PEOPLE

Eyal Katz
Managing Partner, Co-Creative / Technical Director

Full-Stack Developer



As co-founder of Giant Step, Eyal oversees the creation of client work. Eyal brings creative vision, superior industry and technology knowledge, and over 15 years of proven experience integrating strategy, technology and design in the delivery of client work.

Prior to starting Giant Step, Eyal worked as project lead consultant for companies such as Nortel, Molson, Sanofi, RDS, and the Canadian National Exhibition. With a passion for creativity, marketing and software, Eyal received a degree in Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto. Eyal also took studies in design, media, marketing, and cultural studies to keep being relevant in the industry, and serves on the Advisory Board of the OffCentre Music Salon.

Some of Eyal's accomplishments prior to Giant Step include:

• Planned and developed many custom business-applications for various industries such as: call-centre management, inventory management, billing, auctions, online trading, and more.
• Developed an interactive 3D Multimedia presentation system for the Canadian National Exhibition, displaying an interactive panorama on three movie-theatre sized screens.
• Worked on the main Molson consumer site, developing an innovative branded online-community in the 90's.
• Created a custom automated-testing-system, used to test a corporate version-control program.
• Created plugin that analyses Object-Oriented code structure for the Rational Rose Modeler (later aquired by IBM).
• Took part in the design and development of various kiosks: Point of Purchase, Gaming, and ATM.
• Worked on actual digital telephone switch at Nortel.
• Developed plans, specifications, processes, and architechture for various innovative new products.

Gil Katz
Managing Partner, Co-Creative Director

Growth Hacker



As co-founder of Giant Step, Gil manages client accounts and development. Gil brings a rare combination of operational management, strategic creative marketing and design sensibility, with over 10 years of proven experience integrating strategy, technology and design in the creation of client work.

Prior to starting Giant Step, Gil worked as a management consultant, developing business plans, marketing strategies and software for corporate clients including AGF Funds, Ontario Power Generation and CIBC. Gil received a Hon.B.Sc. in Mathematics and Interactive Media Design from the University of Toronto, serves on the Advisory Board of several companies, the OffCentre Music Salon, and is a recognized industry expert and public speaker.

Some of Gil's accomplishments prior to Giant Step include:

• Developed a database system for the senior management of Novartis HQ in Switzerland, to track company-wide progress.
• Developed a database system for the Heart and Stroke Foundation, to support investment diversification research and analysis.
• Supported successful data integration during a major merger, in which AGF Funds acquired Global Strategy Holdings. The merger required integrating data supporting assets of $6 billion in 22 mutual funds with AGF's systems. After the merger, GSH customer accounts became AGF accounts.
• Developed a database system to manage the Business Communications department at the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) - all internal and external communications are now tracked, including updates on http://www.cibc.com
• Designed the user interface and wrote product test plans for a social network platform for academic environments, called wheresFrankie.com - the company was sold to Bernard C. Harris Publishing Company, Inc. - "The unique viral nature of the wheresFrankie set of applications promotes and increases online participation and interaction through elements such as ClassNotes, which are personalized and pushed out to targeted groups, encouraging them to return again and again. The wheresFrankie services fit perfectly into the next generation set of applications that we can offer to our partners," said Paul Gangi, President and COO, Harris Internet Services Division
• Created a monthly newsletter reporting on the progress of the Environmental Qualification project for Ontario Power Generation (OPG) - EQ encompassed testing and replacing parts of Canada's nuclear power stations, to secure them for the next 40 years. The newsletter distributes to 10,000 OPG employees and associates.
• Worked with senior management consultants, supporting the restructuring efforts of Ontario Hydro to become Ontario Power Generation.
• Developed a database system for Lymburner & Sons Securities, a financial securities forecasting company, delivering world market rate forecasts to private and corporate clients.
• Created trade marketing materials for Telegenic Entertainment Licensing, to support the sales efforts of licensing deals. Successful licenses included: Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mr. Men and Little Miss, and Pepsi Canada.
• Developed a custom Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system for Levesque Beaubien Geoffrion, a subsidiary of the National Bank of Canada.
• Developed databases to track architecture and construction litigation cases for Revay and Associates Ltd.