Throughout his career, John
Kelly has been a pioneer within the
Canadian high-technology industry. He has held a number of senior
executive positions, and truly brings a wealth of expertise to Reid
Eddison clients. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of
JetForm Corporation
from 1995 until 1999. A global leader in providing open, client/server
and web-based E-Process software solutions, Jetform's revenues increased
tenfold from $10 million to $100 million under John's leadership.
John founded and was Chief Executive Officer
of Why Interactive Inc., Canada's
first interactive multimedia development company. He was also founder,
President and Chief Executive Officer at both Computer
Innovation Distributors Inc. and Nabu
Network Corporation, a cable-based software and information
distributor.
A founder of SHL
Systemhouse Ltd., John served as Senior Vice-President and
Chief Operating Officer from the company's inception in 1974 until
1980.
In 1997, John was recognized as both the City of Ottawa's High Technology
Citizen of the Year, and the Province of Ontario's Master Entrepreneur of the Year. In
1998 he won the Ottawa Business Journal's poll for the city's most respected CEO, and in
1999 he was presented with the Ottawa Centre for Research and Innovation (OCRI) Civic Entrepreneur of the Year Award.
John is Chairman of the board of directors of the Canadian Advanced Technology
Alliance (CATA), and Chair of Innovators Alliance, a representation of Ontario's fastest growing
companies which serves as an advisory council to the Government of Ontario. He is a board member for
a number of private and public companies, including AutoSkill International Inc., Operation Online Inc.,
Burntsand Inc., impatica.com inc., InSystems Technologies Inc., and Jetform Corporation.
He holds an honours law degree and an honourary doctorate degree from the
University of Ottawa, and an honours B.B.A. degree (Finance) from Iona College in New Rochelle, New York.
A strong community builder, John received the Outstanding Volunteer Fund Raiser
Award in 2000 from the Ottawa chapter of the National Society of Fund Raising Executives.
He was chair of the United Way Campaign for Ottawa-Carleton in 2000, and is honourary chair of the
Canadian Cancer Society's Relay for Life 2001.
