Thomas J. Hayes

Thomas J. Hayes is President & CEO of GrowthWorks Atlantic Ltd. Tom brings managerial and senior executive experience in the private, public, and volunteer sectors to GrowthWorks. Prior to an affiliate of GrowthWorks Capital taking over the management of the GrowthWorks Canadian Fund (formerly Working Ventures Canadian Fund) and the GrowthWorks Opportunity Fund (formerly the Working Ventures Opportunity Fund) (together the “GrowthWorks WV Funds”) in 2002, Tom was Vice President of Investments of those funds.

From 1982 to 1987, Tom served as Vice-President and then President of Atlantic Venture Trust, an institutional private venture capital fund for Atlantic Canada. As CEO of Atlantic Fish Specialties Ltd. from 1987 to 1997, Tom led the company through a major restructuring and turnaround resulting in the company being recognized as the top small business in Canada, winning the prestigious Canada Award of Business Excellence. Tom has also been awarded the Atlantic Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Award in the “Turnaround” category.

Tom has also served as Chief of Staff for the Office of the Premier in Nova Scotia and has been awarded an Atlantic Canada Entrepreneur of the Year Award. He has thirty-nine years of business and management experience and is a past Chair of the Atlantic Provinces Economic Council (APEC).

tom.hayes@growthworks.ca