Canadian Companies Similar to US Companies

Canadian businesses (61%) lead U.S. firms (17%), in viewing protecting customer privacy as an opportunity to improve customer relationships with trust and brand loyalty. U.S. firms regard it more as a way of complying with legislation and avoiding lawsuits.
 
Three-quarters of Canadian companies, compared to 1/2 of U. S., assigned a senior executive as privacy officer.  Only 50% of U.S. companies, compared to 82% Canadian had privacy-training programs.  Only 43% of US, compared to 71% Canadian, had awareness activities for new employees.
Canadian companies are more concerned with insider misuse of data, with U.S. more concerned with protecting data from outsiders, such as hackers.
 
Canadian Venture Capital is not generating as acceptable rates of return for their investors as U.S.  In Canada, capital allocation and financing are inefficient, often with too small VC funds.  2005 data shows, in terms of the number of financings, 53% of Canadian investments, compared to 33% in US, are early stage.  In terms of dollars, 49% of capital invested in Canada, compared to 19% in U.S., goes into early stage companies.  Canadian companies go public at an earlier stage, with lower market capitalization.

Early stage financing in U.S. averages $5.7 million, vs. $2.6 million in Canada.  Later stage investment is almost 4 times larger, $11.8 million in US vs. $3.2 million in Canada.

More Canadian than U.S. companies are sold too early due to lack of capital resources or sufficient market penetration, without enough acquisition or public offerings.  Canadian firms are not as merger-ready as US companies. Improved HR functions proved 80% successful in mergers and acquisitions.

Corporate fraud in Canada is not on the same scale as in United States.   Unlike United States, Canada does not have a national securities commission.  Securities regulation is the responsibility of provincial and territorial governments, each province with their own legislation.

More Canadian public companies have a controlling shareholder compared to U.S.  Average retainers for Canadian board members were only 1/2 those paid by US. Over 3/4 of Canadian boards (80% compared to 62% in U.S.) have minimum equity ownership requirements for directors.  U.S. leads in women board representation.