ABOUT

Groundswell at a Glance

Private company founded in 2001 in Alberta.
200 employees and offices in Calgary, Edmonton, Vancouver, and Seattle.
Deep expertise in Information Management including enterprise integration, business intelligence, and advanced analytics.
Services include expert consulting and the delivery of complex solutions and managed services with predictable outcomes, cost certainty and Groundswell’s famous Ultra HD Service Reporting. Provides staff augmentation through GPS subsidiary (www.gps-projectservices.com).
Deeply skilled in integration, change management, enterprise service bus, service-oriented architecture, business process modeling, data warehousing / ETL, master data management, data visualization, business intelligence & analytics, and big data.
Partnered with industry leaders.

Our People

Human capital isn’t the next big thing to us, it’s the foundation of our success. We understand that our culture and the people who contribute to it is what connects us, to each other, and to our clients. Our people have made the difference between being a flash in the pan and a long term success. We are proud that our first client still wants to work with us, and our first hire is still here.

History

In 2001, founders Morgan Arndt and Darren Sartison saw a growing demand for expertise in the emerging field of Enterprise Application Integration, and Groundswell was born. We became TIBCO’s first partner in Canada and a founding member of the Enterprise Application Integration (EAI) Consortium that year.

Over the next fifteen years, as EAI gradually evolved into today’s Data Integration and Business Intelligence community, we grew along with it.

Our focus has served us well. Today, we offer the long-term assurance of a managed service provider, the wisdom and insights of a seasoned consulting firm, and deep technical expertise that’s been the hallmark our business since 2001.

Leadership Team

Darren Sartison
Partner
President

Darren leads the business development and account management teams at Groundswell and is also responsible for our partner relations. He provides strategic direction focused on people, training and process, while acting as an advisor to the steering committee, project sponsors and business managers. Darren has been widely recognized for his excellence as a business leader, most recently as a finalist for the prestigious Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Darren enjoys participating in and coaching a variety of sports with his family, including hockey, skiing and tennis.

Morgan Arndt
Partner
Chief Operations Officer

Morgan leads operations and his diverse business experience has been integral to Groundswell’s strategic direction and extraordinary growth. Prior to founding Groundswell, Morgan was a successful serial entrepreneur in the IT recruitment industry, founding Questus Recruitment and Conduit. Morgan has been widely recognized for his strength as a business leader, most recently by Calgary Magazine as a Leader of Tomorrow, and by Ernst & Young which recognized him, along with Darren, as a finalist for the Entrepreneur of the Year award.

Through his two daughters, who are avid riders, Morgan is very involved in the Calgary equestrian show jumping community.

Ivaylo Guenov
Partner
Chief Technology Officer

Ivaylo is an experienced technology leader with a broad background in strategy, business development and implementation leadership. He has served as an IT executive advisor to Fortune 500 companies and developed consulting practices for companies such as Deloitte. Prior to Groundswell, Ivaylo was a founding partner in a number of successful technology start-ups including Telispark, Concord, and LogicalFactor.

Ivaylo loves being outside with his kids whenever he can, skiing, boating, and hiking. He also enjoys standing on his head in yoga poses.

Jose Herrera
Partner
Chief Architect

Jose is a seasoned Management Consultant who has brought technical knowledge and leadership to over seventy technology-related engagements in the last sixteen years, although he began his career in technology over three decades ago. He has led the creation of Centers of Excellence and other Strategic initiatives for Fortune 500 corporations, while defining and establishing world-class custom methodologies. Jose holds a Masters Degree, is a frequent writer of published articles, and is currently working on an upcoming book related to the art of being a Consultant.

In his downtime, Jose enjoys playing video games with his young son and finding ways to challenge himself in competition, from friendly chess and 9-ball billiards matches, to organized martial arts and practical pistol competitions. Jose also enjoys the pleasures of traveling solo, and an occasional glass of full-bodied red wine.

Adrian Hull
Partner
Vice President, BC Operations

Adrian has successfully managed complex projects across a wide range of industries including Healthcare and Energy. A number of these projects have included some of Canada’s largest IT initiatives such as the TELUS Imagine Mega-Project. In his current role, Adrian is busy directing the rapid growth of our Vancouver office in support of our growing list of BC clients.

Whether it is riding the mountain passes on his dual sport motorcycle, floating motionless in a warm lagoon, or laughing while sharing stories with friends and family, Adrian loves taking in all of what life has to offer.

Roger Couvillon
Vice President, Service Expansion

The architect of Groundswell’s Managed Services, Roger is now responsible for the design and development of new service offerings and pricing models as well as the development and expansion of Groundswell’s Canadian Nearshore service for the U.S. market. As a thought leader in the area of support & maintenance he worked closely with Peter Thompson as an advisor and editor of the books Maximizing IT Value Through Operational Excellence and The SMART Methodology. Roger has developed and delivered a course on support & maintenance best practices for the University of Calgary, a course which was later picked up by Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.

In Roger beats the heart of a performer and entertainer. Roger enjoys singing karaoke and in addition to his great singing voice is known for his skills at impersonating various recording artists.

Marianne Divjak
Vice President, Corporate Services

Marianne is responsible for corporate services at Groundswell and works closely with the leadership team to build process and policies in the areas of human resources, recruitment, finance, marketing and IT. Her team focuses on building policies and procedures that enable the organization to meet its goals. Prior to Groundswell, Marianne worked with RIS Resource Information Systems Inc. where she was responsible for the operational support of the company's applications support and maintenance (ASM) services and solutions.

Marianne volunteers with various different non-profit organizations; and enjoys traveling with her family.

Dan McCleary
Vice President, Practice and Project Delivery

Dan is responsible for driving an integrated vision for high-value, innovative service offerings. He oversees our practices and works closely with sales and service delivery to deliver successful solutions for our customers. Dan has worked as an advisor, project manager and technical lead for many companies ranging in size from small, family-run businesses, to international enterprises in oil and gas, utilities and agriculture. In 2013/14, Dan was on the board that established the first chapter in western Canada for the Association of Change Management Professionals.

Dan loves being on a mountain with his friends and family, either going up with a rope and harness, or coming down via bicycle, skis or snowboard.

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