Critical Founder Question… Should I Create a Board?
The most successful founders don't build great companies alone. There is a time on the journey to consider an advisory board — experienced partners to help raise capital, focus on the winning strategy, and build a bulletproof business model to help startups make better decisions, avoid common pitfalls, and scale with confidence. There are also times not to do it. The key is to understand why.
Speakers:
Leland Oberst, President, CEO and Founder of Innovative Fuel Systems. Leland was a Deloitte Edmonton Partner from 2002 until 2016 and the Managing Partner from May 2012 until November 2016. He obtained his CA (CPA) designation in 1993. Leland currently sits on the VETS Group Advisory Board. Most recently, Leland was an Executive Advisor to the APX Hotel Group and sat on the YPO Alberta Chapter Board and the University of Alberta Business School’s Advisory Board.
Darren Rawson P.Eng., Principal at Ozone Advisory Group, ICD.D. Darren graduated from the University of Alberta in computer engineering and has enjoyed a diverse career spanning a variety of industries including upstream/downstream oil & gas, industrial chemicals, specialty metals, manufacturing, distribution, and construction. He is a proven executive with 17 years’ experience as CEO of three mid-sized private businesses. He has experience with publicly traded, family-owned and private equity backed enterprises and has participated in numerous acquisitions both as buyer and seller. He has been doing business internationally for over 25 years throughout the Americas, Asia and Europe. Darren is currently a Principal at Ozone Advisory Group, an advisory services firm helping companies enhance enterprise value through high-performance governance and strategy. He is an active corporate director and board chair, sitting on six private company boards, five as chair, spanning the clean-tech, engineering, construction, artificial intelligence, and oil & gas sectors. Darren is the former chair for the Edmonton chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors (“ICD”).
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