Executive Biographies
Dave Demos – Chief Executive Officer
Dave Demos joined FirstOnSite in July 2009 as a member of the Board of Directors. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer in August 2010.
Dave has extensive expertise in organizational management, with a focus on the integration of entrepreneurial businesses. He has held senior leadership positions in the property and furniture restoration industry for over 30 years.
In 1989, he founded Action Fire Restoration, later a subsidiary of InStar Services Group, Inc., a United States-based disaster restoration company. Prior to joining FirstOnSite, Dave was President and Chief Executive Officer of InStar. Under Dave’s leadership, from 2003 to 2009 the business was integrated from four separate entities with 15 branches into a single, multi-platform company with expertise in commercial restoration and large-loss catastrophe work. With offices in 12 states, Dave was instrumental in expanding the company’s operations into 38 states through services offered by his dedicated Catastrophe Team.
While with InStar Services, Dave led hundreds of team members in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike in Texas and Hurricane Katrina in Louisiana, undertaking critical restoration and rebuilding projects.
Dave sold InStar Services Group in 2006 to ServiceMaster, at the time a Fortune 500 company. He became part of ServiceMaster senior management and worked closely with the company’s largest commercial franchises.
As an active participant with industry associations, Dave was a founder of the northeast division of Disaster Kleenup International, the restoration industry’s largest trade association, serving as Vice President from 1992 to 1995. He has also served as a member of the Association of Cleaning and Restoration Specialists and of the National Institute of Disaster Restoration.
Dave currently serves on the Board of Directors for AAA Pioneer Valley and is a lecturer for the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum. He previously served on the Director’s Group for Shriners Hospitals for Children®—Springfield, and as Chairman of the Board for the YMCA of Greater Springfield, Massachusetts.
Dave earned his Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Economics from the College of the Holy Cross.
Bruce Derraugh – Chief Operating Officer
Bruce took on the role of Chief Operating Officer at FirstOnSite in the spring of 2010, and is accountable for the company’s overall P&L, driving the overall operations and business strategy, sales, marketing, human resources and IT.
Bruce has extensive experience in leadership, strategy and execution in the business services and high-tech industries, and has transformed several complex organizational landscapes into cohesive, integrated, and profitable companies. His experience also includes organizational and process management, client development and retention, as well as call center and outsourcing activities.
For more than 20 years, Bruce has held sales, marketing, and operating roles throughout North America, driving cost and revenue improvements for Fortune 500, telecommunications and technology companies. His experience includes overseeing integration of customer brands, driving company profitability after acquisition, re-branding separate companies into a single organization, and developing strategic plans that saw under-performing assets double in revenue.
Bruce is an honours graduate of the University of Manitoba.
Allan Kamerman – Chief Financial Officer
Allan, as the Chief Financial Officer, is responsible for the overall financial reporting and to drive a cohesive financial services approach consistent to all regions.
Allan has an extensive background in Finance and accounting within multiple industries including, architecture, engineering, consulting, sports equipment distribution and financial services. He has held several progressive roles including controller and CFO.
Most recently he was a partner and CFO at IBI Group, an architectural and engineering consulting firm overseeing accounting, finance, mergers and acquisitions and real estate. He was been with IBI for 14 years, the last 7 as CFO where he grew the company through an IPO, 28 acquisitions and added 1,900 employees.
Allan received his Honours Business Administration degree from Wilfrid Laurier University in 1989 and his Chartered Accountant designation in 1992.
Kevin Clarke – Senior VP and Managing Director, Eastern Region
A partner with FirstOnSite since July 2007, Kevin is responsible for the overall management of the business in our Eastern Region, which is made up of Quebec and Atlantic Canada. A native of Nova Scotia, Kevin is responsible for the company’s operations, marketing, finance, HR, and sales functions throughout the region.
Kevin formed his own company, K.B. Clarke Construction Ltd., in 1994, after years of working for several general contractors, where he first became a Journeyman Carpenter and then a Supervisor. After venturing on his own, Kevin led his business to become one of the leading restoration firms in the Maritimes. Kevin has served on a number of boards and committees within and outside the restoration industry, and was President of Disaster Kleenup Canada for four years.
Kevin currently holds industry designations of Master Restorer and Mould Remediation Supervisor from the Institute of Inspection Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC), a Master Estimating Certification from the Technical University of Nova Scotia (TUNS), and is a Certified Inter-Provincial Journeyman Carpenter.
Warren Tom – Senior VP and Managing Director, Central Region
Warren is responsible for the company’s successful operations, marketing, finance, HR and sales functions throughout our Central Region (Ontario).
Warren held numerous senior management positions before joining FirstOnSite in May 2010. He has run businesses in various industries including supermarkets, wireless, office products, financial services and travel agencies. In his most recent position as COO of the Canadian Automobile Association (South Central Ontario), he was responsible for all of the major business lines including roadside assistance, auto repair shops, retail branches, travel and the property & casualty insurance division.
Warren brings extensive experience in general management of service businesses and retail distribution along with substantial knowledge in sales, finance, human resources and operations. Warren grew up in Montreal and is a graduate of McGill University. He holds numerous designations, including Chartered Accountant and Chartered Insurance Professional.
Doug Irwin – Senior VP and Managing Director, Western Region
Doug is responsible for the company’s successful operations, marketing, finance, HR and sales functions throughout our Western Region, which includes British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
Doug joined FirstOnSite in January 2009 from Carrier Canada, a division of United Technologies, where he was Market Manager for the Prairies. From 2003 to 2005, Doug was President and CEO of SecurTek Monitoring Solutions, a national security monitoring firm, following a period with Honeywell International from 1996 to 2003, where he held various senior management positions in Canada and North America. He brings extensive experience in general management of service and solutions businesses along with substantial knowledge in sales, marketing and operations.
Doug holds both Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Saskatchewan, and is a Professional Engineer registered in the province of Alberta.
Barry J. Ross – Managing Director, Commercial-National Accounts
Barry is responsible for the development of new business in the commercial and large loss marketplace nationwide. He has been with FirstOnSite since its inception, and until recently was President of PremiereAction, FirstOnSite’s operating business in Quebec and the National Capital Region (formerly known as the Rosco Group).
Barry has been in the restoration industry for over 30 years, and he and his brother Robert co-founded the Rosco Group in 1979. They led the company through its evolution from a specialized cleaning group to a full-service insurance restoration company and solidified its place in the insurance restoration market. Following the disastrous Quebec ice storm of 1998 and the resulting pressure on the province’s insurance providers, the company expanded its restoration services into the field of construction.
In 1983, after significant investments in research and development, they opened a sister company specializing in document salvaging and restoration using leading-edge technology, providing specialized service in Canada and the United States. Both companies now operate as FirstOnSite.
Barry studied management at McGill University in Montreal, and brings over 30 years of experience to FirstOnSite Restoration.
Shawn Fournier – Senior VP, Operations
Shawn is responsible for both our residential and commercial operations, as well as leading our Commercial and CAT program operations.
Prior to leading the overall operations at FirstOnSite, Shawn was President of FirstOnSite, Northern Ontario (formerly known as Airkem), and was responsible for all aspects of operations. He previously contributed to the Board of Directors of Disaster Kleenup Canada as both Treasurer and Vice President.
After taking on the leadership of Airkem Timmins with his siblings in 1991, Shawn oversaw the brand’s expansion to North Bay, Kirkland Lake and New Liskeard, and managed the consequential growth of the company’s employee base from less than 20 to over 100 full-time employees.
Shawn brings more than 15 years of experience in construction and restoration to FirstOnSite. He holds certifications from the Floor Covering Institute of Ontario, along with IICRC-recognized training in water damage restoration and mould awareness.
Chris Boynton – Chief Human Resources Officer
Chris is responsible for the building and transformation of FirstOnSite’s Human Resources & Safety functions into a cohesive, integrated national service.
Chris has an extensive background in human resources within multiple industries including construction, health care, manufacturing, transportation, retail, engineering and telecom. He has held several leadership roles, both regional and international in scope, and for organizations as diverse as venture capitalist-owned companies, government, family-owned business and US-based Fortune 500 corporations.
Most recently he was the SVP of HR and Communications with Prestige Telecom Inc., overseeing HR, real estate, public relations, safety, payroll and quality. Prior to this, he led HR for the corporate division of Canadian Tire.
Chris holds a B.A. from the University of Western Ontario and a Certified Human Resources Management (CHRM) designation from the Human Resources Professionals Association of Ontario (HRPAO), and has conducted several teaching and speaking engagements.