Bill’s Buzz: Mackie Research Capital adds two tech veterans

Tech veterans Massimo Voci and Lawrence Rhee are leaving MGI Securities to join Mackie Research Capital. Today is the first day of work at Mackie Research Capital for two former Technology & Special Situations employees from MGI Securities.

Research Analyst Massimo Voci and pending Investment Banking Managing Director Lawrence Rhee are two more examples of what we believe are going to be a trend of fish starting to swim back upstream (in terms of firm quality) over the next year or so.

Since 2001/02, mobility in the tech space went generally on one direction – That of a dead cat bounce. The lack of market attention really gave people looking for new work few options.

Now two things have changed this.

First the appetite in Canada for deals in this space as improved. It is still quiet, but you can faintly hear the beating of the drums over the next hillcrest (or that is what many believe).

The second is the fractured reality of the financial stability of many boutique players in the market (this is not a specific reflection on any one firm in particular). Poor capital structures, disproportionate equity structures or latent wholesale teams are not stomached as long or as frequently as they once were in making career decisions.

_______________

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Bill is a reformed Investment Banker, served time in corporate development and has dabbled as an entrepreneur. He has been fired twice, has gone through the process of negotiating severance, dealing with lawyers and the anxiety of looking for new career directions. He has been sold a bill of goods from headhunters in the past, and has had to work with the dilemma of being represented by a recruiting firm without control of the process. So with all that experience, what he has learned as a father of two and from an MBA from a school formerly called Western, he has built a strong group of people around him to form Vlaad and Company.

Now headquartered at 55 York Street in Toronto, Vlaad and Company literally started out of his kitchen, then into his neighbour’s garage, next to a few local Starbucks (where he is still often spotted).

Bill tries to stave off weight through boxing and running, and gave up on his hair long ago. He rarely hits under 100 but is always willing to take a free round of golf if offered. During the winter he schleps north to ski at Alpine, spending the days there desperately trying to stay upright and out of the trees.

To stay up to date on all the moves on Bay Street follow Bill’s blog Bill’s Buzz.

___________