Raymond Bergen was in the Royal Canadian Navy from 1959 to 1969. After going through basic training, Mr. Bergen attended Naval Technical School with a chosen field of engineering. After graduating first in his class he became an Engineering Petty Officer and served aboard the H.M.C.S. Stettler. Mr. Bergen then successfully completed the Royal Canadian Navy Preparatory School program, ranking fifth in each year. Next Mr. Bergen obtained a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Victoria, Faculty of Mathematics, while spending his summers on board ship receiving training to become a naval officer. In 1969 Mr. Bergen purchased his release from the Royal Canadian Navy in lieu of serving five years after graduation in order to join IBM Canada Ltd.
Mr. Bergen worked at IBM Canada Limited from 1969 to 1976. He was employed as a marketing representative and project manager for the sale and marketing of data processing equipment primarily to the Federal Government in Ottawa. His accomplishments while at IBM were as follows:
- IBM Sales School Honour Graduate
- Five times member of IBM 100% Club (met sales targets each year while he was a marketing representative)
- Achieved second highest sales results in Canada in his second year as a marketing representative
- Received IBM Canada’s Marketing Excellence Award in his third year
Mr. Bergen’s career in real estate began in 1976 as a licensed real estate salesman with Macaulay Nicolls Maitland Real Estate Ltd. He specialized in the sale and leasing of commercial, industrial and investment properties in the Greater Vancouver area.
In 1979 Mr. Bergen left Macaulay Nicolls Maitland Real Estate Ltd. and formed Canreal Management Corporation and Bergen Properties Ltd. Both companies are active today. Bergen Properties Ltd. is focused on acquiring investment properties for syndication.
From 1984 to 1988 Mr. Bergen was also a 25% shareholder of Town Group Realty Ltd. and was actively involved in the management of the business. At the time, Town Group Realty Ltd. was a real estate brokerage company that specialized in the sale and leasing of commercial industrial and investment properties.