We’re a bespoke firm comprised of highly focused creative problem solvers.
Giles Crouch, MM – Chief Digital Officer | Digital Anthropologist | Principal
Digital anthropology, CIO, digital transformation, Netnography, Infonomics
Giles has been deeply embedded in the technology world since the early 1990’s, bringing several new technologies to markets around the world. His beginnings in the technology world was in marketing where he eventually became CMO for a company selling a body scanner for the apparel and healthcare industries. Later, he founded a social media analysis and monitoring company (Big Data) focused on the public sector in the areas of public and foreign policy. In early 2014, he founded Ekspansiv, which is now sapient.d and clients preferred the new name. Giles is passionate about helping small to medium sized businesses leverage technology to gain competitive advantage.
Through his various projects, Giles has developed a grounded knowledge in Big Data, advanced analytics tools, Artificial Intelligence (mostly Natural Language Processing or NLP), sales and marketing technologies, knowledge management systems and information management systems. He often consults with technology startups in software and hardware on the human aspects of their innovations.
He’s been through four technology startups (3 successful exits and 1 failure; which is where you learn the most) and worked as CMO and CIO at the senior management level with private and public companies in healthcare, news media (magazines and newspapers) and SaaS/Software companies. His work as a digital anthropologist and netnographist has seen him involved with over 250 digital research projects for global clients. Giles co-founded the Ice Awards for creative in advertising in Atlantic Canada in 2001. He’s been featured in Wired Magazine and is regularly interviewed by news media on the intersection of humans, society and technology. He has lectured at universities around the world, including Kings University School of Journalism, Dalhousie Faculty of Management MBA and MIS programs and been a featured speaker at national conferences across North America and in South Africa. He’s often been told he’s a polymath.
Kevin Colvey, MBA – Managing Partner |
Restructuring, Financials, Capital Raising, Business Models, Infonomics
Bringing over 25 years of developing complex international financial projects and SME enterprise investment programs, Kevin understands structuring complex financial agreements. An astute financial mind, Kevin helps ensure marketing ROI and metrics are aligned with corporate strategy. A consummate negotiator and ability to move the needle forward, Kevin is highly regarded for his global experience and ability to negotiate complex business agreements.
Kevin helped a major Canadian newspaper company restructure and prepare for the complex world we operate in. He’s worked across the energy sector and with breweries and manufacturers.
Martin Seto, B. Comm, CAAP – Principal Consultant – Publishing Sector
Digital advertising models, content distribution, revenue models
Martin has been around since (actually before) the internet was just a dial-up service using a phone modem with a connection to AOL. He is one part geek, one part creative ad guy and lastly part publisher, the classic creative gemini. He has witnessed the growth of the digital ecosystem we live in today and has even chronicled some of this on his blog on Masthead.ca. Lately, he has be producing the Canadian Online Publishing Awards that has become a badge of honour for winners in Canada. He has expertise in traditional and digital media and has developed ad revenue programs for his publishing clients based on understanding what the advertiser wants and sometimes don’’t know what they want too. Martin has spoken at magazine conferences on ad revenue models and has worked with over 50 magazine titles in Canada in the launch of digital editions, apps and websites. One of his career highlights was In 1998 when he worked with corporate and media sponsors for Team Canada for the Commonwealth Games in Malaysia where got to go to a dinner with Prince Edward on the guest list.
In addition to a Bachelors of Commerce and Finance from the University of Toronto that he got in 1983, he has a Certified Ad Agency Practitioners Diploma (CAAP) that he received in 1986 too. He even had stints as an Advertising instructor at Centennial College in 1999 and Humber College in 2010/11. Martin works on our projects within the media industry.
David Holt – Principal Consultant |
Corporate strategy, creativity, systems thinking, innovation strategies
David was founding editor of Progress Magazine, a premiere business magazine for Atlantic Canada and is co-founder of Optimyz magazine. Holt sides with thinkers such as Buckminster Fuller who present life more as a creative endeavour than a problem-solving exercise. David brings to clients a keen strategic mind to help unravel complex problems to bring focus and clarity.
