My pre-teen years were not exactly golden. In the middle of a civil war, my mom and dad were continuously finding ways to protect my 5 siblings and I. Except for my dad, who became a casualty of war, the rest of us made it safely to France, now our new land.

Watching my parents during these years taught me that hardship could come to anyone unexpectedly, regardless of your origins, your wealth, your status, or your beliefs. It teaches me that every human being is equal and needs respect and sometimes help.

A new country to adopt

I spent my teens in France and learned how to earn a living to be able to help support my mom. When things settle down and my mom and siblings were doing well, I decided to explore what I thought to be a promising country, CANADA.

And Canada was what it promised to be, a land of opportunity populated by welcoming people. Through hard work and perseverance, I built a better life for my family in Canada.

A wonderful man

After several months searching for a job, Roger, a manager at CAE overheard my presentation to HR and decided to give me a chance. He hired me to work in the ‘White Lab’ as a technician. It was now up to me to make every move count. Realizing that working in a confined environment, I spoke to Roger and told him that I was more of a people person and that a sales position might be better suited for me. He agreed and started to coach me.

IBM

Confined at home due to a major snowstorm, I reached out to IBM and miraculously spoke to Marcie. She offered to meet the next day, and with Roger consent, I went and was offered a sales position. I worked at IBM as a salesperson for several years, until my entrepreneur spirit started to startle me. With 2 colleagues, we opened one of the first micro-computers store.

It has been a great adventure, and after a few years it was time for the 3 of us to move on. I then created my consulting company, sold it and moved to a large software company. I was task with specific goals and a 3-year plan. My team and I delivered on our goals within 2 years. Having delivered on my commitment, I have decided to join yet a larger software company called SAP.

SAP

I started as a salesperson and quickly took on to create a team that became expert at Retail. German Management noticed our successes in Canada and decided to give me a worldwide global position, with the mandate to create a team around the world. My multi-cultural and multi languages abilities were a great asset, as my 13 direct reports were from 12 different cultures. My team and I delivered on our commitment, and after over 8 years at SAP, I decided that the extensive travelling required for that type of position was unhealthy. This Global Vice President of Operations allowed me to build a very strong international network.

I decided then to create another consulting company to help local companies to grow. Our clients started to grow and create jobs locally and internationally. This did not go unnoticed by Invest Quebec whose mandate is to attract investments in the province and ultimately create jobs.

The hired me as an external consultant to help companies in which they had invested to grow and create jobs. A rich and fulfilling adventure. While representing Invest Quebec, and using my international network, I was able to attract investments locally which in turn create jobs.

My father in law decided to move from Westmount to Toronto to be close to his grand kids. My talented wife, Christie, asked me if we could move close to him in Ontario. Being a family man and totally in love with Christie, I say yes! We chose Bowmanville. What a beautiful town with nice people. We felt at home the minute we arrived. Many of our neighbor’s became friends.

For my next chapter, I sincerely hope to you would trust me and elect me as your Regional Councillor for Ward 1 & 2. My goal is to leverage my expertise and skills to make Clarington a better place to live.