Brendan Paddick

Brendan Paddick is the chairman and chief executive officer of Columbus International Inc., a diversified telecommunications company based in Barbados. He founded the company with his business partner, John Risley of Chester, Nova Scotia.
On November 6, 2014 Cable & Wireless PLC announced an agreement to acquire Columbus for more than US$3 billion. As part of the transaction, Paddick along with fellow Columbus shareholders John Risley and John Malone will receive equity in Cable & Wireless representing approximately 36% of the merged entity. Paddick, Risley and Malone will also join the board of directors of Cable & Wireless upon closing of the transaction.
Early career
Prior to founding Columbus in 2005, Paddick was President & CEO of Persona Communications Inc. Persona was a TSX listed company that provided digital cable television, high speed Internet, commercial data and telecom services to a diverse base of residential and commercial customers in 1,200 communities in seven Canadian provinces. Persona, was the largest and controlling shareholder of Cable Bahamas Ltd., and as such, also provided similar services throughout the Commonwealth of The Bahamas. He served as CEO of Cable Bahamas Ltd. from 2001 to 2005 and as Chairman and CEO from 2005 to 2010. Persona was sold in July 2004 for $406 million to dallas-based previte equity firm, Hicks Muse Tate & Furst.
Education
Paddick was born and raised in Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland, Canada. He holds both a Bachelor of Commerce (1986) and a Master of Business Administration (1994) from the Memorial University of Newfoundland. In 2000, he graduated from the Advanced Management Program (AMP) at Harvard University in Boston.
Business interests
In addition to sitting on Columbus’ board, Paddick serves on the Board of Directors, the finance committee and the human resources committee of Clearwater Seafoods Inc., a public Canadian company that is the world’s largest harvester and processor of shell fish and Atlantic Lobster. He is also a director of UXP Systems Inc., an IT software company specializing in multiscreen next generation video, voice and data services and PowerTel, one of Canada’s leading high voltage contractors offering services in transmission lines, substations and distribution systems. He has been a member of the board of directors of the Caribbean Cable Television Cooperative since 2005 and is the Past-Chairman of the Caribbean Cable & Telecommunications Association. He was also a member of Industry Canada’s National Broadband Task Force in 2001, a government initiative to shape the country’s roll out of ubiquitous broadband access.
Honours
In 2000, Paddick was named one of Canada's Top 40 Under 40 by Caldwell Partners and the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business Magazine. Canada's Top 40 Under 40 is a national program founded to honor Canadians leaders who have reached a significant level of success but have not yet reached the age of 40. Prior to taking up residence outside of Canada, he was named one of Atlantic Canada's Top 50 CEO's by Atlantic Canadian Business Magazine on four occasions, and was Memorial University’s Faculty of Business Alumnus of the Year for 2002. In 2006, he was appointed Honorary Consul for Canada to the Bahamas by the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. He has been subsequently reappointed in 2009 and 2012. In 2009, he was named one of the top six all time Foreign Investors and Business Leaders in Jamaica. Brendan was named Ernst & Young’s Atlantic Canadian Business-to-Business Entrepreneur of the Year in 2011. In 2013, he was honored as Memorial University of Newfoundland's Alumni of the Year.
Paddick is a Canadian citizen and a permanent resident of The Bahamas.

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