Leadership
George Longo
CEO and Chair of Board
George Longo is President & CEO of his family office and GARA Holdings Inc. A seasoned business executive and sophisticated investor with extensive experience in acquiring and selling businesses. He has deep experience in all aspects of the insurance marketplace in Canada, the UK, and abroad, including a focus on new business development strategies to support the constantly evolving landscape. An entrepreneur his entire business career, George has served on numerous boards and is an early-stage investor and advisor to several young companies. George was a graduate of Western University and also previously on the board of the Ontario regulator for insurance brokers.
MJ Leslie
Chief Commercial Officer
Mary Jane (MJ) Leslie is the owner of Chapter 3 Ltd., a consulting company that specializes in helping start- up companies and small businesses overcome obstacles and achieve growth objectives. MJ has spent her career working in the start-up world. She initially cut her teeth working for a Nova Scotia based tech-start-up that went on to be the largest healthcare-IT exit in Canadian history. Prior to founding Chapter 3, MJ held the role of Chief Growth Officer for LifeRaft, a threat intelligence SaaS company. During her tenure at LifeRaft, MJ was responsible for all aspects of revenue operations, including: Pre and Post-Sales, Customer Support, Client Success, Marketing, Communications, Shareholder Relations, and 50% of Product. MJ’s career has been specialized in the education and implementation of SaaS-based products and services, targeted in the security, technology, and healthcare industries. With a background in technology and communications, MJ understands the unique challenges arising from the global adoption of digital communication. Chapter 3 has worked with a variety of pre-seed, seed, and series A stage companies to advance their growth through go-to-market strategies.
Dave Lyon, MSc.
President ELi Technology US, Inc.
Dave currently leads ELi’s operations in the United States and also serves as an Advisory Board Member. He brings a strong global security and intelligence background to ELi with in-depth experience in risk management, business intelligence, geopolitical advisory, cybersecurity, client and investor relations, and account management.
Before ELi, Dave served as a CIA operative and as an intelligence officer with the US Navy. Dave earned a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice and also briefly worked as an auxiliary police officer with the NYPD. He is a dedicated leader and team manager with unique abilities in people assessment and relationship building/management.
Peter Woodford, BSc
Founder & Chief Innovation and Strategy Officer
With extensive experience in domestic and international operations, in both the technology, and telecommunications sectors, Peter’s ability to strategize the big picture, manage the fine details, and spearhead operational improvements reinforce him as both a visionary and decisive, hands-on leader. With a powerful focus on key partnership development, risk management, business planning, and high-stake negotiations, Peter uses his background in telecommunications, advertising, Fintech, and sales to bring forth change within the technology and public safety industries. Peter understands the granularity of technical development processes, cross-functional management, and long-range forecasting, and his strength and determination to see ELi’s vision become a reality is the driving force of our team. Immersed in the emergency service number industry for over 18 years, Peter previously sat on committees at EENA (European Emergency Number Association) and is still an active member of NENA (North American Emergency Number Association).
Troy Yeo, CPA, CA
Vice President Finance & Corporate Secretary
Troy is a Chartered Professional Accountant whose experience includes the past 17+ years in private business management in Halifax and 9 years with Ernst & Young’s Halifax, Perth (Australia), and Toronto offices. With specialties in Accounting, Finance, Operations Management, Human Resources, and Corporate Restructuring, Troy is a highly creative, entrepreneurial professional with exposure to a wide variety of business challenges and industries.
Kimberly Tait
Director of Commercialization & Implementation
Kim is an experienced, results-driven Manager with over 25 years of experience working with large and small organizations. She has provided professional consulting services to both government and private sectors and brings a solid foundation of knowledge to her role. Her specialties include business process improvement and product/service implementations. Throughout her career, Kim has excelled at fostering collaboration and communication among cross-functional teams, building strong relationships with stakeholders, and maintaining a customer-centric approach, encouraging innovation and high performance. With exceptional management skills, dedication to excellence, and an inherent ability to navigate complex environments, Kim is an invaluable asset in delivering projects on time and on budget to help drive organizational success.