EXECUTIVE TEAM

ALL

Jim Skippen, President and CEO
Jim Skippen is President and Chief Executive Officer of WiLAN. He is responsible for all operations, including the development and implementation of the company’s strategic and operating plans. Since assuming this position in June 2006, Jim has assembled a world-class technology licensing team and strengthened WiLAN’s balance sheet from less than one million dollars in cash on hand to approximately $190 million. Since he joined WiLAN, its market capitalization has increased from $25 million to more than $700 million, placing it among the top 10% of the fastest growing companies in North America. In addition, he has led WiLAN’s licensing efforts, which have generated record revenues and patent licensing agreements with more than 250 companies, including agreements with technology leaders Broadcom, Fujitsu, Intel, LG, Motorola Mobility, Nokia, Panasonic, RIM and Samsung. In December 2011, Jim was named Canadian Tech Stock Executive of the Year in the second annual Cantech Letter Awards.

A seasoned licensing executive and lawyer, Jim has managed several large and complex patent licensing negotiations and litigations. Before joining WiLAN, he worked for two of Canada’s largest law firms and held a number of senior management positions, including Senior VP Patent Licensing and General Counsel at MOSAID Technologies. While leading the patent licensing program at MOSAID, he closed deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars.

Jim is on the boards of the Ottawa Art Gallery and Elmwood School. He is a former Vice-Chairman and board member of the Canadian Diabetes Association. He is a frequent speaker at conferences and has delivered numerous papers and articles on topics such as management of intellectual property, patent licensing and technology law. Jim is also a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Michael B. Vladescu, COO
Michael B. Vladescu is Chief Operating Officer of WiLAN. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing patent acquisitions, licensing, litigation and portfolio management for both WiLAN’s licensing program and Gladios IP.

Michael brings more than 15 years of management experience related to all aspects of patent licensing, portfolio development and patent prosecution.

Prior to joining WiLAN, Michael was Vice President, Licensing and Intellectual Property at MOSAID Technologies where he led the effort to license the company’s patent portfolio to many of the world’s best known electronics companies and drove success in their patent licensing programs. Michael also previously held the role of Patent Portfolio Account Manager with Semiconductor Insights, a leader in technical and patent analyses of integrated circuits and electronic systems.

Michael has a Bachelor of Applied Science degree in electrical engineering from the University of Waterloo and also holds an Executive MBA from Queen’s University.
Shaun McEwan, CFO
Shaun McEwan is Chief Financial Officer of WiLAN. He is responsible for all financial and fiscal management aspects of WiLAN’s operations including business planning, accounting, budgeting and financial reporting efforts.

Shaun has more than 20 years of experience in finance and executive leadership positions in public and private high-technology companies.

Before joining WiLAN, he held the position of Chief Financial Officer at BreconRidge Manufacturing Solutions (where he was responsible for overall financial management). His accomplishments while at BreconRidge included leading private placement transactions that raised more than $40 million and completing numerous corporate acquisitions.

Prior to BreconRidge, Shaun served in increasingly senior positions at Calian Technologies Ltd., first as Chief Financial Officer and then President and Chief Executive Officer. During his tenure at the publicly traded company, Shaun was responsible for all its financial affairs, completed several corporate acquisitions and divestitures, helped grow revenues to more than $125 million and served as corporate secretary and as a Director.

Shaun also held senior executive positions at Microstar Software Ltd. and led the company’s initial public offering on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 1993.
Daniel Henry, Vice President, Business Development
In his role as Vice President, Business Development Daniel (Dan) Henry focuses on building WiLAN’s business by leading acquisitions of intellectual property (IP) assets and developing new business initiatives.

Before joining WiLAN, Dan held the position of Senior Vice President with ICAP Patent Brokerage where he advised clients on the sale and acquisition of valuable IP assets.

Before joining ICAP, he was a partner with Altitude Capital Partners. He conceived and executed the business development program and developed its strategic relationships with corporate IP holders and other IP professionals. He also has experience as an IP litigation specialist with Baker Botts LLP; Darby & Darby; and Fitzpatrick, Cella, Harper & Scinto.

Dan is a practiced speaker regarding IP and value generation at conferences internationally. Three years in a row he has been recognized by Intellectual Asset Magazine as one of the top 250 IP strategists in the world.
Paul Lerner, General Manager, Gladios IP
As General Manager, Gladios IP, Mr. Lerner is tasked with growing this WiLAN subsidiary. Gladios was established in 2010 and works with patent owners to help them derive value from their patent assets.

Before joining WiLAN, Paul was Senior Vice President and General Counsel of General Patent Corporation ("GPC"), a leading patent licensing and enforcement firm, founded in 1987. During his 11 years with GPC, Paul led licensing activities for hundreds of inventor-owned patents. He is also co-author of two books, Essentials of Licensing Intellectual Property (John Wiley & Sons, 2004) and Essentials of Intellectual Property (John Wiley & Sons, 2002).

Before joining GPC, Paul was a partner in the Hartford, Connecticut business law firm of Pepe & Hazard LLP. He has led IP law departments at Olin Corporation, Black & Decker Corporation, and multinational electrical construction giant Asea Brown Boveri, Inc.

Paul is an Adjunct Professor of Intellectual Property Law at the University of New Haven. His education includes a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Purdue University, an M.B.A. from Loyola University, a Juris Doctorate from DePaul University and post-graduate legal studies at John Marshall College of Law.
Andrew Parolin, Senior Vice President, Licensing
Andrew Parolin is Senior Vice President, Licensing of WiLAN. He is responsible for the licensing of WiLAN’s portfolio of wireless, wireline, digital television and other technologies.

His previous role with WiLAN was Vice President, Wireless Technologies, which he assumed in November 2007. During his tenure, the business unit negotiated license agreements with over 95 companies including global technology leaders ASUSTek, RIM, Sharp and Samsung.

Before joining WiLAN, Andrew worked at SiGe Semiconductor, a fabless semiconductor company specializing in next-generation integrated circuit designs, where he served as Director of Wireless Data Products.

Andrew has an MBA from the University of Ottawa, a Master of Applied Science from Queen’s University, and a Bachelor of Engineering from the Technical University of Nova Scotia.

Andrew is a member of the Licensing Executives Society.
Prashant Watchmaker, Vice President, Corporate Legal and Corporate Secretary
As Vice President, Corporate Legal and Corporate Secretary, Prashant Watchmaker oversees all of WiLAN’s corporate and securities legal requirements and assists with licensing and other commercial matters.

Prashant practiced corporate, securities and technology law and tax litigation with the Ottawa law firm of LaBarge Weinstein Professional Corporation for 10 years, developing extensive experience and negotiating many significant transactions for clients in Canada, the U.S. and the United Kingdom. Prashant has also practiced banking law as Legal Counsel with the Canadian Payments Association.

Prashant holds an LLB and a BA from the University of Ottawa and an MA from the University of Toronto. He is a member of the Law Society of England and Wales as well as the Law Society of Upper Canada.