Business Advisory Group
About us
The Business Advisory Group is a not-for-profit, volunteer organization of experienced business leaders, dedicated to helping businesses and entrepreneurs overcome obstacles, explore opportunities, and achieve business goals. Our team of business experts volunteer their time to provide independent advice tailored to each client.
Two things that set us apart from other organizations:
- We provide invaluable business advice tailored to each client.
- We offer an independent viewpoint of your business.
Our members also share a strong passion to give back to the community and hence, the modest cost attached to our services.
Where else can you have a team of volunteer advisors with a diverse wealth of experience dedicated to your business challenges for 2-3 hours for only $195!
Our Members
Glen Relyea
Glen Relyea is a retired Business Development Executive, with over 34 years of sales, marketing and consulting experience. Glen successfully achieved year over year growth targets by fostering new clients, business ventures, and start ups, while helping existing clients grow and improve. He holds a Business Management degree from Ryerson University and completed an Executive Program at Harvard Business School.
Mack Rooney
Mack Rooney has extensive experience in mentoring small businesses especially in the area of marketing, business development and growth strategies. Helping businesses through mergers and acquisitions is also part of his background and skill set. Mack has a CIP designation from the Insurance Institute of Canada and has worked with small businesses in all Regions of Canada.
Eric Roberts
Eric Roberts is an experienced executive with a substantial background leading sales and marketing teams. His core skill set is in Marketing, Business Development and General Management and has particular expertise successfully turning around challenged businesses. He has an honour business degree, is fluent in French, and has been president of the Oakville Optimist Club and a Big Brother.
Robert Cook
Robert has held operational, sales and marketing roles in both multi-national corporations and small/medium businesses. He has worked in multiple industries including education, healthcare, manufacturing, distribution, data communications and aviation. His own international business career resulted in his own 15-year consulting business. He has worked directly in start-ups and small businesses, helping them grow by focusing on customers, products and markets. He holds a Science degree from Montreal’s Concordia University.
Norman Johnston
Norm Johnston is a retired senior executive and investment management consultant with considerable hands-on experience in general management, financial management and human resources. Start-ups, going concerns and succession planning are areas of interest and expertise. Norm has a BA from Concordia University, is a CPA, CA and a lifetime member of Financial Executives International.
Warren Price
Warren Price is a seasoned executive leader in the franchising and food service industries. Warren provided General Management, Canadian and International Business Franchising, Operations and Marketing leadership at New York Fries, South St. Burger Co., Swiss Chalet and Basil Box for more than 30 years. Warren has a BA with specialization in Chinese Studies from the University of Toronto.
Tom Cochran
Tom Cochran spent his career in Corporate Development working on profit improvement in various resource businesses and packaging operations. After working with BAG for more than 20 years he has a wide range of experience in small to medium-sized businesses as a fixer and problem -solver. Tom is an engineering graduate and has a MBA from Western. He is fluent in french and has a wide range of experience with international businesses.
Don Puley
Don Puley is a senior executive with more than 25 years of leadership experience within the metals and distribution industry. Don has extensive experience in strategy , profit improvement and growth plans, business development and finance. He has a proven track record of bringing practical solutions to a broad range of business issues . Don is a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Director.
Michael Harrison
As a bilingual insurance executive, Michael Harrison has an exemplary career record in owning, running, growing and merging companies. He is an advanced user of technology and ran his last company with no use of paper. Michael completed his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the University of New Brunswick and is a Chartered Insurance Broker.
Robert Elliot
The son of a small business entrepreneur, Bob has worked with large, medium and small businesses in a variety of roles over the course of a 40 year career- general management, human resources, sales, business planning, service and operational excellence. The bulk of his career was with Petro-Canada/Suncor Energy supporting a variety of small to medium business ventures and models across Eastern Canada- Truck Stop Agents, Wholesale Marketers, wholly owned Subsidiary operations and joint venture partnerships. Bob’s experience includes mergers and acquisitions, new product introductions and contraction, right-sizing and re-purposing business initiatives. He also supports his wife Gail in running her small business offering consultative and educational services for an aging population.
Bob Alsip
Over his long career Bob has held senior business development roles in both large corporations and SME in multiple industries including: medical devices and services, software development, environmental products & services and industrial & commercial products. After retirement he helped many organizations as both a consultant for his firm SoftAdvantage and
as a volunteer mentor. Bob is a graduate engineer.
Peter Jobling
Welsh born and Montreal raised Peter has been an Oakville/Mississauga resident for 43 years. Experience includes a B. Comm, Marketing Major, from Concordia University, a Queens Executive Management Program graduate, a 2020 member of the Governor Generals Canadian Study Conference and nine years on the board of directors of the Canadian Association of Chemical Distributors including the Presidency.
Peters most recent work experience was founding, with just his wife as a partner in 1995, and being President of Cambrian Solutions for 24 years, a 75 employee chemical distribution company. Cambrian was sold and Peter retired in 2020
Sameer Khoury
Sameer is a seasoned finance and commercial executive with over 25 years of International experience in public accounting, engineering and construction. He currently works with start-ups and small businesses scaling up their ventures. He has CA, CPA and EMBA designations.
Brian Flett
Brian has over 25 years’ experience doing software product management and consulting. He has helped start ups establish their initial business, small companies grow into acquisitions, and acquired companies transition to be effective contributors to a much larger organization. Brian has an Schulich MBA, and has been an active volunteer throughout his career, including being a past board member and community impact committee chair for the United Way of Oakville.
Kosta Panagoulias
Kosta Panagoulias is a bootstrapped serial entrepreneur, with experience growing companies from scratch, all the way to successful acquisitions. He has a passion in sharing his experiences with others to help them grow and succeed. He has a BComm degree from Ryerson University, specializing in Accounting and Finance.
Kerry Colborne
Kerry is a seasoned Business Executive with International experience through a long career in the finance, pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Most recently she has provided financing to small and mid-sized businesses in Oakville and Burlington as a senior manager at BDC. Kerry currently operates Force 10 Capital Management and has been Chair of the Oakville Chamber of Commerce for a number of years.
Our Memberships
Contact Us today
2-3 hours for only $195
We are here to help, providing invaluable advice for an affordable fee.
Ongoing sessions can be arranged as your business evolves.
Virtual meetings are available, including clients outside the GTA/Golden Horseshoe area.