Shaune Eldred is an experienced entrepreneur and former executive
who has first-hand experience with the countless challenges and
thrills of growing a small business. She has most recently applied the
skills she gained as a small business owner to her newest roles of
coach to and angel investor in a number of emerging companies.
In 2003 Shaune founded Athene Offices & Services to provide
services, high-end furnished office spaces, meeting rooms, and a high-
tech infrastructure to businesses owners and professionals. The
Centre quickly became profitable. High-end office space was very
difficult to secure in Calgary at that time, so it took a combination of
lengthy searches, competitive negotiations, and long build-outs before
Athene’s second and third Centres opened in late 2007 and early
2009.
Shaune’s entrepreneurial knowledge increased as her business
underwent rapid growth. Then in 2008 the worst recession in 50
years hit the commercial real estate market in Calgary. Shaune
learned much about survival and the need to overcome her own
hesitation to invest heavily in new marketing strategies, branding, and
advertising. Athene not only survived but thrived again, amassing
three locations with 170 offices in over 50,000 square feet of prime
space.
In June of 2012, Shaune negotiated the sale of Athene to Regus, a
global leader in the sector, for significantly more than their original
offer.
Prior to Athene, Shaune had joined Minerva Technology in 1989, just
as it was starting to gain momentum. Minerva was a computer
services firm that became one of Calgary’s high-tech success stories.
Shaune joined as Controller and grew with the company into the role
of VP of Finance and Administration. She was a key member of the
executive team for 10 years. She managed the financial,
administrative, HR and internal IT divisions of Minerva’s head office,
provided oversight and training to the branch offices, and helped
grow the company from 10 to 250 employees in three cities –
Calgary, Vancouver, and Dallas. During Minerva’s rapid growth, the
company earned a coveted Canada Award for Business Excellence, as
well as two Microsoft awards for Best Applications using Microsoft
Technology. Minerva was cited several times in various magazines
on their "Fastest Growing” lists. The company was grossing $30M
when it was sold in 1998.
Shaune’s experience includes having worked in a broad range of
industries, developing skills at the employee and the executive level
in accounting, finance, audit, admin, HR, and contracts and leases.
Her educational background includes majoring in finance,
economics, and education, distance MBA courses, and earning her
RIA accounting designation.
One of Shaune’s many leadership qualities is her ability to listen
and encourage others to articulate their issues, a skill she
developed over the years as employees, colleagues, and later,
clients, sought her out for informal coaching. She has benefitted
from the guidance of mentors, including her husband, a successful
entrepreneur and former TEC Canada member and speaker. She
notes that she “has seen many ‘lone wolf’ small business owners
who could have benefitted from the resources and coaching TEC
provides.” Now she is choosing to share and facilitate these lessons
with small company leaders in her role as TEC Small Business
Chair.
Shaune is part of the wider TEC Canada community whose
members represent over $50 billion in annual revenues and over
100,000 employees.
Shaune Eldred
Excalibur Leadership Group Inc.
1651 Granite Road
Lake Country, BC
V4V 1M9
Revett
250-863-5500
Shaune
250-863-2188
© 2018 Excalibur Leadership Group Inc.
Shaune
Eldred
is
an
experienced
entrepreneur
and
former
executive
who
has
first-hand
experience
with
the
countless
challenges
and
thrills
of
growing
a
small
business.
She
has
most
recently
applied
the
skills
she
gained
as
a
small
business
owner
to
her
newest
roles
of
coach
and
angel
investor
in
a
number
of
emerging
companies.
In
2003
she
founded
Athene
Offices
&
Services
to
provide
services,
high-end
furnished
office
spaces,
meeting
rooms,
and
a
high-tech
infrastructure
to
businesses
owners
and
professionals.
The
Centre
quickly
became
profitable.
High-end
office
space
was
very
difficult
to
secure
in
Calgary
at
that
time,
so
it
took
a
combination
of
lengthy
searches,
competitive
negotiations,
and
long
build-outs
before
Athene’s
second
and
third
Centres
opened
in
late
2007
and
early 2009.
Shaune’s
entrepreneurial
knowledge
increased
as
her
business
underwent
rapid
growth.
Then
in
2008
the
worst
recession
in
50
years
hit
the
commercial
real
estate
market
in
Calgary.
Shaune
learned
much
about
survival
and
the
need
to
overcome
her
own
hesitation
to
invest
heavily
in
new
marketing
strategies,
branding,
and
advertising.
Athene
not
only
survived
but
thrived
again,
amassing
three
locations
with
170
offices
in
over
50,000 square feet of prime space.
In
June
of
2012,
Shaune
negotiated
the
sale
of
Athene
to
Regus,
a
global
leader
in
the
sector,
for
significantly
more than their original offer.
Prior
to
Athene,
Shaune
had
joined
Minerva
Technology
in
1989,
just
as
it
was
starting
to
gain
momentum.
Minerva
was
a
computer
services
firm
that
became
one
of
Calgary’s
high-tech
success
stories.
Shaune
joined
as
Controller
and
grew
with
the
company
into
the
role
of
VP
of
Finance
and
Administration.
She
was
a
key
member
of
the
executive
team
for
10
years.
She
managed
the
financial,
administrative,
HR
and
internal
IT
divisions
of
Minerva’s
head
office,
provided
oversight
and
training
to
the
branch
offices,
and
helped
grow
the
company
from
10
to
250
employees
in
three
cities
–
Calgary,
Vancouver,
and
Dallas.
During
Minerva’s
rapid
growth,
the
company
earned
a
coveted
Canada
Award
for
Business
Excellence
,
as
well
as
two
Microsoft
awards
for
Best
Applications
using
Microsoft
Technology.
Minerva
was
cited
several
times
in
various
magazines
on
their
"Fastest
Growing”
lists.
The
company
was
grossing
$30M when it was sold in 1998.
Shaune’s
experience
includes
having
worked
in
a
broad
range
of
industries,
developing
skills
at
the
employee
and
the
executive
level
in
accounting,
finance,
audit,
admin,
HR,
and
contracts
and
leases.
Her
educational
background
includes
majoring
in
finance,
economics,
and
education,
distance
MBA
courses, and earning her RIA accounting designation.
One
of
Shaune’s
many
leadership
qualities
is
her
ability
to
listen
and
encourage
others
to
articulate
their
issues,
a
skill
she
developed
over
the
years
as
employees,
colleagues,
and
later,
clients,
sought
her
out
for
informal
coaching.
She
has
benefitted
from
the
guidance
of
mentors,
including
her
husband,
a
successful
entrepreneur
and
former
TEC
Canada
member
and
speaker.
She
notes
that
she
“has
seen
many
‘lone
wolf’
small
business
owners
who
could
have
benefitted
from
the
resources
and
coaching
TEC
provides.”
Now
she
is
choosing
to
share
and
facilitate
these
lessons
with
small
company
leaders
in
her
role
as TEC Small Business Chair.
Shaune
is
part
of
the
wider
TEC
Canada
community
whose
members
represent
over
$50
billion
in
annual
revenues and over 100,000 employees.
Excalibur Leadership Group Inc.
1651 Granite Road
Lake Country, BC
V4V 1M9
shaune.eldred@outlook.com
250.863.2188
Excalibur Leadership Group Inc.
1651 Granite Road
Lake Country, BC
V4V 1M9
© 2018 Excalibur Leadership Group Inc.
Shaune: 250.863.2188
Revett: 250.863.5500
