At the Toronto Business Transitions Forum, Doug Dougherty, CEO of Cooper Equipment Rentals, is sharing the story of the company’s remarkable growth. Cooper, a family-owned business since its founding in 1972, has expanded to become a leading player in Canada’s equipment rental industry, with 89 locations and over 1,350 employees. In a conversation, Dougherty explained how the company, initially a small, family-owned business, grew into a national leader by staying true to its core values. He discussed how he and business partner Darrell Cooper navigated the challenges of scaling the company while maintaining a focus on people and culture.

Toronto-based entrepreneur Joanna Track is no stranger to building—and exiting—successful businesses. Now, as the founder of digital marketing firm Good Eggs & Co., she’s preparing to share insights from two major business exits at the upcoming Business Transitions Forum in Toronto. “My current business, Good Eggs & Co., is a marketing firm pretty focused on digital content marketing,” said Track. “We work with brands, small and medium-sized businesses, help them from strategy through execution with email marketing, social media, website design, SEO, content development—everything that really pushes their story forward.”

Connor O’Shea, President of Benpro Technologies Corporation and Founder of 3Fold Capital, recently brought his unique perspective on mergers and acquisitions to the Alberta Business Transitions Forum in Calgary. With over a decade of experience at Shell and a successful entrepreneurial exit under his belt, O’Shea now leads two Alberta-based industrial companies. His transition from corporate executive to business owner and investor offers valuable insight for those exploring acquisition strategies and succession planning.

Ben Parsons, President and CEO of DALMAC, a manufacturing business in Charlottetown, PEI, is no stranger to business acquisitions. The print, signage, and promotional products company, primarily serving Atlantic Canada, was created via three successful acquisitions, and one partnership, executed by Parsons and his business partner Ben Howard.

George Armoyan, a prominent entrepreneur and executive chairman of G2S2 Capital Inc., will be a guest speaker at the upcoming Atlantic Business Transitions Forum. With an extensive career in real estate and business leadership, Armoyan has founded and grown numerous companies since 1982, making him a well-known figure in the Canadian business community.

Mackenzie Regent, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Kalos LLP in Calgary, is making waves in the entrepreneurial space, offering a fresh perspective on navigating the challenges of the middle market. With a career that started in financial due diligence at Ernst & Young, Regent transitioned into creating her own firm, addressing the gap in services for lower middle-market businesses. Drawing from her own entrepreneurial experience, Regent's firm is carving out a niche by offering the agility and expertise needed to support smaller, often overlooked businesses in their M&A transactions.