52 | FORTY UNDER 40 2016 PUBLISHED BY BUSINESS IN VANCOUVER
AGE
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TYLER SMYRSKI
yler Smyrski never had to rack his brain to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. In Grade 10, Smyrski visited the nowdefunct Vancouver Stock Exchange on a field trip. He was immediately taken with the fancy suits, cellphones and tall buildings. “That is what I wanted to do,” said the University of British Columbia commerce grad and partner at Yellow Point Equity Partners. “I wanted to sit in an office and look out at nice views and talk on the phone.” That idea put him on the right track. In 2004, Smyrski joined Yellow Point, a firm that manages $300 million in assets and has invested in 19 local companies. A cha r tered busi ness eva luator, Smyrski has been involved with several of these companies through all stages of their development, assisting management and helping with growth strategies. Smyrski directs Bravo Target Safety LP, Remcan Projects LP and Viper Innovation. In his role, Smyrski regularly has to assess and coach business leaders. Good leadership is fairly simple to identify, he said. “The ones that tend to do the best are the ones where the people running the business have taken money out of their own pocket and invested into it,” he said. “It just creates that permanent feeling and makes them feel like owners instead of working for someone else.” He said the alarm bells ring pretty clearly when it comes to companies to avoid investing in. “As soon as you get a sniff that maybe somebody isn’t fully transparent with things, those are the red flags you try to stay away from.” Smyrski said he learned that asking
Birthplace: Richmond Where you live now: Yaletown Highest level of education: CPA, CA Currently reading: Competition Demystified: A Radically Simplified Approach to Business
40 Under Forty 2016_60 pages_11.07_132.indd 52
Partner, Yellow Point Equity Partners
CHUNG CHOW
simple questions of executives is the best way to focus their goals. “People get caught up in the details,” he said. “[I say] ‘Tell me in 10 words what I should take away from that.’ It forces them to think about a bigger picture, which often leads to better answers.” Changing personnel is the toughest part of his job. “Just be open with people about what’s going on,” he said. “Be grateful for the contributions they have made in the past.”
The ones that tend to do the best are the ones where the people running the business have taken money out of their own pocket and invested into it
Strategy by Bruce Greenwald and Judd Kahn
Profession you would most like to try: Astrophysicist
Currently listening to: Closer, The Chainsmokers
Toughest business or professional decision: Any time you have to change the person in a job
When you were a kid, what you wanted to be when you grew up: Football player
biggest failure is not failing to achieve your goal, but rather setting your goal too low What’s left to do: We are just getting started
Advice you would give the younger you: Set your goals high. The
2016-11-23 1:14 PM