Diving into a New Career with Aquatic Informatics CEO Ed Quilty

Cleantech Superhero

Mild mannered CEO Ed Quilty has used data analytics to save a village in Malaysia from flooding. He monitors the water quality for the world’s biggest economy, and he provides technical services to clients as far away as Afghanistan. But it all started with an internship posting in British Columbia that he didn’t want in the first place.

Foot in the Door, Feet on the World Stage

Quilty leveraged a contract win with the U.S. government into a cleantech behemoth in 60 countries worldwide. He started with countries that spoke his language, but quickly partnered with companies in foreign lands. That strategy helped Aquatic Informatics grow fast enough to acquire those partners, but it wasn’t without a learning curve.

He made it. And so can you.

Before Aquatic Informatics could grow into the company it is today, Quilty hit the books: learning business management. And the advice he took in his early days is the advice he gives to his own employees today: “When you're learning at times you have to fake it till you make it to your sweet spot,” he says, ”and by faking I think you've just got to get in there, try your best and just basically jump in the deep end.”

Join Ed Quilty on the shores of Stanley Park in Vancouver with our #CIBCInnovationEconomy series, then listen to Quilty offer his advice on going global while managing a growing team with the CIBC Innovation Banking Podcast.

CIBC Innovation Banking is a trusted financial partner to entrepreneurs and investors. Get in touch with our team at cibc.com/innovationbanking.