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Andrew Penny
Founder & President
Market Strategy and Business Development
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Andrew's expertise spans almost every vertical market. His expertise lies in getting products and services to market quickly and profitably. He is adept at translating vision into reality and designing business models that create unfair market advantages. He provides unvarnished feedback to help clients test their ideas and vanquish their fears.
He formed Kingsford Consulting in 1997 to help small and medium-sized business grow. Over the last 20 years he has advised hundreds of companies in almost every market sector from photon pumps to sewage pumps, app developers to property developers and everything in between.
He held executive roles with Bell Mobility (launched cellular services in eastern Canada), iSTAR Internet (created Canada's first national ISP), Mitel (expanded PBX sales though global channels), Telesat (created Canada wide presence for satcom services). With Kingsford: he advised LightspeedPOS through their initial expansion and funding (now valued at close to $3B); developed and delivered an SME training program for Apple's North American independent retail network; worked with YOU-i.tv to develop strategy leading to international market success; and helped many firms adopt a niche strategy in order to dominate their market segments.
Clients include manufacturers, knowledge-based firms, service providers, retailers, developers, distributors, dealers, re-sellers and VARs. They are start-ups, growth stage, late stage, local, national and international organizations. He has teamed on projects with organizations such as Export Outaouais, The Business Development Bank, Sustainable Development Technology Canada, the National Research Council, the Apple Specialists and Industry Canada.
Andrew was asked to Chair of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce’s Economic Development Committee and was recruited as a mentor to the University of Ottawa’s Telfer School of Management’s EMBA and MBA programs. He holds a BA (Hon) degree from Concordia University and an EMBA degree from the University of Ottawa. He was presented with Scouts Canada’s Order of the Caribou and is fluent in English and French.
Andrew eats, sleeps and dreams about business and is always looking for new challenges.
Graham is the people, process, organization, and culture expert. He started his career as a military engineer where he developed expertise in the leadership of change, and organizational knowledge and culture.
He brings an eclectic mix of management and consultancy skills built up over 30 years of field experience. He uses these skills to support and coach clients in the implementation of the changes required for growth.
Graham provides a unique lean perspective to business problems. He sees things that most miss and excels at finding the root cause of any issue and developing creative solutions and processes that build on the underlying strengths of the organization. His keen understanding of people is evident as he applies lean methodology to improve process efficiency. He will help you transform the way you work, and the way your work together.
Graham hails from the UK where he gained Master’s Degrees in IT from the University of Glasgow and Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick. During his career, he has lectured at master’s level and taught underwater using hand signals.
Graham is an Area Commissioner for Scouts Canada – helping to develop the leaders of tomorrow.
Graham Birkenhead
PartnerOrganizational Expert
Graham Birkenhead
PartnerOrganizational Expert
Graham is the people, process, organization, and culture expert. He started his career as a military engineer where he developed expertise in the leadership of change, and organizational knowledge and culture.
He brings an eclectic mix of management and consultancy skills built up over 30 years of field experience. He uses these skills to support and coach clients in the implementation of the changes required for growth.
Graham provides a unique lean perspective to business problems. He sees things that most miss and excels at finding the root cause of any issue and developing creative solutions and processes that build on the underlying strengths of the organization. His keen understanding of people is evident as he applies lean methodology to improve process efficiency. He will help you transform the way you work, and the way your work together.
Graham hails from the UK where he gained Master’s Degrees in IT from the University of Glasgow and Engineering Business Management from the University of Warwick. During his career, he has lectured at master’s level and taught underwater using hand signals.
Graham is an Area Commissioner for Scouts Canada – helping to develop the leaders of tomorrow.
Jelena Franco
European Office (Denmark)Tactical Marketing Expert
Jelena is based in Aarhus in Denmark, and runs the Kingsford Consulting European office.As a marketer and researcher, Jelena excels at market research and communications. She digs broad and deep to uncover crucial information to help clients truly understand their markets so they can not only grow, but thrive.Jelena has held business development roles for several pan European businesses and has played a central role in opening up export markets and closing sales agreements with several European Supermarket chains. She has been a Key Account Manager for a Danish fast-moving consumer goods company and was responsible for export sales across the whole of Europe for them.
She oversaw the development of sales agreements with Swedish agents and as a result successfully got their products to market. She has also negotiated deals with the biggest Dutch supermarket chains, including Co-op and Spar, as well as similar chains in the UK, Portugal, the Baltic states, Finland and Russia.
As a Leading Expert for the Latvian Business Investment and Development Agency, she led research into the Latvian startup ecosystem as well as developing a government support program for Latvian startups.Jelena co-founded a food supplement business and has subsequently become expert in the area of Health and Diet.
Jelena holds an International Relations degree from University of Portsmouth (UK) and a degree in International Business from London South Bank University. She is fluent in English, Portuguese, Latvian and Russian and has good comprehension of Danish and Spanish.
Where there is the will, there is always a way!
Mid-market clients trust Santiago to win customers in new markets profitably and sustainably. His success is built on his ability to listen carefully and intently to clients’ needs and wants. He is extremely competitive and is focussed on your success.
Santiago is an international business development executive with deep experience in rail, telecommunication, information technology and a variety of other sectors. He leverages his technical background and broad international business development experience to ensure your company can compete effectively. His close attention to details ensures that nothing is overlooked. He has an eye for identifying unique opportunities to enter new markets. Santiago designs the future then creates the critical path and well-defined goals to help you effectively execute and achieve the objectives.
Santiago has held technical and management roles with Applied Research Electronics Labs at the National University of Cordoba (developed electronics equipment for agribusiness and electro-medicine); Telecom Personal (Implemented the first cellular services in Argentina with TDMA technology); Celvicio.com (created one of the first ecommerce retailers in Argentina in 1999); Movicom (Launched the first GPRS wireless-network in Argentina and residential phone system using wireless technology); Queens University of Belfast, UK (simulated the Wells Turbine performance in C language); Microcell (developed the wireless network in Vancouver for Fido); Alstom Transport (Led commercial proposals around the world); IEC Holden (was responsible for the corporate revenue generation, 4 plants with 500+ employees in Canada, USA, Mexico, and South Africa).
Santiago Ariel Duje
Montréal OfficeLatin American Expert
He is an active investor in Real Estate and Green-Tech Start-ups. He has been PMP certified since 2010 by PMI. He holds a BASc Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree from the University of Cordoba and an MBA degree from the CEMA University. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and has a good comprehension of Portuguese.He enjoys building long-lasting relationships. His passion and motivation are based on his mantra;
Have integrity, build trust, find a way, not an excuse, and have fun!
Sanitago Duje
Montréal OfficeLatin American Expert
Mid-market clients trust Santiago to win customers in new markets profitably and sustainably. His success is built on his ability to listen carefully and intently to clients’ needs and wants. He is extremely competitive and is focussed on your success.
Santiago is an international business development executive with deep experience in rail, telecommunication, information technology and a variety of other sectors. He leverages his technical background and broad international business development experience to ensure your company can compete effectively. His close attention to details ensures that nothing is overlooked. He has an eye for identifying unique opportunities to enter new markets. Santiago designs the future then creates the critical path and well-defined goals to help you effectively execute and achieve the objectives.
Santiago has held technical and management roles with Applied Research Electronics Labs at the National University of Cordoba (developed electronics equipment for agribusiness and electro-medicine); Telecom Personal (Implemented the first cellular services in Argentina with TDMA technology); Celvicio.com (created one of the first ecommerce retailers in Argentina in 1999); Movicom (Launched the first GPRS wireless-network in Argentina and residential phone system using wireless technology); Queens University of Belfast, UK (simulated the Wells Turbine performance in C language); Microcell (developed the wireless network in Vancouver for Fido); Alstom Transport (Led commercial proposals around the world); IEC Holden (was responsible for the corporate revenue generation, 4 plants with 500+ employees in Canada, USA, Mexico, and South Africa).
He is an active investor in Real Estate and Green-Tech Start-ups. He has been PMP certified since 2010 by PMI. He holds a BASc Electrical and Electronics Engineering degree from the University of Cordoba and an MBA degree from the CEMA University. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish and has a good comprehension of Portuguese.He enjoys building long-lasting relationships. His passion and motivation are based on his mantra;
Have integrity, build trust, find a way, not an excuse, and have fun!
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