John Paterson

John Paterson is the Founder and CEO of Quadshift, where he acquires and builds vertical-market software companies. Under his leadership, Quadshift focuses on acquiring mission-critical software in regulated and essential industries, transforming standalone businesses into category-defining platforms. John’s strategic mandate is centered on rigorous M&A underwriting, building deep vertical density, and deploying a powerful engine of shared corporate capabilities spanning financial operations, GTM, and AI enablement, to ensure Quadshift’s operating companies win for the long term.

Before founding Quadshift, John served as CEO of Shift Marketing, a business he acquired with partners Danny Ardellini, Paul Coffey, and Dave Gurney in 2017. That acquisition served as the foundational seed for Quadshift’s evolution into a scaled software ecosystem. Earlier in his career, he led the successful operational turnaround and eventual sale of a distressed hotel and restaurant in downtown Toronto. He also analyzed and underwrote more than $400 million in private debt and private equity fund investments at Sun Life’s Private Fixed Income Group. John graduated with Distinction from the Ivey Business School, is a CFA charterholder, and earned a web development certificate from General Assembly.