GTA Accountants & Finance Network

John Hotson is a speaker, entrepreneur, business strategist and advisor to business owners. Over the past 35 years John has started seven companies, worked with senior business professionals in dozens of industries, and given hundreds of presentations and speeches.

John has over 35 years of experience in Marketing and Communications with Canadian companies. In his role as Director of Marketing for Nortel Networks, he started up and ran a retail business unit for the company in Canada and the US. After building the brand to number one in Canada, John oversaw the sale of the business to a well-known international electronics company.

After leaving Nortel John became a founding partner in one of Canada’s foremost communications firms, specializing in helping clients maximize the value of their business through strategic investor communications. His clients included Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. (AECL), CIBC, Ontario Hydro, the Ontario Securities Commission (OSC), McDonald’s Canada, the Duke of Edinburgh’s Awards Program, Magna International, Toronto Parks and Trees Foundation and University of Toronto.

John is a founding partner of the Business Transition Alliance (BTA). BTA works hands-on with business owners of private companies to help them develop and implement effective strategies that increase the value, growth and profitability of their business

David is a business lawyer and a facilitator and the Managing Principal at DSBL Business Law.

David has been working with Business Owners and Family Enterprises for more than 35 years, helping them structure business and shareholder arrangements and guiding them through the succession and estate planning process. David also has an extensive background in advising Business Owners on the sale and purchase of their businesses and in helping them maximize value by positioning their business for a sale.

In addition to his Law degree, David has a Psychology degree and has certification in Family Business Advising, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Mediation and has presented widely on business transition issues.

Colin has specialized in advising private companies and their owners in relation to M&A and corporate finance matters for over 25 years.

Colin is a Managing Director at Crosbie & Company Inc., a financial advisory firm focused on the mid-market that specializes in mergers and acquisition strategies, raising capital as well as providing specialized financial and transaction advice to families, shareholders and Boards of Directors. Crosbie is particularly well known for its extensive work in selling private companies and working with business owners on matters related to succession.

In addition to his advisory experience, Colin previously worked for several years at UBS in corporate lending and capital markets. He also spent 5 years leading the Crosbie’s direct investing initiative focusing on sourcing, structuring and managing investments in private mid-market companies.

Colin has also served as a Director of the Turnaround Management Association (Toronto Chapter) as well as for several private and public companies. He is a graduate of McMaster University with a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering & Management as well as an MBA.