Richard Simons

Richard Simons

CEO, Proactive Strategies Inc.

Rich Simons is a proven business leader. His background includes building companies in Vancouver, Toronto and Seattle. His diverse experience, with the full range of marketing and business building skills, provides a unique perspective, strength and depth.

His background includes manufacturing, advertising and the high tech industry. He started his career in 1968 when he founded the Simons, Palmer & Lecky Advertising Agency. As the senior partner from 1968-1975, Rich developed the agency’s business into a firm with billings in excess of $1,500,000.

He then established his own full-service advertising agency, Simons Advertising. There, he generated billings in excess of $35 million and an impressive client base including Kentucky Fried Chicken, Canada Safeway, Federal Government of Canada, and Province of British Columbia. In 1988, Simons Advertising merged with Palmer Jarvis Advertising.

Rich also founded PJS Communications, which he built into a leading public relations firm in British Columbia, with client billings in excess of $1.5 million. He also served as Executive Vice-President of Babykins International from 1990-1992. During this time Babykins became a $6 million/year public company manufacturing “environmentally friendly” baby products.

In late 1992, Rich accepted an offer to move to the U.S. where he had great success with the Raymond Group, doubling its size in three years. In June of 2001, he returned to Vancouver. One year later, he accepted the position of President and CEO of RewardStream Inc., a software development company providing innovative Customer Lifestyle marketing solutions worldwide. From July of 2004 until the present Rich has been actively involved with several hi-tech companies in the Vancouver market including Chairman of Elastic Path Software, Chairman of Daiya Foods Inc., and advisor of Skunkwerks Software, Beans Services, and Quick Mobile.

Rich and his wife, Linda Kathleen, have two children and four grandchildren who currently reside in the U.S.