Biography
Garrett Wasny, BA Hons., MA, CMC (Certified Management Consultant), CITP (Certified International Trade Professional), FIBP (FITT International Business Professional) is an award-winning Internet author, columnist, speaker and professional development consultant in Vancouver, Canada (and former Price Waterhouse management consultant in Winnipeg).
Garrett's mission is to share his passion for web technologies and educate business professionals of all stripes in industries ranging from accounting to construction to health care how to use new Internet search, cloud, social and mobile tools to increase productivity, cut costs and accelerate workflow.
Garrett has authored three books, five e-books and hundreds of published articles. Since 1995, Garrett has developed and delivered 1,000+ professional development events to hundreds of organizations in North America, Europe and Asia. He is the author of How to Conquer the World (Government Institutes, Washington, D.C., 1999). In their May 10, 1999 review, Washington, D.C.-based Journal of Commerce called Garrett's book "comprehensive ... informative ... insightful ... a directory of international trade resources that provides marketing information and statistics for every state and virtually every country ... a compendium of advice and strategies for doing international trade on the Internet." Garrett is also the author of World Business Resources.com (McGraw Hill, New York City, 2000) and co-author of Using the Web to Compete in a Global Marketplace (John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1999).
His writing credits include the Financial Post, World Trade, Mashable, Bottom Line (Canada’s leading magazine for accountants and financial professionals), Backbone (Canada's business, technology and lifestyle magazine), Business in Vancouver, Business and the Law, Small Business Week, Trade and Commerce, Access Americas, Pacific Coast Trade, Global Production, Expansion Management, Canada West Foundation, Tom Peters On Achieving Excellence, NBC News Chicago, Oportunidad Canada Mexico, Long Beach Magazine, Vancouver View, Selkirk Journal, Greater Winnipeg Business and Google Blogoscoped.
In 2000 and 2001, Garrett wrote a nationally syndicated small business e-commerce column for Knight-Ridder Tribune Information in Washington, D.C. The bi-weekly column provided advice to small businesspeople across the continent on global e-business. The column appeared in dozens of leading newspapers in the U.S. and Canada. These included the San Francisco Examiner, Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star Telegram, Houston Chronicle, Cincinnati Enquirer, Vancouver Province and Winnipeg Free Press.
His accounting clients include the most trusted, respected and successful professional associations and financial organizations in North America and the world. These include Thomson Reuters Audit Watch, Western CPE, CPE Link, CPE Credit, Tax Executives Institute, Avant Resources, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Australia, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bermuda, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, Institute of Chartered Accountants of British Columbia, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Alberta, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Saskatchewan, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Manitoba, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario, Chartered Accountants Education Foundation of British Columbia, Chartered Accountants Education Foundation of Alberta, Certified General Accountants of Canada, Certified General Accountants of British Columbia and Certified General Accountants of Alberta.
Garrett's presentation clients include leading industry associations and trade expos across North America and Europe. These include the American Electronics Association, Internet World New York, Internet World Chicago, Internet World Oslo, Internet World Toronto, Milwaukee World Trade Centre, North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Association, Hawaii Tropical Flower Council, Forum for International Trade Training, Sacramento Regional Center for International Trade Development, California Mexico Trade Assistance Centre, Waukesha County Technical College, California Community College Economic Development Network, Alliance of Manufacturers and Exporters, Vancouver Board of Trade, Manitoba Food Processors Association, Canadian Equipment Distributors Association, Technology Industries Association of British Columbia, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Farm Credit Canada, Vancouver Economic Development Commission, and BC Aerospace Industries Association.
Garrett has been the recipient of numerous writing, presentation and website awards. These include two national Price Waterhouse Canada writing awards, a 4+ speaker award from Internet World New York, a Study Web award and ExpoWorld Gold Seal award for website development, and a comedy writing award from Gene Perret's Comedy Roundtable (Gene was Bob Hope's head comedy writer).
Garrett's other interests include:
- Multimedia. Garrett has produced live action and animated videos for Reflecmedia, Simon Winthrop (a Las Vegas magician), the Deafblind Services Society of BC, aboriginalcarvers, numerous Vancouver nightclubs, and retirement events.
- Real estate. Garrett manages and promotes real estate.
- Magic. Garrett is an amateur magician.
- Music. Garrett formerly played lead guitar for Hoosli, a Winnipeg-based Ukrainian folk ensemble. Garrett played on the Hoosli II album and participated in several of the group's US and Canadian tours. Garrett also played lead guitar for Al Simmons -- the Juno-award-winning children's entertainer. Garrett backed up Al when he played at the Winnipeg Folk Festival and opened for kd lang (just before she got famous!)