Where Do You Sit in a Changing World?

I’m excited to announce that I’ve joined Inovia Capital as a Senior Analyst.

I heard that the team at Inovia needed someone to do all the heavy lifting! So I came prepared. Over the past two years, I have advised small and large corporations in financial services, retail & consumer goods as well as other areas. Most of the time, I worked in teams, analyzed large amount of facts and data to solve business problems, and supported senior executives in their strategic decision making process.

So, where do I sit in a changing world?

As a consultant, my goal was to help executives craft a strategy to become (or remain) the leaders of their industry, enter a new market or change their business model… Being in that position, and having to work in various industries, is unique in the sense that it gives you a fascinating view on how fast the world is changing.

Among the type of things I witnessed:

• An insurance company transitioning from a traditional distribution model to an online direct model
• A mining company rolling out its CSR strategy through a cloud-based mobile application
• An asset manager rethinking its product suite and entire organization to compete with booming low-cost and highly-transparent Exchange-Traded Funds (ETFs)
• A brick-and-mortar fashion retailer investing multi-millions at building an e-Commerce platform to stay ahead of the competition with other e-retailers

It is news to no one that you can buy insurance, manage social relationships, invest in the stock market or buy your daughter’s new dress online with the device in your pocket. Internet and mobility are rewriting the rules of many industries at the speed of light.

While tracking these trends, I have become passionate about the entrepreneurs that take on these new ideas and work day and night to shape our future. I admire those entrepreneurs that feel compelled to challenge the incumbents with the ambition and ability to execute their vision of a better world.

The Inovia difference

Before meeting with David and Chris at a conference here in Montreal, the idea of joining a VC fund hadn’t even crossed my mind. What convinced me to jump on board is the team’s passion to join forces with entrepreneurs and help them build big businesses; their ambitious vision to build a top-tier North American VC fund right here in Canada and a dedication to put all their energy at work to support and develop close relationships with the entrepreneurs they back — well beyond writing checks.

Through my new role here at Inovia, I will be supporting the investment team with all I have and look forward to pursue this exciting adventure. The world can continue to change and Inovia will be there to fuel the passions of those driving it.

Antoine.