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Interview Time Index (MM:SS) and Topic

00:30:
Leonard, can you outline some key successes in your remarkable background and lessons you learned from them?
"...Success is a very personal thing and the goals you set for yourself and what it is that you are looking to accomplish.....From my perspective, success has been more wrapped around learning and embracing failure than anything else ...."

02:09:
I know that you sometimes quote Sir Winston Churchill. Would you care to comment?
"...I think he (Sir Winston Churchill) is probably one of the great entrepreneur success stories....One of the things he said (which I think is brilliant) was 'Success is really defined as going from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm'...."

03:34:
What would you consider your most remarkable failure where you learned the biggest lesson?
"...The thing I look back at was the self doubt.....Not trusting your gut and not trusting what we had known to be right in the first place and putting our fate in the hands of people who didn't share that vision...."

05:26:
What are the reasons behind Canada's current position in innovation and entrepreneurship and how can this be improved?
"...When it comes to technology we are probably, pound for pound, one of the greatest producers of technological innovation in the world and that goes right back to the satellites, railway, you name it, this country has had its roots based in technology since it was founded..."

08:05:
What do you think are the major international markets that are worth watching and why?
"...There are two kinds of answers to that...there is simply no doubt that Asia (China, India, Thailand...) is the focus that everyone should have (some part of their attention spent on it)........There are lots of markets that are exceptionally interesting that are not being paid attention. Some of the (other) ones I look at very closely are ... Poland........ Ukraine.....South Africa....... The places you want to be investing is where there is a rising affluent middle class...."

10:19:
Do you have any additional comments about China and India.
"....I think we are going to embark on an era on where we are going see exactly what kind of innovation is going to come out China....It will also be interesting to see how that innovation juxtaposes against India...."

12:20:
Can you share your views on Gen Y (post 1980s - 2000) and what this means to the economy and business?
"...I think we are embarking on probably the most misunderstood era in business...That generation is 3 times the size of the baby boom and their functions, interests, and the way that they behave is completely different. ...I think what you will see is that traditional business concepts will get morphed to cater to that community..."

14:10:
Comment on the differences between Gen (between baby boomers and Generation X) and Gen Y, (who grow up fully integrated in technology).
"...We (Generation X) are the last generation with two feet (with one foot in the old world and one foot in the new)...we still buy newspaper, watch television, talk on the phone...But Gen Y and the Millennial's have their two feet fully out..."

17:35:
Please share with us some stories which would be of significant benefit to business and IT leaders.
"....There are lots of stories but the stories that I remember and I relate to most really relate to people and not to business at all...."

22:07:
Leonard reiterates some of the critical issues facing organizations today and how they can be addressed.
"...They have a real generation gap and a real lack of understanding and the knowledge of the differences and the kinds of people who are coming up through the workforce.....Companies have failed to understand the new era of marketing and PR......How do you cater to the people in your organization...."

25:56:
As a well-known and respected business and technology senior executive, is there one thought that can your share that would be of value to business and IT decision makers?
"...I think we've often missed the most important thing about technology. It's about behavior, it's about adoption, it's about people's willingness to truly adopt technology.... "

28:23:
Provide your predictions of future IT/Business trends and their implications/opportunities?

31:57:
Tell us more about NowPublic and what you hope to achieve.

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I encourage you to share your thoughts here on this interview or send me an e-mail at sibaraki@cips.ca.
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