“I wouldn’t be a CEO today if it wasn’t for my Chair – he provided me the confidence in trusting my decision-making.” – Antoine Paré, CEO & Partner at DashThis and TEC member
ANTOINE IN 100 WORDS
Antoine Paré – CEO and Partner of marketing reporting automation software DashThis – has helped businesses grow online for over a decade. “Advertising was my first love,” he recounts, growing up watching commercials with his father. That passion soon evolved into a more analytical approach – marketing. To launch his career, Antoine worked for a large insurance firm handling one of Quebec’s most substantial digital marketing budgets at the time. Though he craved more and bolstered his skillset by focusing on an untapped niche in the 2010s – search engine marketing (SEM) and digital analytics. His future business partner Stephane approached him looking for an expert in SEM; fast forward today and 60% of DashThis’s sales are from Google searches alone.
COMPANY PROFILE
With 18,000+ users, 2,500+ clients and utilized in 120+ countries, DashThis is the digital reporting software that powers thousands of daily marketing reports. Founded in 2010, DashThis integrates insights from endless platforms to streamline KPIs and company data in one spot. Recognized among Canada’s Fastest Growing Companies since 2018, Antoine lauds the company’s growth for their easy-to-use functionality paired with the growing need to comprehensively look at digital analytics. “There’s a gigantic wave of new potential customers building reports for the first time, so they need something they can easily navigate that covers their principle needs as a business.
WITH TEC
After building the company for five years as the Chief Operating Officer, Antoine saw their business growth slow down and his partners and him contemplated selling the business. Though difficulties with the COVID-19 pandemic made them re-evaluate this strategy; eventually a LinkedIn message caught Antoine’s attention. “When my now Chair – Louis-Samuel Jacques – first reached out, he explained how he helps senior executives grow and reach their goals and I could see the value in TEC,” says Antoine. “However, as a team we were focused on getting ourselves organized, so I didn’t think the timing was right.” Still, the two of them kept that line of communication open and Louis-Samuel would send Antoine business books from time to time, ask questions and offer any advice. “He began to coach me before I had even become a TEC member and he was vital to opening my eyes to other opportunities and strategies.” Antoine had seen enough and was eager to become a TEC member. “That first meeting was a perfect fit, I had never really searched for support outside of the business. I was now in a room full of potential – people like me who understood my challenges.”
TEC’S IMPACT
“I was my own biggest obstacle before I discovered TEC, I often had the vision of where I wanted the business to be but didn’t yet have the courage to make bold decisions,” says Antoine. After consulting with Louis-Samuel, Antoine realized to reach his goals, leadership needed to get on the same page. “I wouldn’t be a CEO today if it wasn’t for Louis-Samuel – he provided me the confidence in trusting my decision-making.” Antoine and his other business partner worked out a deal to buy-out the third partner and Antoine officially joined Louis-Samuel’s TEC group.
Now a TEC member for 1 year, Antoine breaks down the value into 3 categories:
- Trust: “My Chair has been an integral part of my development even before I became a member. Since responding to his initial message, he’s looked out for what’s best for me and how to reach my goals.”
- Challenge: “I leave every TEC meeting with something new and think to myself, why didn’t I implement this earlier?”
- Accountability: “When you join TEC, your group wants to see you flourish,” says Antoine. “We’re all busy as executives, so if the group spends 2 hours processing an issue, there’s an expectation at the next meeting that you’ve made some movement on it.”
