Brendan Paddick
Born and raised in Grand Falls, Brendan holds a Bachelor of Commerce and a Master of Business Administration from Memorial University. He entered the telecommunications industry in 1986 when he started his career as a door-to-door salesman selling cable TV services in more than 200 rural communities throughout the province.
This led to building Persona Communications in Newfoundland and Labrador and expanding it throughout Canada to become the fifth largest cable TV provider in the country in the 90’s. Brendan then shifted his focus to emerging markets in the Caribbean and invested in Cable Bahamas, which was the beginning of Columbus International Inc., a diversified telecommunications company that had operations in the Caribbean, Latin American and North American markets. In 2015, Columbus merged with London-based Cable & Wireless Communications PLC. In 2016, Liberty Global acquired the newly merged company.
Brendan is active in the places he lives and works and is well recognized as a corporate director and a philanthropist. He is the chair of the board of directors of Nalcor Energy, a director with Clearwater Seafoods Incorporated and one of the founders of A Dollar A Day Foundation that supports proven programs on the front lines of mental health and addictions. As well, he is a member of Rainbow Riders Raise It Up capital campaign cabinet, a member of The Rooms Where Once They Stood We Stand campaign cabinet and a sponsor of Team Broken Earth in Haiti.
Brendan has received many honours for his entrepreneurial drive, which include Canada’s Top 40 under 40; one of Atlantic Canada’s Top 50 CEO’s by Atlantic Canadian Business Magazine five times and Top 50 CEO Hall of Fame; Ernst & Young’s Atlantic Canadian Business-to-Business Entrepreneur of the Year; and Memorial University’s Alumnus of the Year.
Brendan’s achievements are an inspiration for the future leaders of this province.