Ken Whiting - Head Honcho - ken@helipress.com
Heliconia is lead by World Champion kayaker, Ken Whiting. Ken is one of the most influential and respected paddlers in the world, and was recognized as such by Paddler Magazine as one of their 'Paddlers of the Century.' Ken was the 1997/98 World Freestyle Kayaking Champion, the 1998 Japan Open Champion, and a five-time Canadian champion. Since 1998, Ken has written and produced a best-selling and award-winning series of instructional books and videos. In 2002, Ken retired from competition, stepped back from the management of the Ottawa River-based kayak school Liquid Skills, and became entirely focused on the growth of The Heliconia Press.
Nicole Whiting - Sales Animal - sales@helipress.com
Before tying the knot with Ken in life and in business, Nicole was a full time whitewater kayaker working, traveling and competing internationally. Her major athletic goal was realized when she captured the gold at the World Championships on the Ottawa in 1997. Shortly after the win, Nicole switched gears and headed out to Vancouver to pursue an entrepreneurial career in event management. This business experience came in handy when she returned to the Ottawa Valley and joined The Heliconia Press in 2003 as manager of operations. Her energy, enthusiasm, organizational skills and sales savvy have been invaluable in its growth.
Brendan Mark - S&M Director - brendan@helipress.com
Growing up on the Ottawa River, Brendan was a dedicated force on the international paddling scene - representing Canada for over eight years in both Freestyle and Squirt kayaking. There's no doubt that, combined with an honours business degree in marketing, Brendan's industry savoir-faire has been a key asset for The Heliconia Press. His victory at the 2003 World Championships in Graz, Austria, completed his quest for medals and set the stage to begin work with Ken Whiting and Heliconia. If you're keen to sell or sponsor Heliconia products, please give Brendan a call!
Will brings a wealth of experience to Heliconia, most recently moving from a three-year role as the Creative Producer for S4 Potential where he specialized in the production of media-rich educational software and interactive video. Will also brings creativity, dynamism and plenty of cans of diet soda. Richardson holds a degree from the renowned Theatre program at Ryerson University in Toronto and completed a directing apprenticeship at the Centaur Theatre in Montreal. Since then he has acted in several television shows and written and directed for both theatre and film.
