Jamie Hill

Islander Jamie Hill is a successful technology entrepreneur. He graduated from Holland College’s Programmer/ Analyst program in 1984. In 1985, Jamie Hill co-founded On-Line Support, a consulting firm specializing in information technology. Over the next eight years, the company grew to 20 consultants and completed projects in P.E.I., Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Ontario. In 1993, Jamie founded PEINet in cooperation with Island Tel (now known as Bell Aliant). PEINet became the first company to provide Internet services, data communications and network management across Prince Edward Island. The internet and its associated opportunities drove much of Jamie’s success over the next 20 years.

His experience with PEINet led Jamie to form Cycor Communications in 1995. Cycor Communications was a national Internet services provider and has the distinction of being the first ISP to provide local service in every province in Canada. In 1996, with its national presence being increasingly important, Jamie sold his interest in Cycor and PEINet to a publicly held company. Ever the entrepreneur, and risk taker, Jamie started a call centre business before the need was obvious to most of the technology sector. This company, On-line Support also known as OLS, remains one of Jamie’s most successful accomplishments.

From 1998 to 2000, On-line Support grew from a staff of 53 in Charlottetown to more than 430 employees. In 2000, he sold 80 percent of the business to a group of investors based in Toronto and Calgary. Jamie remains on the board of directors at OLS, and it has now grown to nine centres located in P.E.I., Nova Scotia, and Ontario. It now employs over 2,000 people. Some of its clients include such well-known companies as Apple, Rogers Communications, American Express, and Virgin Mobile.

In March of 2001, Jamie made an equity investment in a publicly held company called iWaveInformation Systems and soon obtained controlling interest. His primary interest in iWave was that it was a publicly held company, and he was eager to learn the complexities of running and managing a company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. He took on the responsibilities of chief executive officer and president in a management restructuring. He focused primarily on product enhancement and increasing operational efficiencies. iWave’s primary business is the research, development and manufacture of an online prospect research database to aid non-profits in their major gift fundraising efforts. In late 2004, Mr. Hill took the company private.

Since 2005, the company has grown from 16 to 30 employees and has demonstrated double-digit growth in each of the last five years. iWave has customers in five countries, but focuses primarily on the North American based market, with more than 75 percent of its sales from the United States. 

Jamie has interests in real estate development and as an investor in other companies. He has generously supported charities such as Special Olympics PEI, the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

Throughout his career, Jamie has focused on information technology opportunities with global markets and opportunities while taking significant risks in order to succeed. He has invested in companies and technologies when no else would, and he has been the first to recognize an opportunity when it arises. 

Jamie received a Distinguished Alumni Award in 2009.