One last lap !

On February 28, after careful consideration, I realized that it was time to move on to a new adventure and that my IT career was coming to an end. I have lived through extraordinary moments in the past 30 years and today I want to share many with you.

It all started in Quebec during my CEGEP, with a friend from high school, between 1992 and 1994. Together, we had two companies: Ordem Software and Morisoft. It was the era of shareware and freeware. Do you remember the 3?" floppy disks? We were distributing shareware software as well as marketing software programmed by David. Thank you, David Morissette, for this start together.

In 1994, I got my first job in IT sales with COOP Concordia, at the Innovation pyramid, again in Quebec. I would especially like to thank René Asselin who offered me my very first opportunity to join this great profession as well as a tightly woven ecosystem. I sold computer system "clones" during the day and then went to deliver them, install them and train customers in the evening. Aren’t youth and free time great? ;) Thanks to Josée, Serge, Danny, Martin, Ian, Daniel et cie.

In 1996, I left for Sherbrooke to work for a few weeks for Aventure électronique (IT department of course) as well as almost a year for a private company called Info Boutique, of which I thank Mario Rivard.

It was in 1997 that I stepped into big business and discovered the world of Canadian computer distribution. I had joined Merisel Canada!!! It was by far and still today my best work experience!!! Special thanks to Rami, Allen, Carmela, Patrizia and all the others. I keep wonderful memories.

I take this opportunity to greet and thank all the other distributors with whom I had the pleasure of sharing my daily life: ARROW ECS, D&H, Ingram Micro, Tech Data, several names of which have changed or been bought over time: Avnet, Azerty, Beamscope, CBC, EMJ, Globelle, Supercom, and so on.

The year 2000 marked my return to Quebec City: a few months spent with Inforkit and then 4 years invested with Les Services Informatiques ARS. There I discovered another super gang as well as the restaurant "Chez Richard" where the gastronomy remains unequaled !!! lol ;) Thanks to Alain, Raynald, Simon et cie.

At the end of 2004, I felt the need to move on. I had worked a lot in the SMB market and with SMB customers and I wanted to learn more about "Enterprise" technologies as well as clients of big business and the public sector. That is when I joined Nexinnovations in January 2005. Special thanks to Christian Caron and Christophe Perey for this transition. WOW! I was in the big leagues. Unfortunately, it was the beginning of the end for them before the closure of 2007. So, I continued my journey with CPU Design. That was how I got to know the people and family of IBM Canada better.

In November 2008, I arrived at Microserv and discovered another beautiful gang in our Quebec IT ecosystem. I met David Lefebvre who was then SE (System Engineer) at VMware. Thus, began a great adventure with the people & technologies of Vmware. Thank you, Alain Vermette, David Lefebvre, etc.

I continued my journey in June 2009 with Micro Logic where I had the chance and the privilege of investing myself in the public sector, and more precisely with the departments and agencies of the government of Quebec. I learned to diversify my skills and expertise as well as to build human relationships with the various customers, partners and manufacturers in the industry. Thank you to the entire Micro Logic team for these eight years together.

In 2017, I had the privilege of meeting another beautiful gang at Quadbridge. A very young interior design and "Silicon Valley" style. Thanks to PJ Emam and Nelson Pacheco as well as the whole QB team. Also thank you very much to the team Dell, HP inc., Lenovo, etc.

June 2018, I’m back with CPU Design and a great job with the people of HPE Aruba whom I warmly greet. Thank you to everyone.

This past year has been very emotional for me as I was in the process of reflecting on the next steps in my personal and professional life. I would like to sincerely thank Michel Lajoie and Sébastien Sollazzo who trusted me at Virtual TI as well as Jonathan Legault and the entire ProContact team following the acquisition and integration process of Virtual TI. Once again, I discovered there an extraordinary family. Smart and brilliant people, strategists. I had the pleasure of getting to know very well the people of Citrix with whom I also had a lot of fun working and building a great business. Thank you for everything, everything, everything. I am very grateful to you!

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In closing, I would like to especially thank my clients, those I have helped and rendered service to  throughout my IT career. What I value most in life is to be of service and I have always had fun doing it for you. You were my reason for coming in to work. Many of you have become friends and I’m very happy. For the others, what are you waiting for? lol ;)

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Thank you very much to all of you for this fabulous adventure!!! Your names and faces will remain in my memory forever!

For those who are wondering about my future, you can read about my new mission by visiting my web page at www.cco.ca/pascal. CCO works only by donations so I need your financial help, your thoughts as well as your prayers in order to carry out this new mission and adventure. Thank you in advance for your generosity and I can't wait to share about this with you over a good coffee or meal.

Your former supplier, sales representative, business partner, colleague and especially your friend!

Pascal Proulx alias PPx ;)