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Applied technologies

Visionary entrepreneurs = successful businesses

	Dominique Brown President, Beenox inc.
	Mixing work and play Beenox, a leader in the field of video game development, was founded by Dominique Brown, who hails from the Quebec City region. After Beenox joined Activision in 2005, Dominique stayed at the helm in the hopes of realizing his dream of taking his company to the top. As a result, Beenox enjoys a dynamic international reputation and continues to grow thanks to games like “Guitar Hero”, which has sold nearly 10 million units, and “Quantum of Solace”, the latest in the popular “James Bond” series.
Dominique Brown Founder, Beenox President, National School of Interactive Entertainment (ENDI) Beenox Founded in 2000 Video game development studio Headquartered in Quebec City Subsidiary of Activision Blizzard (USA) Number of employees: 274 Growth: staff levels have tripled (2007-2008) Ranked in the world’s top 50 video game developers, March 2008, Game Developer Research Best employer in Quebec (2008), small business category, 2008 Best Employers Challenge, Order of Certified Human Resources and Industrial Relations Consultants (CRHA/CRIA)

Beenox is a key player in the booming video game sector, in which Quebec ranks sixth worldwide.

By 2000, Dominique had grown bored with his computer science courses and developed a passion for programming his own games. When his employer relocated, he used the opportunity to launch Beenox. He recruited various video game-playing colleagues and his team was ready to go. The intervening years have brought a string of successes. “I worked out my business plan at home before I launched the company,” he notes.

A born entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship appears to be passed on from father to son in the Brown family. Dominique, the eldest of eight children, was independent and resourceful from an early age, driven by a burning desire to succeed. “I wanted to move out before I was 18, but I was too young.”

When he was 11, Dominique informed his mother that he planned to create a video game company. His dream became a reality a few years later when he was in his early 20s. Still, it wasn’t soon enough! With his business plan burning a hole in his pocket, Dominique got his business licence at age 16 and incorporated just before his 18th birthday. “The waiting was unbearable. I just couldn’t handle it. I took the fastest road I could to bring my plans and my dreams to fruition.”

Before Dominique was even old enough to found Beenox, he was already dabbling in schoolyard ventures. “I never had any shortage of ideas. I remember creating my own alternative currency when I was in elementary school. The teachers soon put a stop to it when they saw how much influence I had over the other kids!”

A talented team

Beenox’s greatest strength lies in the creativity and talent of its employees. In a sign of its abiding concern for their well-being, Beenox was named best employer in Quebec in 2008.

No surprise there! According to Dominique, Beenox’s employees have a good quality of life with excellent working conditions. “We depend on the creativity of our employees and their incredible talents. We also take a different view of hierarchy, seeing it as a network of partners. There is no superior/subordinate relationship. And that philosophy begins with management.”

Versatility and expertise also work to the company’s advantage. Beenox offers products on various platforms (Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Playstation 2 and 3 and PC) . In addition to the latest “James Bond” title and an upcoming “Guitar Hero” game, Beenox’s array of games includes “Spiderman”; “Kung Fu Panda” and “Bee Movie”.

In addition to the Quebec City region’s vaunted quality of life, commercial rental rates provide another advantage for Beenox. It helped create a quality assurance branch last year, creating 80 new jobs in que Quebec Region. “In any event, with market globalization, a company’s physical and geographic location has only a minimal impact in the information technology and communications sector.”

Dominique also seeks to promote high-quality training programs. He oversees the brand new National School of Interactive Entertainment (ENDI), which has benefited the entire region. “Our industry came into its own amidst a labour shortage so we’re used to dealing with that. When we needed employees, we had to train them from scratch.”

Dominique Brown has further ambitions for Beenox, including becoming number one in the world. To that end, he had no hesitations about joining Activision. His dreams of global success may actually be just around the corner: Activision recently joined forces with Vivendi Games to create Activision Blizzard, the world’s leading interactive entertainment company.

Cécile Gladel

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