEM) solutions. Nearly 98% of the company’s revenue is generated outside the province of Quebec; 85% from outside Canada; and 30% from outside North America. The company’s growth has skyrocketed by nearly 400% over the past five years, with an 830% increase in recurring revenue.

“The Selection Committee was faced with a difficult choice. The nominations we received highlighted a broad range of achievements that were of paramount importance to Quebec’s economic growth. These companies have conquered their markets, both locally and internationally. I am very proud of the vitality and energy evident within our industry,” said AQT CEO Nicole Martel.

Since 2003, this contest recognizes the exemplary leadership of a technology-sector company as well as its contributions to the visibility of Quebec’s Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) industry.

This year’s contest winner will be honoured at the 2016 Investissement Québec CEO of the Year Awards Gala on Thursday, February 18, 2016, during “CEO Vision”, an exclusive event for CEOs of ICT companies which will be held from February 17 to 19 at Mont Tremblant.

THE ELECTION PROCESS

To increase the visibility of finalists throughout the industry, the election process for the Investissement Québec CEO of the Year Award 2016 has been enhanced. The CEOs of Quebec’s leading information and communications technology companies will receive exclusive access to an electronic voting platform managed by an independent firm, SOM Research & Surveys. CEOs will now be able to base their vote on a video of each CEO finalist as well as a short presentation of each candidate’s profile. As a result, the voting process will be balanced between the jury’s voice (10%), online voting (40%), and the votes of participating CEO Vision Presidents (50%) following the introduction of each finalist. In addition, a Promotion Committee composed of CEO Vision partners was created to ensure increased visibility for candidates and to encourage CEO to submit their application.

ABOUT THE QUEBEC TECHNOLOGY ASSOCIATION

The Quebec Technology Association (AQT) promotes the visibility of innovative SMEs in the ICT industry at a provincial scale, while acting as a sector representative. The AQT supports CEOs and their executive teams in their business growth and development, by providing them a real toolbox .Now the largest ICT business network in Quebec, the AQT is a non-profit and self-funded organization representing more than 500 corporate members and members by affiliation. The association provides local and international networking opportunities, improvement tools and benchmarking. The building blocks of success! For more information: www.aqt.ca.

ABOUT INVESTISSEMENT QUÉBEC

Investissement Québec’s mission is to foster the growth of investment in Québec, thereby contributing to economic development and job creation in every region. The Corporation offers businesses a full range of financial solutions, including loans, loan guarantees and equity investments, to support them at all stages of their development. It is also responsible for administering tax measures and prospecting for foreign investment.

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Informations:
Viviane Couto – Communications and Projects Coordinnator
514 874-2667, ext. 114 – vcouto@aqt.ca

Chantal Corbeil – Spokesperson for Investissement Québec
514 873-7161