Columbus Group, originally "Columbus Group Communications," was a Vancouver-based web development company that existed from 1995 until it was acquired by Telus in 2001. This page was created as an historical record and to help former employees keep, or get, in touch with each other. When Telus Web Solutions finally left 576 Seymour in November 2003, there was virtually no trace of the company left on the Web, and I thought it was time to put something together. The Apple HI Alumni Page was an inspiration.
In order to be eligible for inclusion, people must have been employees of Columbus Group hired before April 2001. Years of employment are indicated up to the acquisition, indicated by a Telus logo. Those still employed at Telus — as of 2021, apparently only four — are represented with green shading. Contact me via my site, LinkedIn, or Facebook, with any updates. (I normally only update current/last known activities when I hear directly from or of someone; for the most up-to-date information, refer to LinkedIn profiles.)
Updates & Info
- In August 2021, I realized that I hadn't received an update from anyone in some time. I discovered that the page was no longer accessible; this is now, obviously, fixed. I also updated many of the LinkedIn links for the first time in years; LinkedIn changed their url scheme at some point, and many of the links were broken.
- There are LinkedIn and Facebook CG Alumni groups.
- There was a Columbus Group & Telus Web Solutions Reunion held on April 16, 2010; see Anthony Hempell's CGC Reunion album.
| Name/Link | Position | Years | Current/Last Known Activities; Notes | Updated | ||||
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Alex Aalto | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Principal, Alex Aalto Consulting | 2010.04 |
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Rich Adam | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
VP, Business Development, Eastern Canada, Vision Critical | 2005.07 | |
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Trevor Allen | Quality | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
User Experience Designer, OpenRoad Communications | 2013.10 |
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Erika Alm | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
President Sales Innovation, Playground (An Intrawest Company) | 2006.04 | |
| Tammy Anderson | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
At home with her kids after leaving Telus in March 2006 | 2006.08 | ||||
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Stephanie Arbuckle | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Consultant, Project Management and PMO design | 2007.12 |
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Sara Bailey | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·?? | Creative Director/Partner with At Large Media with Emma (was WebPool Syndicate) | 2006.04 | |
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Steve Barha | Various | 95·96·97·98·??·00 ·01 | CIO, TIO Networks | 2006.08 |
| Ricardo Barone | Programming | |||||||
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Leeanne Barr | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Design Specialist in Network Support & Operations (NSO), Telus | 2016.04 | |
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Joerg Beekmann | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Ron Bertoncini | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Web Interface Developer, Telus | 2007.01 |
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Peter Betnaza | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Project Manager, Westwind Performance | 2007.03 | |||
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Geoffrey Bird | Copy/Content | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Instructor, BCIT | 2011.07 |
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Doug Birnie | Founder | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
2004.06 | |
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Paige Birnie | ||||
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Wayne Browne | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | (was WebPool Syndicate) | |||
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Kate Browning | Reception | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Now a registered nurse in Vancouver. | 2005.01 | ||
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Barrett Brownlee | Development | (Scott's sister) | ||||
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Chris Brownlee | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Scott Brownlee | Founder | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Middlespot.com | 2008.10 | ||
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Tom Bunnell | Seattle | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
High school teacher in the Seattle area | 2003.11 | |||
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Chris Burke | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Director, Online at RBC Dexia Investor Services | 2010.01 | |
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Oksana Burke | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Née Vovk? | 2011.07 | ||
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John Callaghan | Seattle | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Most recently completed a project with Microsoft on the Windows Platform Strategy Team. Currently looking for next gig in Business Development or Marketing. | 2006.11 | ||
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Andrea Camp | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Sales and Marketing Manager, Mosaic Homes | 2005.07 |
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Ron Cann | Strategist | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
VP Marketing & Communications for Qtrade Financial Group. (Married to Rani MacInnes; they have "2 kids Maxime and Luka and yes I believe they are the first CG kids.") | 2012.05 |
| Marisa Carmen | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Novartis Pharmaceuticals, USA | 2003.11 | ||||
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Geoff Catliff | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Corporate Strategy, Telus | 2007.01 | |||
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Lesley Cherry | Copy | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
2006.12 | ||||
| Ian Clyne | Marketing | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
2003.11 | |||||
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Céline Cormier | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Freelance | 2021.08 | ||
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Steve Cullingworth | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Make Technologies (now part of Dell) | 2012.06 |
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Amar Dhaliwal | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | VP Engineering, Thinq | 2004.07 | ||
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Andrew Fearnley | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Owner, Applecross Design | 2010.08 | |
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April Felker | 2005.07 | ||||
| Kent Fong | PM | NCompass Labs | ||||||
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Anand Gandhi | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Programmer Analyst Team Lead at Credential Financial Inc. | 2010.07 | ||
| Andrew Giles | 95·96·97·98·?? | 2005.07 | ||||||
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Leanne Gillies | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Publisher and Montessori teacher. | 2021.08 | ||
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Nicki Glave | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | "Being a mom" (Chloë, May 2001 and Molly, June 2004), but wondering about getting back in the workforce. | 2006.03 | |
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Kathryn Grafton | AM | 95·96·97·??·99·01 | Doing Ph.D at UBC | 2003.11 | |||
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Ali Grayeli | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Creative Director, Blast Radius | 2006.04 | |||
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Luis Gutierrez | Flamenco player and Salsa Instructor | 2011.11 | |||||
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Patrick Gunn | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Bre Hamilton | Content/Copy | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Production Executive for Alliance Atlantis/HGTV in Toronto | 2006.11 | |
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Jen Hanson | Copy/Content | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Lives in Wellington, New Zealand and writes design curriculum for a college there. Baby on the way in May 2007. | 2007.01 | |
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John Hargrave | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Microsoft | 2005.10 | |||
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Tim Hassed | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Online Client Experience Director, Telus | 2005.07 |
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Anthony Hempell | Usability | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Manager, Interaction & Usability/Senior Interaction Architect, Blast Radius | 2006.03 | |
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Jim Henderson | GM, Toronto | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
CCMC Publishing (SCOREGolf and CHL) | 2003.11 | |||
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Shawna Hickerson | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Aurora Motion Graphics | |||
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Grant Hodgins | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Working for the government in Victoria. | 2005.02 | |
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Mike Howatson | Development | Manager of Design/Creative Director, Blast Radius | 2006.04 | ||
| Wallace Hui | Support | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | ||||||
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Trevor Hutchison | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Senior Graphic Designer, DUIT Multimedia, Perth, Australia | 2006.05 |
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Ardessa Jesseau | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Sadly died of a stroke in Paris, July 14 2013. See her obituary in the Vancouver Sun. Her Facebook page has numerous tributes. | 2013.07 | |||
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Isabel Jevans | Usability | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | User Experience Engineer, San Francisco | 2005.11 | |||
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Rebekah Kahn | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Primary school teacher, Coquitlam. (Née Lawson) | 2003.11 | |||
| Debra Karby | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Deb sadly passed away in November 2012 after a battle with liver cancer. | 2012.11 | ||||
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Eiko Kawano | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Associate Creative Director, Sapient | 2010.10 |
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Steve Kellas | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Associate Creative Director, Fjord Interactive (Cossette) | 2008.05 | |
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Al Korpach | Finance | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Controller, ITCS, Telus | 2010.01 | |
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Ron Kozlowski | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·??· |
Graphic Designer, City of Coquitlam | 2009.01 | |
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Kaoru Kumabe | Various | Working at RedKnee in Toronto. | 2005.02 | |
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Ken Kwasnicki | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Middlespot.com | 2008.10 | |
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Eelco Langelaan | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | LogicaCMG | 2004.01 | |||
| Andrew Larkin | ||||||||
| Stan Lau | ||||||||
| Yvonne Lau | ||||||||
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Jennifer Lavelle | Née Haughian | |||
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Denise Lawson | VP | Envision Sustainability Tools | 2003.11 | ||||
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Katherine Lee | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | "Happily plugging away as an independent new media consultant, doing high-level strategy, teaching, etc." | 2008.06 | |
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Jocelyne Loewen | Reception | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Andrew Lugsdin | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | BDC Venture Capital | 2003.11 | ||
| Mardi MacDonald | ||||||||
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Deanna Maceda | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Now Deanna Maceda Silva. | 2011.09 | |||
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Rani MacInnes | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Started her own Dog Services Company, Muttnik Ink, in Calgary in September 2006. (Married to Ron Cann.) | 2007.01 |
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Heather Macintosh | ||||
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Scott MacPherson | AM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Marketing consultant | 2003.11 | |
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Jon Maltby | Senior Creative Director, Blast Radius | 2005.03 | |||
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Chris Masterton | Usability | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Freelance | 2007.11 | |
| Laurent Maurel | ||||||||
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Bryan Mavrow | Marketing | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
SVP Marketing, First West Credit Union | 2011.08 | ||
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Natalie McGee | Usability | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Director, Business Development, Telus Health Space | 2003.11 | |||
| Rob McKay | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Sponsorship and Marketing Officer, University of Victoria | 2007.08 | ||||
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Julia McKeough | Office | 95·96·97·98·99·00·??· |
(Née Rastall) "Has her own company - called 'Project Ping' - focused on Interior design project management." (Tara Rasmussen) | 2011.09 | |
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Craig McKimm | Programmer | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Application Systems Specialist, Web Architecture and Design, City of Vancouver | 2007.03 |
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Ian McNeil | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Cactus Gold, Las Vegas | |||
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Bryan Mitten | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Online Marketing Manager, Lush Cosmetics | 2006.08 |
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Carol Mok | "I'm living in Singapore still. Freelancing as a Brand Strategist for MNCs and FMC companies in Asia." | 2006.04 | |||
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Michele Morrison | Sales | 95·96·97·98·??·00 01 | ||||
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Shelina Mulji | Quality | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Consultant (QA/BA) | 2006.04 | ||
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Mike Newland | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Manager, Digital Communications, BC Hydro | 2006.11 | ||
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Tony Nichols | Copy | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Freelance | 2003.11 | |
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Jyri Niemi | "In Finland (Helsinki) doing creative for Taivas-Ego" | 2005.03 | |||
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Marie Palmer | Programming | ||||||
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Steve Park | Marketing | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Vice President Digital Strategy, FCV | 2011.12 | |
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Andrew Pawson | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Self-employed web designer and developer | 2010.01 | |||
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Emma Payne | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | At Large Media; VP, Strategy & Operations, Tyze Personal Networks (Co-founder, WebPool Syndicate) | 2009.11 | ||
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Tyler Payne | Graphics | Associate Creative Director, Blast Radius | 2006.04 | |||
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Cheryl Picot | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Business Analyst with AXA Pacific Insurance | 2011.09 |
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James Prescott | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
2003.11 | ||||
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Tara Rasmussen | HR | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Talent Manager, Elastic Path Software | 2012.06 | |||
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Chris Rayner | PM/AM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | MSN, London | 2003.11 | |
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Judy Renouf | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Senior Content Strategist, Blast Radius | 2003.11 | |
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Peter Rive | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | "Working in the Bay area, not sure for whom (I know he plays on JAM, the men's elite ultimate frisbee team in San Fran)" (Jason Smith) | 2003.12 | ||||
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Craig Robinson | Marketing | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Sales and Marketing Manager, Donnelly Hospitality | 2008.12 | |||
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Denise Robinson | Various | ||||||
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Chris Ryan | Usability | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Senior Product Designer, Imperva | 2021.08 |
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Jeff Schaeffler | Marketing | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Strategy Director, Dare | 2011.08 |
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Chris Scott | Sales | Skoah | 2011.09 | |||
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Sara Scott-Harper | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | 2008.10 | ||
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Jason Smith | Founder | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | 2011.07 | |
| Rick Smith | ||||||||
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Pete Smyth | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Founder, President, CEO of Iamota Corp | 2007.08 | ||
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Mike Snelgrove | Development | 95·96·97·98·?? | Freelance (was Webpool Syndicate) | 2006.04 | |||
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David Sniderman | ||||||
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Martijn Spronk | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Principal, Orange Mountain Solutions Inc. | 2011.08 | ||
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Martin Stimpson | Sales | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | |||||
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Anna Stokke | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Senior graphic designer at Halogen | 2011.08 |
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Graham Storey | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Adrienne Szasz | HR | 95·96·97·98·99·00·??· |
Research in Motion | 2005.02 | |||
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Dominik Szopa | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | PointStreak | ||||
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Stefan Teague | AM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Royal LePage Commercial Inc. | 2004.01 | |
| James Thomas | ||||||||
| Shannon Thorn | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Senior PM, Cossette | 2003.11 | ||||
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Rob Travers | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Cisco Systems Canada Co., Director, Western Canada, Unified Compute Systems | 2010.10 | ||
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Eric Varhol | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Freelance painting/web development. | 2005.02 | ||
| Rebecca Vaughn | Reception | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Freelance copywriter/editor, Inspired Ink Communications | 2004.06 | ||||
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Dean Vincent | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | 2008.04 | |||
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Hugh Wallace | PM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | ||
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Jeremy Wallace | AM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Independent | 2010.04 | ||
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Clayton Watt | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
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Rob Whetter | 95·96·?? | Architect, McFarland Architects | 2003.12 | ||||
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Stacey Williams | Development | "I currently work with the rcmp olympic security unit as an it coordinator." | 2006.05 | |||
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Peter Wilson | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Web Developer,Vancouver Film School | 2011.08 | ||
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Leigh Wingfield | AM | 95·96·97·98·99·00·?? | ||||
| Dana Witzel | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | "Dana was tragically killed in an avalanche while mountaineering in Bolivia. She was a great friend to many of us and is missed." (Anthony Hempell) | 2006.04 | ||||
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Alice Wong | Usability | At home with her kids following a gig with Chancery | |||||
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Michael Wood | Development | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01 | Currently a Partner at Retrix Hosting Inc. and Partner at Coverall Crew Corporation. | 2007.02 | |||
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Ray Yee | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
System Analyst, Telus | 2007.01 | ||
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Julie Yoo | Graphics | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Associate Creative Director at Tribal DDB Chicago | 2006.12 |
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PJ Zargarzadeh | Programming | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
Technology Solutions Professional, Western Canada, Microsoft | 2006.10 | |
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Darren Zwack | Various | 95·96·97·98·99·00·01· |
In the market for a new marketing gig. | 2013.11 |
*WebPool Syndicate was acquired by Columbus Group in 1998.