So much progress has been made in ten years, notes with pride Louis Tanguay, leader of LTI Software and Engineering, a consulting firm with a scientific flavor, winner of the Fidéides’ 2009 Business of the Year title from the Quebec City chamber of commerce.

From a single employee in 1999, LTI Software and Engineering currently employs 19 people in high level positions in computer science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and physics. Its annual annual turn-over is about 1.5 million.

The company is ISO 9001 certified and maintained a growth rate of 38% per year for the past five years. This growth is the result of growing expertise, notes this dynamic entrepreneur mentee since spring 2008. His mentor is Jacques Lefebvre.

Mr. Tanguay stresses the importance for an entrepreneur to talk about any problems with someone who has already experienced similar situations. "The entrepreneur can be seen as a captain at the ship’s helm, while the mentor is an old sea dog who has gone through storms", he said by way of analogy.

This entrepreneur is a firm defender of business mentoring. "In Quebec, we are inventive and creative, but not necessarily entrepreneurs. Mentoring is fundamental to creating wealth in entrepreneurship" he says forcefully.

Mr. Tanguay continues: "The mentor is not there to take you by the hand, but to help you kicking back and ask the right questions. It is a great way to focus on essential things".

This is precisely what Louis Tanguay is doing. Laval University Graduate in computer engineering, he is not only an effective scientific, but also an informed business manager. Leveraging a skilled workforce in high technology, LTI has carved itself a place in the field of software simulation and artificial intelligence.

In Louis Tanguay’s world, it feels like a Hollywood scenario, particularly when it comes to the computer simulations of warships’ defense systems. It is therefore not surprising that LTI is a leading provider for Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC).

The recipe for Louis Tanguay’s success is simple: provide an excellent service to its clients and partners and recruit talented individuals. Two interrelated elements, insists there. "In terms of recruitment, attitude is everything, goes on there. Knowledge is one thing and the ability to work with the team is another. We rely heavily on the synergy of the team, essential for the successful accomplishment of projects."

Mr. Tanguay is a manager who is confident in his capabilities and those of LTI’s staff. "We have the capacity to carry out all mandates," he says. That is why LTI works with both major enterprises and SMEs.