Team Bios
Gil has more than thirty years experience in sales, marketing and management in the consumer electronics, software and computer hardware industries. He has owned and operated five successful businesses in the Victoria BC area, was the sales manager for Western Canada for DEC’s PC Business Unit and has held VP Sales and Marketing roles at DSG Communications and Victoria-based Tactex Controls Inc.
Gil has been involved in internet-based initiatives since 1996. He has also consulted to several companies in the areas of sales and marketing helping them to effectively position themselves as they move into new markets.
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Chris Holt – Vice President 
Chris Holt has ten years of technology research, development and sales in the public, private and community sectors. Chris co-founded LogicLynx Technologies Inc. to bring best-in-class electronic case management and public health IT solutions to government and NGO organizations. Chris led a team of business analysts and programmers to develop SectorLynx, an enterprise framework for the rapid application development of case management systems for government human and health services departments. As well, Chris developed the first fully configurable Case Management ASP Service for Community Based Human Services Providers.
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Kerry Slavens –Editor in Chief
Life As A Human’s Editor in Chief, Kerry Slavens, was born in Natal, BC in a mining town that no longer exists.
Kerry is a diverse and well-published writer whose genres include fiction, poetry, non-fiction and blogging at mojo.newjane.com and blackdotdiary.com. For 15 years, Kerry served as a principal and creative director of Artemis, an international award winning pr and design studio. She is now co-owner of Mixx Inc., a brand and communications consultancy, and a co-owner of NewJane.com, a weblog dedicated to talking about issues that really matter to women.
Kerry graduated with a BA in Writing from the University of Victoria and went on to teach post-secondary creative non-fiction, creative writing and journalism. She has been a feature writer and editor of numerous publications. Her poetry books include Gravity and Light (co-authored with Margaret Blackwood and Anne M. Kelly) and Stranger Under the Stars. She has ghostwritten several books for CEOs and inspirational speakers.
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Vivian Pura – VP Administration and Human Resource
Vivian joined Abebooks.com while still in its infancy; assisting in the overall management of the company, running the Finance department in the earlier years and later becoming the VP of Human Resources. Previously Vivian worked for a number of years as a consultant, writing technical documentation to a variety of audiences. Vivian graduated with Master of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees from the University of Manitoba.
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Lochinvar Roome – Software Development Manager
Lochinvar is a computer scientist and software engineer. A technical architect with a wealth of experience in systems architecture, Lochinvar has repeatedly proven his worth for numerous private and public sector clients in application development, web development, documentation, project management, business analysis, process development and much more. His specialties include .NET development, code optimization, database design, HCI design (human computer interaction) and systems design. He has also demonstrated himself as an efficient team leader. Lochinvar holds a B.Sc., Computer Science, with Co-op and Software Engineering from the University of Victoria.
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Andy Bernhart – Marketing Manager
Andy Bernhart enjoys developing powerful marketing strategies that allow businesses to better communicate with and serve their customers. Andy has operated several successful businesses and served in executive positions for numerous non-profit boards. He is currently finishing his thesis on strategic online marketing to complete his Masters degree in Business Administration. Andy is also passionate about optimal health, sustainable communities and human potential.
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Sarah Gignac – Production Manager
Having a hard time deciding what to be when she grows up, Sarah has worked in a variety of different fields. She co-founded Exodus Theater in Halifax and was the General Manager for two years. She has worked as a freelance writer for several years, and has experience editing works ranging from medical texts, academic papers, novels, memoirs and comic books. She’s even dipped her toes into the corporate world, working as a Project Manager for local internet company AbeBooks. In June 2009, Sarah began her blog Raggedy Threads, to chronicle her move from the rat race into a lazy life of travel and self discovery.
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Breen Liblong – Technical Advisory Board
Breen Liblong has more than 20 years of advanced technology and executive management experience in the creation of Internet search and enterprise product technologies. Most recently, in a consulting role as VP Product Development for Wurldtech Security Technologies Inc., Breen developed the product strategy, plans and roadmaps for the Achilles Satellite Security Analysis Platform and Achilles Delphi Security Vulnerability Database, and built out the development team and processes for sustainable delivery of quality products. Prior to Verano, Breen served as Director of both Desktop and Specialty Searches at AltaVista Company, a world leader in search technology. Breen holds B.Sc. (Dist.) and M.Sc. degrees in Computer Science from the University of Calgary.
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Rick Pura – Technical Advisory Board
Rick co-founded Abebooks.com, the world’s largest marketplace for new, used, out-of-print, and antiquarian books, boasting an inventory of over 100 million books and over 13,000 booksellers. Previously he had concentrated on using the power of distributed communications to effect business solutions serving small and medium sized business. Within 6 months of launch, BC Online, his initial effort, grew to be the largest civic network in the world. Rick’s combined technical and business skills enable him to envision and create easy to use, streamlined solutions to business problems. Rick graduated Honors Computer Science from the University of Manitoba.
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