Mr. O'Brien - who also served as Ottawa mayor between 2006 and 2010 - founded the technology consultant service provider in 1982 as a one-person consulting company and built it into an internationally competitive technology firm. He served as CEO and chairman at various points throughout the company’s 30-year history.
In a blog post published Thursday outlining Calian’s first decade, Mr. O’Brien waxes nostalgic about founding a company in an uncertain economic climate.
“At first glance, 1982 did not look like a great time to establish a company,” he wrote. “This new technology-based economy was obviously different from what Ottawa, Canada, or the world had seen before and the old rules did not seem to apply. The world was changing that summer.”
Calian now employs more than 2,300 people with offices and projects in Canada, the U.S. and internationally.
The company’s board of directors thanked Mr. O’Brien for his 30 years of contributions in a company release.
The technology services seller consists of two divisions; the business and technology services division which is headquartered in Ottawa, and the systems engineering division which operates out of Saskatchewan.
Calian’s Ottawa-based division saw its best quarter on record this May due to the acquisition of Primacy Management Inc., a Burlington-Ont.-based company operating 112 health clinics across the Loblaw Cos. Ltd. grocery chain.
Mr. O’Brien also served as mayor between 2006 and 2010, when he was defeated by Jim Watson.
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