Marc Raymond is well known throughout the industry, having established Westsun in 1978 and serving as its CEO for over two decades. He was among the first to envision and develop the concept of fully integrated systems, and today is recognized as an industry leader in all areas of entertainment technology.

Marc was born, raised and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where a neighborhood teen named Neil Young was often heard practicing in a local garage, and The Guess Who were putting the prairie city on the map. Like almost every other teenager at the time, Marc picked up an instrument (bass guitar), started a band, and headed for fame and fortune.

Playing in local bands throughout his undergraduate years at the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Architecture, Marc always took a keen interest in the sound and lighting equipment needed for each engagement, and developed a relationship with the rental company that serviced most of the entertainment events in town. That interest became a full time career in 1974 when Marc joined the company Centurion Sound and in four years expanded it from a small local rental house to the region's largest supplier of concert sound systems, with an active touring division.

Marc opened a lighting division at Centurion in 1977 and spun it off into his own company, Westsun Media Ltd. In 1978. Again the company started off as a local rental house, growing steadily to include sales and installations, touring, and specialty divisions.

In 1985 Marc founded Westsun Vancouver with partner Phil Bernard to service a variety of technical needs throughout Expo '86 and the busy west coast market in general. The company took a major step onto the international events stage, winning the lighting contract for the Closing Ceremonies at the Calgary Winter Olympics in 1988.

While the company grew rapidly in all areas under Marc's leadership, the period between 1989 and 1999 saw Westsun International Inc. gain recognition as a leading North American supplier to Broadway and the theatrical touring business. During that decade the company equipped award-winning shows including PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, SHOWBOAT, RAGTIME, THE LION KING and MAMMA MIA. Westsun's concert clients included Billy Joel, Britney Spears, N'Sync and Sarah McLaughlin's Lilith Fair, while notable installations included the Staples Center in Los Angeles and the Madame Tussaud's museums in New York and Las Vegas. Under his leadership, Westsun grew to maintain operations in seven cities throughout Canada and the U.S. with annual sales of over $70 million. In 1996 he was the recipient of the Entrepreneur of the Year award from the Young Associates of the Faculty of Management at the University of Manitoba.

In early 2000 Marc and partner Phil Bernard sold their interests in Westsun, returning the following year to the business they still shared a passion for with the founding of Q1 Production Technologies where he guided the company's growth and prominence in the fields of theatre, concert touring and system installation.

Today Marc defines his role at Epic as that of strategic planner, identifying opportunities for growth, guiding direction, and maintaining the high standards of performance established by the founding companies. Marc's outside interests and activities have included membership in the Young Presidents Organization since 1991, enrolment in the Harvard President's Seminar in 1998, and membership on the Pan Am Games Winnipeg Opening and Closing Ceremonies Committee. Currently Marc maintains active membership in World Presidents Organization and its associate group, Chief Executives Organization a combined network of international business leaders. He is still a weekend bass player, an avid skier and Harley enthusiast, but maintains that the business he's in is still his number one passion.

Marc Raymond