Recent growth rate: 159%

Head Office: Dartmouth, N.S.
President: Michael Morris

What has been the biggest growth factor?
Our customers tell us we provide the best post-sale service available in our industry. When I first took on the leadership, some customers took the time to make it clear that I had better not mess with the service team.

What has been the biggest obstacle that has kept the company from growing even more?
Having enough people to do everything that’s worth doing. We have lots of opportunities and are constrained by our capacity. The difficult decision is when to commit to the next expansion.

How do you plan to sustain growth over the next five years?
We need to expand our market geographically. We’re reasonably well penetrated into our market segment in North America. We need to go international for the next major leap.

On whom do you rely for advice regarding big business decisions?
I’ve got a really solid leadership team that I trust. There aren’t many issues that we don’t discuss amongst this group. I also have friends and colleagues outside of work who I sometimes bounce ideas off of.

What do you look for in an employee?
I like a team player with a can-do attitude and a good sense of humour, Ideally, someone who is good at the things I’m not good at.

What’s your previous job experience?
I’ve spent most of my career in or around the IT and telecommunications industry. I spent a number of years with Andersen Consulting [now Accenture] doing IT work for telecom companies. After that I joined MT&T, leading its network engineering team. When Aliant was created, I moved into xwave and led the team that provided IT services to Aliant.

How do you achieve work/life balance?
I try to be home at a decent hour and to avoid opening my laptop until later in the evening. I have also actively pushed to reduce my work travel obligations. My family would say I need to do more in this regard.

What’s the most surprising fact on your CV?
I once spent six months consulting for Telecom New Zealand. I commuted to Auckland, alternating three weeks there and two weeks in Halifax.

How would you improve the company?
Companies need robust leadership structures with solid succession chains at all levels. I’d like to strengthen the team. We’ve got great people, and I’d like more of them.

How would you improve yourself?
I’d like to find time for a hobby outside of work.

What’s your guilty pleasure?
There’s nothing I feel guilty about. I’m rather good at rationalizing.

And your ideal vacation?
Any vacation is a good vacation. From a work perspective, it’s always a bad time to take vacation. From a personal perspective, there’s no time like the present.