The Oakville Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Business Development Bank of Canada, is pleased to present President, Vince De Palma, as the keynote speaker for the Small Business Week Kickoff Breakfast on Monday October 19, 2015.
Vince De Palma will share the remarkable success story of Oakville-based company Shred-it. Shred-it started 27 years ago with one man, a truck, and an idea. Today, the secure information destruction company operates in more than 140 markets in 18 countries with annual sales approaching $800 million. The company was recently purchased for $2.3 billion by U.S. company Stericycle Inc.
Vince De Palma joined Shred-it in August 2009, bringing over 25 years of executive experience to the company. Vince currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Fleetmatics Group PLC (NYSE:FLTX.) He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemical Engineering from Lafayette College and his Masters of Business Administration in Finance from The Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.
"We are thrilled to have Mr. De Palma speak during Small Business Week," says Chamber Chair Kerry Colborne. "His extensive business experience and insight into how Shred-it grew from one of the first secure document destruction companies in the world to a global leader in information security will surely inspire our audience of small business owners and professionals."
This popular Small Business Week event hosts between 200 and 400 guests. Additional events to celebrate Oakville's community of entrepreneurs include the Trade Show and Business After Hours on Wednesday, October 21, and Lunch & Learn on Friday, October 23, which will present winning strategies for social media success.
According to BDC, small and medium sized companies make up 99.8% of all businesses in Canada and one in ten Canadians own a business. This is the 24th year the Oakville Chamber of Commerce has celebrated Small Business Week by offering opportunities for entrepreneurs to learn from experts and network with like-minded professionals and potential clients.
The BDC Small Business Week schedule of events is as follows:
Kick Off Breakfast with Vince De Palma is on Monday, October 19, 2015 from 7:30 am to 9:00 am at the Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road, Oakville. Pre-registration is required. Tickets are $35 Members; $45 Non-members.
The Small Business Week Tradeshow is on Wednesday, October 21, 2015 from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Oakville Conference Centre, 2515 Wyecroft Road, Oakville. No registration is required, unless you are registering as an exhibitor. The Tradeshow is free for Members and first-time guests; however, returning non-members the cost of entrance is $20 at the door.
Small Business Week Lunch & Learn: Social Selling - Winning Strategies for Media Success will take place on Friday, October 23, 2015 from 11:30 am to 1:00pm at the Glen Abbey Golf Club, 1333 Dorval Drive, Oakville. Pre-registration is required. Tickets are $35 Members and $45 Non-members.
Chamber members and non-members are welcome to register and attend all Small Business Week events. More details are at www.oakvillechamber.com