Executive Team

Our Executive Team

Mike Benteau, President

Mike Benteau is the founder and president of University First Class Painters and has been with the company since its inception in 1982. Mike’s hands-on management style has allowed him to obtain the skills and knowledge required for every level of the painting industry. Mike bases his business model on the basic principle of providing value to both clients and our student managers by focusing on efficiency, affordability, and customer experience. His years of experience and natural leadership qualities continue to place University First Class Painters at the painting industry’s leading edge.

 Andrew, Atlantic Regional Manager

He started his career with UFCP in 2003 while he was in his first year of a Business Programme at Memorial University. He has operated painting businesses throughout the country including operations in Alberta, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick. Due to his extensive knowledge of procedures, he has won numerous awards for achievement in sales and production. He was promoted to Regional Manager of Atlantic Canada and attributes his success to hard work and a willingness to improve performance continuously.

Chris, Alberta Regional Manager

Chris joined UFCP in 2004 as a Student Manager in Halifax, NS and became the National Rookie Manager of the Year in the same year. With strong leadership qualities and a willingness to get the job done, he was promoted to District Manager of Nova Scotia in 2007, and then promoted to Regional Manager of the Atlantic provinces for the 2008 season. In late 2008 Chris relocated to take over the Regional Manager role in the Western Region. Chris teaches his managers how to run successful and profitable businesses based on his vast knowledge of the market, products, and customer base. He encourages his managers to perform top quality jobs by exceeding customer expectations.

Devon, British Columbia Regional Manager

Devon is currently in his 9th year with University First Class Painters. Devon started with the company in 2006 while obtaining his Bachelor of Commerce at Saint Mary’s University. In his first year with UFCP, Devon received the Eastern Manager of the Year Award and continued to excel from there. By his third season, Devon was promoted to District Manager in Vancouver, BC and then to Regional Manager for the province. He hopes to guide many more student managers through a successful, profitable, and rewarding experience.

Spearin Murray, District Manager Edmonton

Spearin joined UFCP in 2016 as a franchise manager. His abilities made him a natural leader in the business. He possesses a strong skill set, experience and knowledge that makes him an ideal mentor for our Edmonton team. Spearin as the Edmonton District manager is our go to guy for all of our student managers in the Edmonton area.

Virginia Greer, District Manager for Atlantic Canada

Virginia started her career with UFCP in 2019 while she was in her first year studying Mechanical Engineering at Dalhousie University.

Now in her fourth summer with us, Virginia has won several awards for her efforts including 2019 UFCP National Manager and Rookie of the Year and more recently, the 2021 National Achiever of the Year.

In 2022, she was promoted to her current role of District Manager providing training and mentorship to the new managers in Atlantic Canada.

You can find Virginia in the South End of Halifax this summer for all your painting needs.

Karen Benteau, Office Administrator

Karen started her career with University First Class Painters in 1987 and has helped promote and grow the company. As the Administrative Director, Karen supervises all administrative functions related to the regular operation of the organisation. With her practical business experience, Karen can anticipate the needs of the operators and their clients, allowing her to provide daily support to student managers and office staff.

Lauren Dominix, Executive Administrative Assistant

Lauren returned to the Head Office team after a brief hiatus. She brings a diverse skillset and an in-depth knowledge of the student painting industry. She is responsible for various tasks, including Student Manager support, customer service, event planning, social media, courier coordination, and document management. Her friendly demeanour and willingness to help is a huge asset that was missed by all!

Matt Aikens, Web Developer

Matt is our dedicated software specialist provided by our 3rd party software supplier, Esti-mate Online Ltd. Matt helped develop the YMS web application, used by the head office administration team, regional managers, student managers, and their employees. He continues to develop and maintain YMS as well as the corporate website. Matt got his diploma in Information Technology, Programming Concentration from Nova Scotia Community College, Technical Campus in 2011 while interning at CGI. Matt was a Web Developer at Simplycast from 2011 to 2012 before becoming a web developer at Esti-MateOnline, where he has been since.