VIQ Solutions Appoints Chief Operating Officer to drive growth and adoption of its innovative AI voice technology platform and expand its transcription business


Appointment accelerates adoption of VIQ’s AI technology aiAssistTM and software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings for key markets.

TORONTO, Sept. 05, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- VIQ Solutions Inc. (“VIQ” or the “Company”) (TSX Venture: VQS), a global expert providing a cyber-secure AI technology and service platform to unlock the value of its customers enterprise digital media and evidence, is pleased to announce the appointment of Susan Sumner, a highly experienced international executive, as Chief Operating Officer.

“Susan brings extensive experience in operations, process and technology having held executive leadership positions within one of the largest providers of natural language processing document solutions, serving the medical industry,” said Sebastien Paré, President and CEO of VIQ. "Susan’s combination of experience and leadership provides a key capability for delivering on our AI technology focus.”

As Chief Operating Officer, Mrs. Sumner’s primary mandate is to build a world-class operational infrastructure to ensure quality and scale to support rapid revenue growth and to deploy core technologies capable of adapting to global market requirements building off of VIQ’s innovative AI technology platform aiAssistTM.

Aggressively focusing on this operational foundation ensures VIQ’s customers a simple to use, highly accurate machine-generated digital transcript draft service will accelerate the uptake of VIQ’s AI technology within the voice-to-text markets, greatly increase revenue and position it to develop further purpose-built AI innovations for its key global markets. These strategies align well with increasing software-as-a-service (SaaS) offerings that VIQ is delivering to reduce upfront customer costs.

With over 30 years in executive leadership and operations management roles in Fortune 500 companies, Ms. Sumner has successfully combined several middle-market operating companies in the medical transcription space generating a successful exit for capital providers. Prior to joining VIQ Solutions, Ms. Sumner was Vice President of Nuance Corporations Healthcare ambulatory division where she oversaw the acquisition and integration of multiple transcription and IT platform businesses. 

“I am excited and energized to join the VIQ team at this critical time as we accelerate the deployment of the core technologies and invest in delivering on our global brand.  I am driven by the opportunity to preserve what is great in this industry but to utilize innovative technologies to redefine all that we can deliver to our customers and partners,” said Susan Sumner.

Company also announced that on September 4, 2018, it granted 1,200,000 stock options to executives of the Company.

The options were granted in accordance with the Company’s stock option plan and have an exercise price of $0.145 per share, with a five-year term, vesting one third on the grant date, one third on the first anniversary of the grant date and one third on the second anniversary of the grant date

VIQ Solutions is a global expert in video and voice-to-text capture, providing a cyber-secure AI technology and service platform to law enforcement, immigration, medical, legal, insurance, courts, and transcription service providers, enabling them to unlock the value of its customers enterprise digital media and streamline their document-creation workflow using artificial intelligence tools for measurable business gains.

For further information: Peter Kostandenou, Chief Marketing Officer, VIQ Solutions, (905) 948-8266 ext. 213, email: peter@viqsolutions.com.

For more information about VIQ, please visit www.viqsolutions.com.

About VIQ Solutions

VIQ Solutions Inc. (TSX Venture: VQS) is the leading technology and service platform provider for digital evidence capture, management and AI processing of enterprise media. Our secure modular software allows customers to onboard the VIQ platform at any stage of their organization's digitization, from the capture of digital content from video and audio devices through to online collaboration, mobility, data analytics and AI processing to mine evidence archives. VIQ's technology leads the industry in security, meeting the highest international standards for digital cybersecurity and privacy, including military and medical regulations.

Our solutions are in use in over 20 countries with tens of thousands of users in over 800 government and private agencies including law enforcement, immigration, medical, legal, insurance, courts, and transcription service providers. VIQ also provides end to end transcription services to several large government agencies through our Australia-based reporting and transcription partners. VIQ operates worldwide with partners like security integrators, audio-video specialists, and hardware and data storage suppliers.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements included in this news release constitute forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements or information are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans relating to the future. Readers are cautioned that reliance on such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements or information typically contain statements with words such as "anticipate", "believe", "expect", "plan", "intend", "estimate", "propose", "project" or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding an outlook. Forward-looking statements or information in this news release include, but are not limited to, management’s targets for the Company’s growth in 2018, as well as the size, scope, and timing of the implementation of projects currently in the pilot phase.

Forward-looking statements or information is based on several factors and assumptions which have been used to develop such statements and information, but which may prove to be incorrect. Although VIQ believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements or information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements because VIQ can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. In addition to other factors and assumptions which may be identified in this news release, assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, the Company’s recent initiatives, and that sales and prospects may provide incremental value for shareholders. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all factors and assumptions which have been used.

Forward-looking statements or information are based on current expectations, estimates and projections that involve several risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by VIQ and described in the forward-looking statements or information. These risks and uncertainties may cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements or information. Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list is not exhaustive of all possible risks and uncertainties.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.