| Dan is an accomplished growth leader with substantial and diverse experience driving transformative change across multiple industries. Proven expertise in developing and executing strategies that accelerate growth, enhance operational efficiency, and deliver sustainable value. Skilled in data-driven decision-making, innovation, customer-centricity, and cross-functional collaboration. Proven track record of leading teams through complex transformations to achieve long-term corporate growth.. |
ABOUT ME
I started my career in the construction industry. At the time, I was just finishing up my university studies and working part time in a local ski shop when the then Vice President of Black and McDonald, Larry McDonald came in to get his kids skis waxed for a holiday trip. He left with four complete sets of new skis and kit for his whole family. A week later I was being interviewed for a business development position at Black and McDonald. I spend the next ten years there and won the national sales award eight of those years.
Looking for a new challenge after learning how to run a large business and manage people from some of the best people you could ever hope to spend spend ten years leaning from, I was offered a position with an industrial parts distributor, relocated to the west coast and focused on acquisitions to drive growth through vertical integration, building out a new EPC construction division, adding key supplier partners and consolidating and rebranding 12 different regional companies into Belterra Corporation which is today the largest company of it’s kind in Canada. After proposing some strategic changes shortly after joining, they made me a Vice President, loaned me the money to buy shares in the company and a seat on the board and I spent ten years learning about business growth and management from some of the toughest and most relentless people you’ll ever meet.
We eventually sold the company to Marubeni Group in Japan which gave me an opportunity to build my own business from scratch. I had been watching the transition to digital in photography and video quickly accelerating and noted that most suppliers were slow to respond and reluctant to supply clients with anything other than analog assets via a clunky and dated licensing model. I felt this was an opportunity to create a production company focused on delivering digital (and easily adaptable) assets to corporate clients for websites, stakeholder relations pieces, shareholder communications and similar assets. I spent the next 11 years building my own business producing digital assets for brand and corporate clients all over the world including, Honda, Siemens, Exxon, Shell, McDonalds, Pepsi and Nike.
When you own your own business and trade your time for money, your growth is limited by how much time you’re able to trade and the idea I had 11 years earlier had become a pretty crowded market place. The timing was perfect because I was craving the rush of being part of a larger team and leading a larger growth opportunity again. In 2020, I joined Makers, the business model they were developing was part of a trend I had noticed around the decoupling of production from creative advertising. Brands were looking for a new way to make their advertising assets and Makers was on the leading edge of that revolution. Today, I’m Vice President of Global Growth at Makers where I oversee our new client relationships, guide the growth of the company through pipeline development, acquisitions and strategic partnerships and travel globally meeting clients, suppliers and staff.
EDUCATION
Heriot Watt University
Edinburgh Business School
Edinburgh, Scotland
MBA
Canadian Securities Course
Toronto, Canada
Saint Mary’s University
Halifax, Canada
B. Comm
Diploma in Human Resource Management
Loyalist College of Applied Arts
Ontario, Canada
Broadcast Marketing Program
FAVOURITE THINGS
Vintage guitars, music
Furniture making and home renovation
Fly Fishing
Real Estate, Investing, Finance, Capital Markets
HERE’S SOME THINGS I’M EXCITED ABOUT RIGHT NOW
In 2015, I created a partnership that developed and invested in residential and recreational property in the US and Canada that grew to a total of 12 properties before I sold my interest in 2022. Since then, I’ve been looking for an opportunity to re-enter the space in my home Province of New Brunswick. I’m very excited to be involved in a new venture in the space and will have more to announce later this year.
Jerry the Three Legged Rescue
I created a brand called “3 Paw Ranch” which is inspired by our 3 legged rescue dog Jerry. Jerry’s been in our family for a little over two years now and he’s been a lot of work. He came from an abusive home and learning to trust other people and strange dogs has taken a lot of work and patience from us and our friends and family. Now that he trusts us and our circle, he’s an enthusiastic family member who’s earned his stripes. I’m not exactly sure what I’ll do with it yet but, for now, our new home in New Brunswick, where Jerry learned to be social again is called “3 Paw Ranch”
My entire career has ultimately boiled down to two things, relationship building and revenue growth. It takes a unique combination of skills to build and grow a company and, while I don’t claim to have the secret recipe, I know the ingredients.
I’m available on a limited basis to consult with other companies on growth strategy, pipeline development, sales development and top of funnel marketing. Engagements are fractional and commitments can be as short as 3 months but, I recommend a discovery meeting first to establish KPI’s and asses opportunties.
I started running marathons in my 30’s not to be healthier but to offset my interest in cheeseburgers and beer. My marathon days ended abruptly due to a knee injury while playing rec hockey but, my interest in cheeseburgers and beer persists so, this year, I’m playing lots of squash, golf and trying to (but not always succeeding) in getting into the gym 4 times a week. Next week I’ll go for sure!
Dan Bannister 