We always hear the slogan “leaders are born and not made.”

There is no denying there is some element of truth in this statement.  Leaders do inherit certain features like intelligence, charm, gift of oratory, and some more. However, more often than not, leaders are made by circumstances or were called upon to lead. Michael Dadoun, Montreal belongs to this category.

The vitality of organizations, countries, and groups  have put up from time to time great men and women whose leadership was required to confront issues that needed to be surmounted.

Canada, at the present moment, needs leaders in e-commerce. Here are some reasons why:

The potential for e-commerce is not tapped to the full

Although Canada is a global leader in internet use and video consumption, the market potential for e-commerce needs much more improvement. This should be possible because Canadians consume more online content per capita than any other nation in the world.

A Chief Executive Officer of Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association believes Canada will achieve 100% penetration of smart phones by 2014. This literally means each individual in Canada will have access to mobile e-commerce.

Even now, there is no dearth of drivers for e-commerce, with more than half of connected households in Canada using more than one type of device to go online.

Canadians are not doing justice with the country’s e-commerce spending topping $22 billion in 2012, up 10% from 2011.

So, where is the concern?

Even though Canadians are among the most prodigious users of the internet, they are not doing much online. Here is where we need the skills of Michael Dadoun of Montreal.

                                                                                                                               

Let us consider the following facts:

• Canadian entrepreneurs are investing 40 percent less in IT than American businesses.

• Only 1 percent of retail expenditures in this country are from online transactions compared to 8 percent in the United States.

Michael Dadoun believes if Canadian businesses develop the ability to reach customers across the borders, it will help them overcome challenges associated with operating in a relatively smaller domestic marketplace.

Michael Dadoun surely has challenges on his hands.

For one, there is the often repeated thing about lack of access to capital. Canada is a small country, as regards the size of population. Admittedly, there are not many resources with enough capital that can fund the expenditure necessary for development of IT infrastructure.

Other impediments include:

• Foreign ownership restrictions

• Difficulty in getting tech-savvy people who are willing to work for smaller companies

• Security and consumer protections

• Greater penetration of broadband

To overcome all of above Canada requires a well-thought out digital strategy.

Michael Dadoun of Montreal understands people are the shapers of future. In this abundance are skills, ideas, and solutions that can overcome any obstacle.

Canadians can successfully create the connections to build and shape e-commerce that is the future driver of growth.