22
BIV 2010 FORTY UNDER 40
December 28, 2010–January 3, 2011 Business in Vancouver
Christopher V. Flett
Wendy Chu
CEO, Flett Ventures Inc. Age: 36
Chief operating officer, Peterson Investment Group Age: 35
“Men are focused on the bottom line, while women are focused on building relationships that are mutually beneficial”
I
t’s a testament to how much progress has been made in women’s rights that Christopher V. Flett’s message still sounds so surprising to so many people. The long road to gender equality has seen breakthroughs in almost all levels of society, but that road has stopped abruptly at the corporate boardroom door. The popular corporate speaker and author of What Men Don’t Tell Women About Business has made it his life’s work to change that. “When men read my books, they’re like, ‘That’s common sense,’” he said. “When women read them, they’re like, ‘I can’t believe it’s actually like that.’” His book focuses on the different management styles that men and women tend to have and how women can use that knowledge to succeed in what has traditionally been a “man’s world.”
“Men are focused on the bottom line,” he said, “while women are focused on building relationships that are mutually beneficial.” One of the factors in the 2008 recession, according to Flett, was the tendency of male CEOs to pursue a financial goal by destroying everything in its way. “The recession was the first time that the light was shone on what men weren’t doing in business,” he said. Flett’s interest in workplace gender issues goes back to his childhood. “Having a strong mom, I saw that there was a different dynamic between my mom doing business versus my dad doing business,” he said. “When I entered the corporate world, I saw that the difference was night and day.” Although Flett has worked with a number of female business leaders, he finds that many of them face the same barriers as their younger colleagues. “We’ve just started to turn the boat,” he said. “The boat hasn’t turned yet.” Ą
Birthplace: New Glasgow, Nova Scotia Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of arts in history Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW 540i Currently reading: Worth Dying For by Lee Child Last CD bought or music downloaded: B.o.B. presents: the Adventures of Bobby Ray Favourite local restaurant: Pied-à-Terre Profession you would most like to try: Restaurant critic Mentor: Hoping Richard Branson wants the job Toughest business or professional decision: Firing my first corporate client Advice you would give the younger you: Choose your partners carefully What’s left to do: Open an office in Paris and take some cooking lessons at the Cordon Bleu
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or Wendy Chu, it’s all about the people. The 35-year-old COO of Peterson Investment Group – a commercial real estate investor and developer – credits her company’s success to her colleagues and the culture they’ve built over the years. “At Peterson Group, we always talk about our family culture. It’s about taking care of each other,” she said. “The way we handle our relationships, the way we do business, we think about why we’re trying to put a deal together, not necessarily about the ratios and checkmarks.” Chu came to Vancouver from Toronto when she was 25. “I think it was just being in the right place at the right time, being in real estate in probably the best 10 years to be in real estate in Vancouver.” At the time, Peterson was a fledgling company where everyone pitched in, including Chu. “It was about not being afraid to give more than I got at the time and just trying to do more than what my role was.”
The corporate culture at Peterson allowed the company to weather the 2008 recession. “Because of our reputation and our relationships, we bought Langara Gardens in 2009, which was one of the largest residential transactions in Canada,” she said. “We were actually able to grow in 2009.” Chu credits her success to the values instilled in her during those times. “The people are very important at Peterson Group, and we are what we are today not because everyone is counting their minutes of overtime, but because everyone was going above and beyond.” Ą
Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario Where you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: University of Toronto, B.Com, CMA designation Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW X5 Currently reading: MAC Life magazine Last CD bought or music downloaded: Lady Gaga, The Fame Monster Favourite local restaurant: Too many choices but if I must - Hapa Izakaya, for the Japanese tapas Profession you would most like to try: Interior designer Mentor: Various throughout my life stages Toughest business or professional decision: In general, going against the grain when making decisions. The toughest ones are those that affect the lives of others Advice you would give the younger you: Do not be afraid to fail. Do not be concerned of what you are getting in return for your efforts. Try to be more than what people expect of you (over achieve expectations) and dream big What’s left to do: Everything. I’m not done with improving my career but there is so much more to learn and do in life. From travelling to see more of the world and other perspectives of life, learning everything imaginable, making a difference in other’s lives through work or personal activities
“At Peterson Group, we always talk about our family culture. It’s about taking care of each other”
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