One of the area’s major software firms has bolstered its executive ranks, repatriating a Canadian industry veteran who says working abroad gave him a new perspective on this country’s tech hubs.
Paul Carreiro joined Kinaxis as chief revenue officer last month, his latest stop in a career that’s seen him hold senior roles at some of the world’s biggest enterprise software firms including IBM and SAP.
The Canadian lived in Europe and New York for his prior roles, opportunities that afforded him an interesting global perspective on the Canadian business landscape.
In particular, he says he gained an appreciation for the strengths of two Canadian tech hubs that have garnered international attention: Waterloo and Kanata.
“For the longest time, and still today, Kanata has a fabulous tech reputation,” Carreiro says. If you take a look at the Kanata North business area … you’ve got companies like
Nokia, Dell and of course, Mitel. Global companies that are at the top of their game are here.”
He adds that the benefits of being a part of the region, such as the concentration of highly-skilled and highly-educated individuals, becomes “self-perpetuating.”
Carreiro says this factor – recruiting and retaining top talent – has been critical to the success of Kinaxis and its continued growth.
As chief revenue officer, Carreiro is focused on continuing to expand Kinaxis’s footprint in key markets such as Europe and Asia.
“Those are regions that we currently have a presence in today, and we are looking to significantly expand it.”