Forty under 40 - 2012 edition

After 22 years, Business in Vancouver continues to recognize the outstanding leadership, business acumen and community contributions of exceptional young professionals

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40

What’s left to do: Everything!

WINNERS Amir Adnani—42 Phillippe Arrata—34 David Barr—16 Greg Bobolo—5 John-Paul Bogden—35 Andrew Booth—16 Stuart Breen—40 Carl Brown—26 Jason Carvalho—44 Yael Cohen—12 Leah Costello—14 Chris Davies—3 Mandeep Dhaliwal—24 Catherine Dorazio—3 Don Gauvreau—43 Patrick Haney—33 Eric Hogan—22 Salim Janmohamed—41 Mik Kersten—30 Omar Ladak—32 Juanita Lohmeyer—10 Karn Manhas—18 Trevor McCaw—39 Navid Meghji—31 Doug Nelson—46 Matthew Quinlan—29 Shahrzad Rafati—36 Ted Reid—38 Levi Sampson—8 Spencer Sheinin—37 Juggy Sihota-Chahil—17 Aaron Smith—20 Arjan Stephens—25 Alexa UlinderBaughen—45 David Watson—4 Evan Wood—27 Tressa Wood—28 Andrew Wilkinson—15 Maili Wong—6 Roy Yen—23

CONTACTUS PUBLISHER PRESIDENT/PUBLISHER |

Paul Harris

T

hat answer (or some variation thereof) is one we often get for the final response in our Forty under 40 questionnaire. And it’s not surprising.

So many winners have expressed in one way or another how full their lives are but at the same time how they feel they are just at the beginning of their careers and how much more there is to do.

Their daily lists include not only the extensive responsibilities of being business leaders, but extraordinary community work, mentorship, commitment to family and, in some cases, global travel and project development.

But at what cost does this workload come?

Some, like Yael Cohen, find that they sacrifice their health: “I was cancelling workouts to get an extra hour of work in, grabbing quick meals to save time and thought sleep was for the weak.”

Others never seem to get a day off. (Greg Bobolo would tell his younger self to take a vacation.)

And this year, about half a dozen of these outstanding business operators have advice that focuses on finding balance between work and family.

Both Stuart Breen and Andrew Booth counsel that careers are marathons, not

sprints. And Juanita Lohmeyer says she would have started meditating earlier.

How familiar is this refrain? Many of us cancel our own extra-curricular activities, and our social lives, travel, family time and heath all suffer when we’re so focused on squeezing in that one extra hour of work.

So what is the point of getting all this wonderful advice if we read it and do nothing?

While the bios on the following pages may inspire you to push yourselves further, take more risks and strive for higher levels of achievement, our winners would urge you to pay attention also to the guidance they would give their younger selves when it comes to finding balance.

Whether you’re launching your first startup or weathered with experience, use the information to create a workload – and life – that can be sustained.

Remember – it’s a marathon, not a sprint, so pace yourself as you go and do everything.

— Baila Lazarus, news features editor, Business in Vancouver

All photography by Dominic Schaefer except for Amir Adnani, David Barr, Andrew Booth, Leah Costello, Mandeep Dhaliwal, Patrick Haney, Mik Kersten, Mathew Quinlan, Shahrzad Rafati and Roy Yen Photo shoot location: CBC Vancouver Studios Photo manipulation and background images by Dominic Schaefer & Randall Pearsall

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encourages them to continue thriving in their careers and professional endeavours.

This is why Fasken Martineau rolled out an initiative called “Emerging Executives”. The initiative is designed to propel emerging leaders both within our firm and in the business community into business leadership positions as expeditiously as possible. Those who win a BIV Forty Under 40 Award are certainly among our business leaders and we’re pleased to know that the future of BC’s business community is in good hands.

On behalf of Fasken Martineau, I congratulate the winners and commend the achievements of all business professionals who are paving the way in Vancouver, across our province, and internationally.

Well done!

Will Westeringh

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Fasken Martineau is pleased to join Business in Vancouver in celebrating the winners of the 2012 BIV Forty Under 40 Awards.

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Congratulations! ach winner has worked hard and it is now their time to shine. We recognize and applaud their achievements. Being recognized as a leader in the business community is commendable; being acknowledged among 40 of the community’s top young professionals under the age of 40 is beyond commendable – it’s extraordinary.

Dynamic and adaptable, these individuals have the leadership, expertise and innovative ideas that every successful business professional needs in order to thrive. They are corporate over-achievers, entrepreneurs, and not-for-profit leaders who bring their outstanding contributions to their workplaces, and beyond to their communities. Their accomplishments and ambitions will continue to inspire others who are in the formative years of their careers for many years to come.

As one of British Columbia’s leading law firms, Fasken Martineau recognizes that highly motivated professionals who are passionate about their work are the key to the success of any organization.

Honouring the accomplishments of such individuals

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EDITORIAL

FORTYUNDER40 Catherine Dorazio Vice-president, Connor, Clark and Lunn Private Capital Age: 36

t the age of 35, Catherine Dorazio became the A youngest partner at Connor, Clark and Lunn Private Capital, only four years after joining the firm.

“Making partner was huge,” she said. “I was the first female partner and I’m still the only one.”

Dorazio said she benefited from Connor, Clark and Lunn’s earn-in partnership structure. Instead of having to go before a board of “old, gray-haired men” who may have judged her for being too young, too inexperienced and even too blonde, she earned her partnership through meeting sales targets.

Dorazio has a past life as a professional snowboarder, an experience she’s drawn on in the business world.

“It taught me a lot about myself, the drive and determination that came

alongside getting to those levels, but I knew it wasn’t going to be my career for life,” she said.

After a mentor took her to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange in her early 20s, Dorazio was hooked.

“Finance appeals to me for some of the glitz and glamour of the industry, but also knowing it was full of really smart people I would learn from and be challenged by,” she said.

She’s been driven to share her experience by speaking and writing about finance and appearing as a guest commentator on Global TV. Dorazio is active with several charities and fundraising events, including the BC Children’s Hospital Crystal Ball. She is on the advisory board of the Gustavson School of Business at the University of Victoria and was an establishing member of the Vancouver Forum for Women Entrepreneurs. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Finance appeals to me for some of the glitz and glamour of the industry, but also knowing it was full of really smart people I would learn from and be challenged by

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Chris Davies President and CEO, Chris’s Sign Service and Westcan

Lighting Age: 39

1990, when Chris Davies out of high school, Ihisndropped father gave him an old 1977 GM truck and told him to “do what you can with it.”

Davies proceeded to grow a sign and lighting business that dwarfed the one-truck operations of his father and uncles. He was inspired by his grandfather, who in the 1970s grew his lighting company, Dogwood Fluorescent Sales and Service, to be the second-largest lighting company in B.C. with $1 million in sales.

“He always instilled in me that you can do it … I definitely wanted to follow in his footsteps,” said Davies.

In the mid-1990s, Davies bought his grandfather’s business and merged it with his own.

Chris’s Sign Service now has 29 employees and counts itself among the largest sign companies in Western Canada.

Through its Westcan division, managed by partner John Thomasen, the company now operates in Alberta and plans to expand

to Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Both companies now focus almost entirely on lighting, especially energysaving LED technology.

“I got into something that I love. I get up every morning at four o’clock and I’m pumped and ready to go non-stop,” he said.

Business success has almost made up for Davies’ lack of a high school diploma, but not quite.

He recently applied to be a volunteer firefighter in Langley but was turned down because he had never completed high school.

“I always had a really hard time with school,” he said. “I failed a grade — I could not get through school if my life depended on it.”

Davies, who was diagnosed with dyslexia as an adult, is now in the process of completing his GED. He wants to show his two sons that education is important.

“It’s one thing that I instilled in my children, that they need to go to school,” he said. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

I got into something that I love. I get up every morning at four o’clock and I’m pumped and ready to go non-stop

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

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Birthplace: Victoria Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA in finance and negotiations, Monash University, Australia Car or chosen mode of transport: Range Rover Sport Supercharged Currently reading: Art of the Sale: Learning from the Masters About the Business of Life by Philip Delves Broughton Last CD bought or music downloaded: “Paradise” by Coldplay Favourite app: Whistler Blackcomb app Favourite local restaurant: Coast Profession you would most like to try: Real estate developer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not realizing the sacrifices and risks you have to make to separate yourself from everyone else Toughest business decision: Admitting what seemed like a great idea didn’t work Advice you would give the younger you: The only thing you can control is your contribution and reaction What’s left to do: Write a book, go heli-skiing, grow our family and take it all to the next level

Birthplace: Murrayville, B.C. Where do you live now: Langley Highest level of education: High school Car or chosen mode of transport: Ford F350 and for fun, my ’67 Mustang fastback Currently reading: Double Double by Douglas Hunter Last CD bought or music downloaded: Some Nights

by Fun Favourite app: Mine of course — the Chris’s Sign Service Favourite local restaurant: For a quick bite, Ban Chok Dee Thai restaurant close to home. For a special night out, it has to be Market by Jean-Georges in Vancouver Profession you would most like to try: A crab fisherman on the Bering Sea What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not having the passion, drive or commitment Toughest business or professional decision: To move forward and push through the toughest times in the early years Advice you would give the younger you: Be as focused as possible, have clear goals and surround yourself with great people that have the same passion and drive as you What’s left to do: To be the No. 1 sign and lighting service provider in all of Canada

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Four years in arts, University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: Toyota Tacoma Currently reading: The Leadership Pipeline: How to Build the Leadership Powered Company by Ram Charan, Stephen Drotter, James Noel; Unknown Pleasures: Inside Joy Division by Peter Hook Last CD bought or music downloaded: Smokey Rolls Down Thunder Canyon by Devendra Banhart Favourite app: Pulse for news; and Strava Cycling – for people riding around town it tells you the bike routes and people time how long it takes to get from A to B and no one knows who they are Favourite local restaurant: Chambar Profession you would most like to try: CEO of a global multi-national company with an emphasis on product innovation What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not having a good idea, or lack of how to execute when the idea is good Toughest business or professional decision: Scaling Sombrio to a multichannel retailer from a wholesale-driven platform Advice you would give the younger you: Surround yourself with mentors and be patient to develop your craft. Persevere as it will be worth it when it’s ready and scalable, then act with urgency and velocity to execute

FORTYUNDER40

David Watson CEO, Sombrio Age: 36

avid Watson grew up on a mountain bike; today D he’s sitting on a mountain of Sombrio sportswear; a brand that’s known to freeriders around the world. “I don’t ride professionally anymore,� he said. “You can only huck yourself so many times.�

At an age when most kids hang out at the mall, Watson won the title of Mountain Bike World Champion and was a member of Canada’s National Cycling Team. “I used to train all winter and surfed at Sombrio Beach in Victoria in the off-season.

I could picture the area as a bike park instead of a surfing beach and dreamed of doing a clothing line one day.�

Before his head turned to business, Watson spent his time carving out an entirely new way of mountain biking that is now recognized as freeriding.

These days, Watson is known in the sports apparel world for performance wear designed specially for freeriders. “I created the clothing because there was a void in the market. I used to break five bikes a year because they weren’t designed for freeriding. Clothes have to be specific too. They need

to have Lycra and be more wearable on and off the bike.�

Watson literally made the first clothes himself. He surrounded himself with people in the industry, went to trade shows and learned the craft. “I built up the product line one piece at a time.�

These days, Watson is reaching for new goals by taking the sport to kids in communities from Jordan to Costa Rica. â–

I created the clothing because there was a void in the market

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PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER

Greg Bobolo CEO, SendtoNews Age: 37

reg Bobolo honed his entrepreneurial spirit at G a young age while his father recovered from wisdom tooth surgery.

“I sold tickets to kids in my neighbourhood to see the ‘mangled monster.’”

While his father wondered about the steady stream of children through his house, Bobolo honed his ability to identify a hungry market.

Thankfully his parents were supportive.

“They were both entrepreneurs. I grew up in a very positive environment where I was told I could be anything I wanted.”

Before joining SendtoNews, Bobolo founded and led BPG (Bobolo Publications Group) and Dream House Productions to multimillion-dollar operations in seven years.

This achievement secured

him an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Award finalist nomination at 31 years old.

“When I was brought on [to SendtoNews], I saw enormous potential and loved the team in place. News organizations have a huge need for sports content and are lacking in resources to purchase it. I saw a clear direction for the company and started developing partnerships.”

Bobolo first tested the market with local sports team the Abbotsford Heat during a regular NHL season. When they generated 350,000 online views in one night, he knew the market was ripe for distribution.

Bobolo has fine-tuned his ability to identify a hungry market. SendtoNews just inked a multi-year video distribution deal with the American Hockey League.

Beginning in the 2012-2013 season it will distribute game highlights and video content to its News Partnership Network, made up of top TV, radio, print and online news outlets across North America and abroad. ■

I grew up in a very positive environment where I was told I could be anything I wanted

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DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Victoria Where do you live now: Vancouver and Victoria Highest level of education: Marketing and sales degree, BCIT/Langara College Car or chosen mode of transport: Air Canada planes and Mercedes SUV Currently reading: Double Double by Cameron Herold Last CD bought or music downloaded: Symphonicities

by Sting Favourite app: Uber for travelling: gets me where I need to go in style, on budget and in almost every city I travel to Favourite local restaurant: Blue Water Café Profession you would most like to try: Professional golfer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not enough cans and too many can’ts, risk aversion, small thinking, big thinking and observing all the rules.

If I’d observed all the rules I would have never gone anywhere Toughest business or professional decision: Selling my first company Advice you would give the younger you: Find balance and get a good support network because you’re not alone; there are other people with the “CEO disease.” Build a great team. Communicate better, and take a vacation

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Comm. in finance with honours, Sauder School of Business, UBC, and chartered financial analyst designation Car or chosen mode of transport: Mercedes GLK Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Coexist by the xx Favourite app: Babyconnect – it tracks our babies’ feeds, activities and milestones allowing my husband and I to be in touch with what our kids are doing realtime, at all times Favourite local restaurant: For dates with my husband, Cioppino’s in Yaletown. For sushi business lunches, Ajisai in Kerrisdale Profession you would most like to try: I love what I do, but I’ve always had an interest in studying medicine What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Fear of failure. There will always be challenges along the way, and it’s how one chooses to deal with them that separates success from failure Toughest business or professional decision: Returning to Vancouver from New York City Advice you would give the younger you: Always do what you believe is the right thing to do, seek out excellent mentors and ask lots of questions.

Remember to help others along the way so they can learn from your mistakes What’s left to do: Professionally, continue to grow my team into one of Canada’s leading wealth management advisory teams built on long-term relationships providing high-quality client service, value and advice.

Personally, being the best role model I can be for my children

FORTYUNDER40

Maili Wong Vice-president, portfolio manager and investment adviser, CIBC Wood Gundy Age: 33

aili Wong was only 30 years old when she M was named vice-president at HSBC Securities. She was one of the youngest investment advisers to be promoted to that position firm-wide.

But if it weren’t for her father, she would probably be a doctor right now.

Wong was on track to study science and pre-med at UBC when her dad, who is also an investment adviser, suggested she look into business courses.

“He thought it would fit my strengths and personality,” she said. “He’s probably the only Chinese man who told his daughter to forget medicine and go into business!”

Wong was one of only 16 students accepted to UBC’s portfolio-management foundation program, which allows students to manage a $3 million endowment.

“It was so fascinating to me, because I was able to research companies from all different industries and sectors but find common threads that made them successful,” she said.

In September of 2001, Wong moved to New York to work at Merrill Lynch’s headquarters, located right next door to the World Trade Center. Just one week after

she started work, two planes struck the twin towers.

The chaos that followed for days after the terrorist attack shook the 22-year-old Vancouverite “to my core.”

Against the urgings of her family, she decided to stay in New York.

“I had worked so hard to get that opportunity,” she said.

Wong returned to Vancouver in 2006 and joined her father’s team at the Wong Group. In 2011, the group was recruited to CIBC Wood Gundy. They are now one of the top-ranked investment teams in B.C. Now the mother of two children under three, Wong knows first-hand the challenges women face in finding work-life balance. She mentors other young women in business, and also created CIBC’s Leading Women in Wealth investment education series. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

It was so fascinating to me, because I was able to research companies from all different industries and sectors but find common threads that made them successful

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Yorkton, Saskatchewan Where do you live now: Victoria Highest level of education: Studied history and economics, University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: Jeep Grand Cherokee Currently reading: Going for Gold by Catriona Le May Doan Last CD bought or music downloaded: Some Nights

by Fun Favourite app: Twitter Favourite local restaurant: Smuggler’s Pub Profession you would most like to try: I think that being a pilot would be pretty interesting What you think stops people from succeeding in business: People who are not 100% committed to achieving their goals. People also need to listen to and take advice from qualified people around them, rather than only do things their way Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to restart Harmac Pacific with a new employee-owned model when all the analysts, and most of the media, were saying it was an idea doomed to fail Advice you would give the younger you: Find a healthy balance between work and personal life

FORTYUNDER40

Levi Sampson President, Harmac Pacific Chair of the board, CHEK Television Age: 30

evi Sampson’s story is what movies are made of.

L He saved two well-known Vancouver Island institutions from shutting down: Harmac Pacific and CHEK TV. Harmac Pacific was a pulp mill in Nanaimo for nearly 60 years when it went into receivership. Its employees were willing to put up their own money to buy the mill.

Growing up as a captain of his sports teams, leadership came naturally for Sampson.

“The mill was in its final throes when I floated the idea among other private investors.”

In addition to being the company’s principal backer to support the employee ownership model, Sampson soon became president.

“I love a challenge, no matter how big. The first thing I did was to visit our customer base around the world to tell them we were back in business.”

Harmac started with 220 employees and today 300 employees were thrilled to receive a very healthy dividend at Christmas.

CHEK TV had covered the fall and rise of Harmac and was in its own dire straits.

It was about to close after 50 years on the air. They reached out to Sampson. He provided guidance and then

became a principal backer.

Today CHEK is the only independent, employeeowned TV station in Canada. “I always wanted to do well in business, and local jobs mean a lot to me. We were able to keep 300 families on the Island.”

Sampson also helps in the community. He joined the David Foster Foundation board and was a co-host on

the Sky’s the Limit documentary series.

“The underlying message is to go after your dreams…. and don’t let someone say that you can’t do something.” ■

I always wanted to do well in business, and local jobs mean a lot to me. We were able to keep 300 families on the Island

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Regina Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Two MBAs from Cornell and Queen’s and a CMA Car or chosen mode of transport: I ride my bike everywhere, rain or shine Currently reading: To the Summit: Fifty Mountains that Lure, Inspire and Challenge by Joseph Poindexter and The Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor Last CD bought or music downloaded: Brava! by Paulina Rubio Favourite app: I’m a big fan of Skype. I have it on my phone now as well which is very handy for “face to face” conference calls Favourite local restaurant: I love sushi. My favourite place in North Vancouver is Yohachi and my favourite in Vancouver is Shuraku Profession you would most like to try: Adventure reporter for National Geographic What you think stops people from succeeding in business: It may be the project manager in me but life goal setting and planning are very important steps that people often neglect Advice you would give the younger you: I would probably tell myself to start meditating earlier What’s left to do: I continue to enjoy and have a passion for leading teams through new ventures and large complex change and constantly work on bettering myself and others in this area. I also continue to look for ways to advance the not-forprofit community

FORTYUNDER40

Juanita Lohmeyer Adviser, Cornell-Queen’s executive MBA Age: 36

Lohmeyer isn’t afraid of change. In fact, Jsheuanita thrives on it.

Lohmeyer has just wrapped up work with ICBC, leading the Crown corporation through a modernization of its call centre and the creation of a new employee portal.

“Large complex projects and new ventures are always what interest me,” she said.

Before ICBC, Lohmeyer worked at Telus, where she put in place system and process improvements that saved the company more than $14 million.

Lohmeyer has a passion for travel and speaks several languages.

Through her company Forward Strategy Group, she’s reviewed the finances and operations of two non-profit groups in Tanzania and will soon be working with a hospital in Honduras.

She finds that the insight she gains while travelling is applicable to the business world in Canada.

“If you look at our customers of whatever businesses you’re in, they’re from all

over the place and they have all kinds of backgrounds, and I’ve been to most of them,” she said. “I understand the cultures very well.”

Lohmeyer is now a global business adviser for CornellQueen’s executive MBA. ■

Large complex projects and new ventures are always what interest me

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PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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What a bunch of overachievers...

But seriously – congratulations to the winners of the 2012 BIV Forty Under 40 Awards! Fasken Martineau looks forward to seeing what you achieve next We advise both young and established business leaders in our community, and our lawyers achieve great things for their clients. Think of us when you make your next move. We'd love to help.

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: South Africa Where do you live now: Does an airplane count?

Vancouver Highest level of education: BA in political science, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Whatever gets me there fastest. Big fan of Uber Currently reading: Rereading an old favourite – The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay Last CD bought or music downloaded: Songza [app] a lot lately, it’s fantastic!

Finds music for my mood or task Favourite app: Path (like Facebook but for people you actually talk to) or Uber (transportation app) Favourite local restaurant: Aphrodite’s Profession you would most like to try: I’d love to work in the intersection of health and technology. After that, chef or pastry chef What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Most of the same things that help people succeed, just too little or too much of them. Attention to detail, ego, drive, fear, focus, etc.

Toughest business decision: Saying no. This was one of the hardest things to learn and do but is so valuable.

By saying yes to everything you risk diluting your core message and mission Advice you would give the younger you: Make time for yourself. When we started I was so excited and wrapped up in what I was doing that I was cancelling workouts to get an extra hour of work in, grabbing quick meals to save time and thought sleep was for the weak. I now know this is total rubbish and I have to be at my best to build and run this company What’s left to do: I think the intersection of health care and technology is very interesting (as evidenced by what I do with FCancer), I think this partnership will revolutionize the way we see, consume and understand health care in my lifetime

FORTYUNDER40

Yael Cohen President, founder and CEO, FCancer Age: 26

ael Cohen has built an organization out of the Y emotion she felt when her mother was battling breast cancer.

“I made my mom a shirt that said ‘Fuck Cancer’ after her first surgery in 2009, and to be honest, I thought she’d never wear it out of the house,” she said.

But Cohen’s mom wore the shirt everywhere, and far from offending, the sassy message resonated with the public.

“She literally couldn’t walk more than a few minutes without people stopping here to high-five her or hug her or share their stories.”

Through FCancer’s website, social media, celebrity endorsements and speaking engagements, Cohen is working to spread the message that 90% of cancers can be cured if caught early enough. Unlike other cancer organizations, which focus on raising money for research, Cohen has chosen to focus on educating about early detection.

“It’s actionable,” she said.

“I wanted to do something where I could make a difference.”

The message is designed to appeal to Cohen’s generation, who she said are too often left out of the conversation.

Since starting FCancer, Cohen has been invited to

speak at the United Nations Nexus Conference, TEDx Vancouver, the White House Next Generation Leadership Conference, and the Clinton Global Initiative.

Cohen is especially proud of a recent redesign of FCancer’s website, which includes a section simply called “cancer” with information about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment and post-treatment.

“It’s where we teach you the things that we just don’t talk about as a society,” she said. “How to talk about cancer.” ■

I wanted to do something where I could make a difference

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Sponsor’s Message

‘Vorsprung durch Technik’ Progress: It’s the ability to unceasingly look forward while others look back. The belief that ‘good enough’ is never good enough and that the status quo should be left for someone else. It’s the courage to have a vision, and the conviction to see it through.

For over 100 years, Audi’s approach to progress has been summarized my our motto, Vorsprung durch Technik – or, loosely translated, “advancement through technology.�

And the truly progressive not only look inwards for inspiration, but also seek out and recognize the achievements that exist around them. Because true progress commands recognition. That’s why we at Audi are honoured to sponsor Business in Vancouver’s Top Forty Under Forty edition. The men and women featured in this publication have pushed themselves at a young age to achieve amazing feats to better our planet, our livelihood and our culture. They, too, emulate the mantra of Vorsprung, bringing advancement to new heights. To them, we extend our whole-hearted congratulations.

Birthplace: 100 Mile House Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: Some political science and economics from UBC. Left to start my first business Car or chosen mode of transport: Toyota 4Runner — large enough to carry a lot of event boxes Currently reading: Mastering the Rockefeller Habits by Verne Harnish Last CD bought or music downloaded: Vinyl CafÊ by Stuart McLean. Okay, it’s not music but he’s really funny!

Favourite app: The Air Canada app - so that I can check in from the taxi and still make my flights with minutes to spare Favourite local restaurant: Chambar or Hawksworth – I eat vegan and so appreciate efforts made by restaurants in that regard Profession you would most like to try: Journalism What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Passion and drive strong enough to get them through the hard parts Toughest business or professional decision: Cancelling an unprofitable series that has great content. On that note, I’ll call it “postponing�

Advice you would give the younger you: Spend more time thinking about what you really want and map it out in a reasonable way, instead of trying to do everything at once. Then, focus, focus, focus!

What’s left to do: Have children and host my own show on ideas

Leah Costello Chief ideas curator, Curious Mind Productions Age: 39

ow do you entice a big name literary star to H come to an unknown speakers series in out-of-the way Vancouver?

If you’re Leah Costello, the founder of speaker series like the Bon Mot Book Club, Books Sandwiched In and History Wars, you sell them on the idea. “Speakers and agents aren’t going to go to something they’ve never heard of before, so it was a bit of a challenge,� she said. The effort required a bit of sleight of hand. “You send them a letter and you say, ‘The other speakers in this series will likely include’ – and you throw in some other big names.�

Since 2009, Costello has brought high profile speakers like Kofi Annan, Dick Cheney, Malcolm Gladwell and Michael Lewis to Vancouver. For each series, she’s succeeded in getting sponsors who foot the bill for speakers’ fees and travel.

Ticket sales cover the rest.

Curious Mind Productions follows two other businesses Costello has founded: Silver Spoons Catering, which she sold to Bread Garden, and

Squeeze Juice and Smoothie Bar, which she sold to Booster Juice.

After her experiences running the hands-on businesses, Costello realized she’d like to pour her energy into a more intellectual pursuit for her next venture.

Costello is now looking at several options for growing the speaker series, including franchising it to other cities or making forays into other mediums like social media, radio or TV. â–

Speakers and agents aren’t going to go to something they’ve never heard of before, so it was a bit of a challenge

[]

PHOTO | LINDSEY DONOVAN

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th A runway for economic grow Air access creates jobs and facilitates trade in B.C.

Community Heroes ¡ 3 TransLink priorities ¡ 3

CEO’s Message ¡ 4 Employee engagement ¡ 6 The gift of giving ¡ 9 Season’s Greetings ¡ 10-11 Salary surveys ¡ 12 BMO’s 125th ¡ 14 The outlook for gold ¡ 16 Marketing trends ¡ 17 Holiday performances ¡ 18 European perspective ¡ 19 @boardoftrade /VancouverBoardofTrade

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BY KEN MARTIN

Canada is a large trading nation. Not one single economic activity adds more to our nation’s GDP than trade, and B.C. is at the heart of it. Anchored with Canada’s second largest airport and North America’s largest export port, 175,000 jobs in British Columbia are connected to the Pacific Gateway.

The recent dialogue on trade has focused on rail, water, and road infrastructure. In the past 10 years, we have done much to add to the capacity of our ability to service overseas customers. While potash, lentils, wheat, car parts, and lumber move by truck and rail — and while energy moves through pipelines and wires — the relationships that get those contract orders filled are

a new for 2013. Every time a foreign airline adds access one of its top public policy priorities The Vancouver Board of Trade is making air Canadian economy. Photo by Larry Goldstein. it has a $200 million annual impact to the route to Vancouver International Airport,

carriers have requested permission to land in Vancouver, yet the international agreements are not yet in place. moved by air travel.

Further complicating matters Over the last 50 years, Canada is the requirement for transiting has embarked on a series of talks passengers from certain countries flights. return their and with foreign countries, negotiating to have transit visas. If the final desBeyond the obvious issue of airline landing rights in Canada. In tination for a Chinese flight is the lack of competition and the impact Vancouver exchange for those landing rights, prices, flights U.S., transiting through ticket on has that to able Canadian carriers were now becomes a hassle. Hence, carrifrom Europe transiting to Asia, land at foreign airports. However, ers and passengers will naturally or flights from Asia transiting to at the time many of those agreeturn to Sea-Tac airport for those the U.S., are not choosing Vanments were signed, it wasn’t conflights. couver as a transit hub. Instead, of this is quite all of templated that Vancouver should impact The airlines are choosing to transition be included in those agreements. measurable. When a foreign airline at Seattle-Tacoma International As a result, our domestic caradds a new route to Vancouver Airport (Sea-Tac). riers have landing rights at many International Airport, it has a Emirates Airlines, Qatar foreign ports of call, while some $200 million annual impact to the Airways, and numerous Chinese of those foreign national carriers

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Canadian economy. Furthermore, it’s estimated that due to the lack of competition and the resulting increase fares that 372,000 Vancouver passengers are flying out of Bellingham International Airport each year or 62 per cent of Bellingham Airport’s traffic.

The Federal Government under Prime Minister Stephen Harper has done more on this issue for British Columbians than any other government before it. With an agreement signed with Korea recently, B.C. is seeing progress.

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FORTYUNDER40 Andrew Wilkinson Founder, MetaLab Age: 26

eeting Steve Jobs would be a highlight in M anyone’s life, but it marked

Dissatisfied, Wilkinson left after six months to start his own consulting company. the beginning of Andrew MetaLab started as a one-man Wilkinson’s career when he operation but grew through was just 15 years old. word-of-mouth advertising “I was at a Macworld and becoming aligned with conference and was one of large clients. the reporters there. MeetToday, Metalab has three ing Steve Jobs and intercompanies under its umbrella viewing him was a surreal and is a multimillion-dollar experience.” business. Clients include After graduation, a stint at Fortune 500 companies like an unsatisfying job became Google, Apple, Disney, TED, the catalyst that launched NBC, CBS, Tumblr and MTV. MetaLab, an interface design Revenues grew from $19,000 agency that creates and to $3 million between 2006 builds applications and user and 2012. interfaces.

MetaLab may be a major “I started working for a player but employees enjoy company and saw opportun- the freedom to control their ities to do things better but schedules and work direction. there was no opportunity to “I don’t go to sleep until voice my ideas.” four a.m. and get up at noon, so I can’t expect my staff to follow the same hours. The culture here is like working for yourself, but with the support and benefits of working for a company.”

MetaLab’s designs are made to be easy to use so Wilkinson’s test market is simple. “I make something that I know my mom or dad could use.” ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

The culture here is like working for yourself, but with the support and benefits of working for a company

[]

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

15

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Victoria Highest level of education: High school. Dropped out of Ryerson University after five months Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW Z4 Currently reading: Benjamin Franklin by Walter Isaacson Last CD bought or music downloaded: Lonerism by Tame Impala Favourite app: Instapaper. It’s a simple tool to save web pages for viewing later Favourite local restaurant: Pourhouse What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Risk aversion and pessimism. You have to be blindly, almost foolishly, optimistic to start most businesses Toughest business or professional decision: Staying in Victoria instead of moving to San Francisco or New York Advice you would give the younger you: Learn to delegate. Hire an accountant on day 1.

Kill your enemies with kindness. Never hold a grudge What’s left to do: I’m not big on planning. I’m looking at my feet and taking one step at a time

16

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Sponsor’s Message

Cindy Choi, FCGA Chair of the Board of Governors Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia

On behalf of the Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia’s (CGA-BC) nearly 15,000 CGAs and CGA students, I am pleased to congratulate all those who were recognized as part of Business in Vancouver’s Top 40 under 40 Awards.

The contributions they have made to their organizations, to business and to their communities deserve to be celebrated.

What is even more important, however, is that their success can be so far reaching. All those who were honoured serve as inspiring role models for everyone with career aspirations in business.

Over the years, many of the recipients of these awards have held top positions at many of B.C.’s leading corporations. Others founded their own companies and non-profit enterprises.

This year’s honorees carry on a wonderful legacy of achievement by distinguished young men and women across the province.

CGAs have been a vital part of the business community in B.C. for more than 60 years, working at every level of government, in public practice and for companies throughout the province. The CGA designation has always been a popular choice for those looking to advance their careers in finance and accounting because of its flexible, online education program, which allows them to work full-time while they complete their studies. We are pleased to sponsor these awards and we wish all those who were honoured continued success.

Sincerely, Cindy Choi, FCGA Chair of the Board of Governors Certified General Accountants Association of British Columbia

FORTYUNDER40 Birthplace: Winnipeg Where do you live now: Squamish Highest level of education: MBA, INSEAD, France Car or chosen mode of transport: Toyota Tacoma Currently reading: The Closing of the Western Mind by Charles Freeman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Mumford and Sons Favourite app: Car2Go and PayByPhone for pay parking Favourite local restaurant: Sushi Sen in Squamish Profession you would like to try: Master distiller at an Islay single-malt distillery What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not having the courage to take risks Toughest professional decision: Changing careers from a huge company where the challenge is to develop and grow my career in the company to a small company where the challenge is to develop and grow myself Advice you would give the younger you: It’s a marathon and not a sprint — make sure you choose to do what you love so that you can go the distance What is left to do: Spend as much time as possible with my wife and our four kids

Birthplace: Montreal Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA in finance, York University Car or chosen mode of transport: Public transit as much as possible!

Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Away from the World by Dave Matthews Band Favourite app: Instapaper. I can bookmark all my news articles and read them on any device Profession you would most like to try: Professional golfer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Fear of failure Toughest business or professional decision: To launch our mutual fund family in 2009 when the financial world was falling apart Advice you would give the younger you: Focus on the long term; it will provide you with an advantage over those who are focused on the short term

Andrew Booth Vice-president and general manager, Instrumentation Division, Stemcell Technologies Age: 38

rowing up on Vancouver Island, Andrew Booth G always wanted to see the world. Nearly two decades after living abroad, Booth is raising his family in Squamish.

“My parents have always been hard working and always really inspired me,” he said, adding that he hopes to inspire his own four children. “Kids are amazing. Raising them is a very special experience. I have way more ideas of things to do with my kids than time to do them.”

As a design engineer with Creo in the late 1990s, Booth led global distribution and marketing efforts before the travel bug hit. “I always wanted to live in Europe and went to France to live and study for a year. After I joined GE, I learned more in seven years than in any other place.”

He attended comprehensive leadership programs and rotating placements in Köln, Paris, Manhattan, Florence and London. While he was at GE, Booth learned

about Vancouver-based Stemcell Technologies.

“Stemcell or cell-bound technology shows lots of promise that can naturally change the way health care is delivered to deal with the needs of an aging population.”

Booth’s first initiative was to take Stemcell’s core

competencies in house.

Since he joined, Booth’s team has grown to 23 people, revenue is up 34%.

“I get the advantage of working with new technology innovations. To take ideas and take them to a global stage, it’s an interesting problem to have.” ■ PHOTO | KEVIN HARDIMAN

David Barr Partner, chief investment officer and portfolio manager, PenderFund Capital Management Age: 37

n March 2009, when the credit crisis had left the Ifinancial world in disarray, David Barr didn’t panic.

Instead, he crunched the numbers and concluded it was a great time to launch an investment company.

“People from the outside thought we were crazy,” he said. “But when you’re passionate about something and you have a long-term perspective on it, it’s quite amazing what you can accomplish.”

Barr proposed his firm, PenderFund Capital Management, take a new direction and focus on mutual funds instead of venture capital.

The company launched two mutual funds in June 2009 and two more in November 2010. The firm now has $160 million in assets under management, with investors across Western Canada and Ontario.

Barr is an advocate of value investing, an approach most famously practised by Berkshire Hathaway CEO Warren Buffett. Value investors select undervalued stocks

in anticipation of an upward correction when the market recognizes a company’s true value.

“People always overreact to the positive and the negative,” said Barr. “In March 2009, everyone thought the world was going to end and you just look through and do your fundamental analysis and you understand that things are nowhere near as bad as everybody thinks they are.” ■ PHOTO | SUPPLIED

When you’re passionate about something and you have a long-term perspective on it, it’s quite amazing what you can accomplish

[]

FORTYUNDER40 Juggy Sihota-Chahil Vice-president, client experience strategy and development, Telus Age: 39

uggy Sihota-Chahil feels like she’s been at Telus Jforever.

The reason she’s stayed at the company for much of her career is that it’s never stopped being an exciting place to work. “Every few years there’s a new challenge that will build a different skill set or give you another new opportunity,� she said.

Sihota-Chahil, one Telus’ youngest vice-presidents, has worked in the telecommunications industry for more than 17 years. Her most recent project was a strategy to improve customer service.

The program began in 2010 and saw staff throughout the company, including the executive team, take responsibility for customer experience. It has transformed the company’s corporate culture and has already yielded measurable results. “[Customer] complaints ‌ went up for all of our competition and they went down for our organization,â€? she said.

Sihota-Chahil’s desire is to move into Telus’ health-care division, which focuses on technology such as electronic medical records.

She credits “sage advice from a couple of great mentorsâ€? and the support of her parents for her success. In return, she follows a “lift while you climbâ€? philosophy, a slogan she’s had written on the white board in her office for years. “I feel a tremendous amount of responsibility to make sure that [given] how fortunate I have been for doors being opened for me ‌ that I’m making sure I’m doing the same for other people,â€? she said.

Sihota-Chahil chaired the 2012 Lower Mainland Telus Day of Giving and has been a director of the Telus Vancouver Community Board, the UBC Digital Media Advisory Council and Coastal Sound Music Academy. She is a founding member of Connections, a women’s professional development network at Telus. â–

Every few years there’s a new challenge that will build a different skill set or give you another new opportunity

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Juggy Sihota-Chahil

Supporting dynamic leadership.

At TELUS, we believe that empowering young leaders to reach their full potential leads to stronger business performance; a diverse and inclusive team; and a culture that better understands the customers we serve.

Congratulations to Juggy, our Vice President – Customer Experience Strategy and Development on being named to the Top 40 Under 40!

telus.com

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

17

Birthplace: New Westminster Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Queen’s University Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW 335 Currently reading: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho Last CD bought or music downloaded: Babel by Mumford and Sons Favourite app: Twitter – tells me what’s going on in the world right now (I’m addicted!)

Favourite local restaurant: My mom’s kitchen Profession you would most like to try: Physician What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Too much ego so they can’t spot failures down the road, think they can do it all on their own, think they have all the answers and are slower to recover from failures because they tend not to ask for help Toughest business or professional decision: Reversing a major decision in our organization that was received negatively across the board and turning that into a positive engagement story Advice you would give the younger you: Turn your passion into your job What’s left to do: Make a meaningful difference in health care for Canadians

18

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

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FORTYUNDER40 Birthplace: Orange County, California Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Juris doctor of law, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Ford Escape Hybrid Currently reading: The Savvy Entrepreneur, An Insider’s Secrets to Entrepreneurial Success by Lee Pryor Last CD bought or music downloaded: Richard Bona Favourite app: Flipboard – it’s such a beautiful way to keep up to date. I just downloaded Sleep Cycle Favourite local restaurant: For breakfast, Cafe Medina and the Dirty Apron Deli on Beatty are great. For lunch, Emelle’s on 7th by our lab is a hidden gem. For dinner, the slate is wide open, but Chambar and Cork & Fin are great places that come to mind. For drinks, the Pourhouse and the Keefer Profession you would most like to try: CEO of a Fortune 500 What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Doubt, self-doubt and assuming too much Toughest business decision: To keep the company in Vancouver. Canadian entrepreneurs have the cards stacked against them. It’s not a question of money or lack of sufficient capital; it’s a question of culture. To make it here, you really have to fight the “cannots” and believe in yourself and what you are doing Advice you would give the younger you: Have the courage to stay firm in the face of those who “know better,” including those you respect dearly. Be OK with breaking the mold but don’t be surprised when you get told, “You’re wrong; that’s not how it’s done.” Even if others have strong preconceived notions on how life and business should work, they are not fortune tellers.

Listen closely, but in the end, follow your instincts.

Remember to have fun … and try to have a life.

Good luck

Karn Manhas CEO, Terramera Age: 35

on’t tell Karn Manhas something can’t be done.

D He may prove you wrong.

Manhas inherited tenacity from his grandfather who emigrated from India at the age of 11. “It took a lot of courage and I’m inspired by my dad and grandfather; their spirit of adventure and responsibility has had a lasting impact on me.”

At 24, Karn Manhas was the youngest MLA elected in B.C. “I hope someone beats my record. It’s good to have youth in politics. It was a powerful experience.”

During his early days in politics, people stopped him in the halls for help, thinking he was a page. Soon, Karn led the development of Youth Matters and was the primary driver behind the creation of SFU Surrey.

A discussion with a fellow law student led to the idea for Terramera Biosciences.

Manhas’ friend claimed there was no natural way to kill bed bugs.

“With my background in genetics and biotechnology I knew there was something in the natural world that would kill the bedbugs.”

After graduation, Manhas wanted to prove that a pesticide-free solution to the bedbug infestation was possible. Without access to a lab, he built a lab in his home

HOW-2

garage. Eventually Manhas developed and tested a solution that worked. The next day, Terramera was born.

“One person can make a huge impact to change the world. It’s amazing when you look at history and one person stands up and says ‘something needs to change.’

Everyone has a contribution to make and everyone is here for a reason.” ■

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

A COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO TOPICAL BUSINESS SOLUTIONS

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I’m inspired by my dad and grandfather; their spirit of adventure and responsibility has had a lasting impact on me

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20

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40 Aaron Smith Founder and managing director, GoVoluntouring Age: 37

Confidential Group / One-to-one Mentorship / Business Thought Leadership / Global Membership /

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“The Executive Committee helped me learn the language of business in a way I never would have in any other environment.”

Teresa Coady President B+H BuntingCoady Architects

aron Smith wants to convince one million A tourists to include volunteer work in their trip.

He’s already up to 15,000 after building a successful online business that makes it easier for travellers to match their skills with global volunteer programs.

Smith was inspired to start the business after he went on a trip to East Africa in 2008 with Royal Roads University. He and his classmates worked with women entrepreneurs to help them attract microloans for their small businesses.

“It was the first travel experience I’d had where I felt I’d left a positive legacy,” he said.

Smith wanted to replicate the experience, this time with his father. The two travelled to Costa Rica later the same year and volunteered their time helping to build a house for a needy family.

His father, a former contractor, had “the best travel experience of his life.” But Smith could see that some of the other volunteers weren’t having such a great time. Some weren’t used to physical labour; others were bothered by the hot, muggy weather.

“Expectations weren’t being managed,” he said.

“I thought, ‘There has to be a better way to find the right volunteers for these projects.’”

Smith, who had over 10 years of experience working in tourism in B.C., started GoVoluntouring in 2011. The site matches travellers with volunteer opportunities, allowing them to filter projects by country, program type, duration, cost and fitness level. Non-profit groups are listed for free, while forprofit voluntourism groups and other companies offering travel services pay a fee.

Only five months after its launch, the business was acquired by Flight Centre.

To date, GoVoluntouring has matched more than 15,000 travellers with international projects, representing 675,000 hours of volunteer labour. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Birthplace: St. Catharines, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Comm., Royal Roads University Car or chosen mode of transport: Car2Go or SkyTrain. Equal amount of love for both Currently reading: Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman by Yvon Chouinard Last CD bought or music downloaded: We Kill Computers by the Pack A.D. Favourite app: Relax (guided meditation) Favourite local restaurant: Timbre (on the Drive) Profession you would most like to try: Farmer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Self-confidence Toughest business or professional decision: When to exit Advice you would give the younger you: Work backwards and don’t be afraid to build it as you fly it What’s left to do: Launch ancestryps.com, a travel site that helps people find events and destinations around the world based on their ancestral heritage

I thought, ‘There has to be a better way to find the right volunteers for these projects’

[]

CIBC Wood Gundy would like to congratulate Maili Wong, B. Comm, CFA, CFP Investment Advisor, Vice-President

For being named one of

Business in Vancouverâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 2012 FORTY UNDER 40

We are proud to have you on our team!

&RQJUDWXODWLRQV

CIBC Wood Gundy is a division of CIBC World Markets Inc., a subsidiary of CIBC and a Member of the Canadian Investor Protection Fund and Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada.

22

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Saskatoon Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Journalism diploma, Langara College Car or chosen mode of transport: Range Rover Sport Currently reading: Death of Kings by Bernard Cornwell Last CD bought or music downloaded: Oh Fortune by Dan Mangan Favourite app: Step stopmotion animation Favourite local restaurant: Nuba Profession you would most like to try: I admire war correspondents; they invest themselves intellectually, emotionally and physically to get the story What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Doing work that is adequate because it’s faster. To innovate, to create or do something original and breathtaking, you have to dig in and leverage the best of yourself – your heart and soul Toughest business or professional decision: My career has been a succession of tough decisions. What was tough two years ago feels routine today Advice you would give the younger you: Get a grasp on your deepest values before you set goals. When your values are aligned with your career goals, the work becomes effortless and enjoyable What’s left to do: Create and own original content that educates, entertains and inspires millions of people around the world

FORTYUNDER40

Eric Hogan Managing director, Hogan Millar Media Executive producer, Two Story Productions Age: 32

ric Hogan combines his two work loves with the E love of his life, Tara Hungerford, his wife and partner at Two Story Productions.

They run the award-winning video, TV and film production company together.

His other business, Hogan Millar Media, is a strategic communications firm.

Hogan founded the businesses separately but they collaborate in digital content production.

“People don’t consume media the way they used to.

We have to earn their attention and provide social or entertainment value. Video is visually evocative and provides a more emotional connection on a visceral level when combined with music and words.”

He started Two Story producing indie videos and then Hogan Millar with his previous boss. Hogan was the lead media consultant on the 2011 campaign to re-elect Mayor Gregor Robertson and the Vision Vancouver team.

“Looking back, I only vaguely envisioned my career path. If I were more selfaware I would not have meandered as much and would have learned how to say ‘no’ earlier. People-pleasing can be all-consuming. It’s easy to forget to take care of our own needs.”

Hogan has managed to take care of others on a socially responsible level. He helped develop a youth citizen journalism program for Sawa World in West Africa and Haiti.

“I’ve designed a lifestyle that works with raising two small children. I only need to walk one block to the office and I get to work with my wife. We’re always in arm’sreach of each other. I’m not chained to a desk and can spend quality time with my family.” ■

If I were more selfaware I would not have meandered as much and would have learned how to say ‘no’ earlier

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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For membership criteria and information please visit our website at www.eonetwork.org/Vancouver EO Vancouver Administration .

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FORTYUNDER40 Roy Yen Principal, Soomö Entertainment Age: 38

oy Yen is in the business of making magical R moments.

Over the past 12 years, Yen has produced more than 850 concerts, events, festivals and mass spectacles in B.C. and around the world, including the Live Sites in Vancouver during the 2010 Winter Olympics, the 150th anniversary of B.C. and Mexico’s 150th anniversary of Cinco de Mayo.

He has produced concerts for the likes of Bob Dylan, the White Stripes, Michael Bublé, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen.

“There’s a moment in time when the house lights go out and the stage lights come on that it’s absolutely undeniable that human beings are connected,” he said. “You can feel this energy in the room.”

After producing his first concerts and events as a university student, Yen started his production company, Soomö Entertainment, in 2000.

In 2005, he took what he calls “a sabbatical” to take on the role of cultural planner with the City of Vancouver, where he supported events like the Vancouver Marathon, Car Free Vancouver Days and the Juno Awards. Yen continues to use the insight he gained working with the city.

“To understand how municipal governance works

is critical to dealing with governments in large public events … because any time you’re dealing with tens and twenties and hundreds of millions of dollars, all these events are tied directly to governments,” he said.

Yen now has his sights set on the Pan Am Games in Toronto in 2015, where he will produce the opening and closing ceremonies. He’ll be applying some of the lessons he learned during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

“I believe that what was great about Vancouver (was) the ability for people to gather and express themselves and collectively celebrate what Canada is,” he said. ■

There’s a moment in time when the house lights go out and the stage lights come on that it’s absolutely undeniable that human beings are connected

[]

PHOTO | PAUL ALEXANDER

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc., University of Western Ontario Car or chosen mode of transport: I love walking and cycling around in cities.

Clear evenings with the top down in a convertible coupe is a refreshing way to go. Taking Car2Go or transit makes commuting on rainy days really convenient. And riding motorcycles is just a whole lot of fun Currently reading: Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Love & War & The Sea In Between, by Josh Garrels Favourite app: Given how apps operate and the privacy issues therein, I’ve chosen to keep my phones completely clean of any apps at all Favourite local restaurant: Medina any time during any day is always a treat Profession you would most like to try: Feature-length filmmaker What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Not believing in yourself, beeing too afraid of failing and letting pride get in the way of keeping your focus Toughest business decision: To walk away from a steady paycheque and strike out on my own Advice you would give the younger you: This is showbiz, not show-friends, but really good relationships with really good people are the only things that have real lasting value What’s left to do: Manufacture more magic moments: launch Celebrate Canada, a national program that promotes Canadians celebrating Canadians; create a national program in Mexico that promotes an awareness of community and interdependency

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DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

23

Sponsor’s Message

Johnny Michel Managing Director CBC British Columbia

Congratulations!

CBC Vancouver is pleased to support the annual Business in Vancouver Forty Under 40 Awards once again as exclusive broadcast partner. Now in its 23rd year, these awards have become recognized as a symbol of the consistent and extraordinary success of British Columbia’s under 40 business community.

The ambition and achievements of this year’s recipients demonstrate our city’s impressive growth. It is evident not only in their contributions to B.C.’s economy, but in their philanthropic and community leadership as well.

Their investment in our communities is a shining example of our province’s dynamic social fabric.

We are honoured to help celebrate the achievements of this group of under-40s with their communities, their industries and with the people of our province. Like many of this year’s recipients, CBC Vancouver strives for excellence. We take pride in connecting with our communities, telling their stories and covering the issues that matter most to them. To this year’s award winners, we applaud your achievements and wish you continued success.

Sincerely, Johnny Michel Managing Director CBC British Columbia

24

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Williams Lake Where do you live now: Burnaby Highest level of education: Juris doctor, University of Toronto Car or chosen mode of transport: Running shoes Currently reading: Paris 1919: Six Months That Changed the World by Margaret MacMillan Last CD bought or music downloaded: “The Imperial March” by John Williams Favourite app: Still trying to figure out what an “app” is Favourite local restaurant: Boneta Profession you would most like to try: History professor What you think stops people from succeeding in business: [Poor] work ethic Toughest business or professional decision: Passing on a NY law firm position Advice you would give the younger you: Excerpted from a Hindi poem — “You shall never tire, you shall never slow down, you shall never turn back” What’s left to do: Ensuring my six-year-old grows up to be a better person than his dad

FORTYUNDER40

Mandeep Dhaliwal Partner, Lawson Lundell LLP Age: 35

haliwal made waves in the corporate law world D after leading the legal team on Western Coal’s $3.3 billion acquisition by Walter Energy in 2011.The deal topped the list of biggest mergers and acquisitions in B.C. that year.

“It’s the biggest piece of work I’ve done in a leadership role,” says Dhaliwal.

“It’s gotten a lot of recognition, particularly for a transaction based out of Vancouver, not Toronto.”

Dhaliwal was also one of three lawyers invited by the premier’s office to go on a B.C. government trade mission to India in 2011. He described the trip as “an eye-opener.”

“I haven’t been to India for a very long time and I didn’t realize how much of a buzz there is in India in terms of wanting to make their mark on the world,” he said.

It’s been a sometimes dizzying rise to the top for

the former small-town boy from Williams Lake. After studying history at UBC, Dhaliwal took the LSAT on a whim, just to “see how I’d do.” He enjoyed the intellectual challenge of law school, but found the intensely competitive atmosphere at the University of Toronto intimidating.

Irv Laskin, a partner at Lawson and Lundell who acted as a mentor to Dhaliwal, helped ease his transition into the professional world.

“I have a lot of gratitude towards him because he showed a lot of interest in me as a person and, as my family grew, to my family as well,” he said.

Dhaliwal is the co-founder of the South Asian Bar Association of BC, an organization that promotes mentorship to South Asian lawyers and provides legal education to members of the South Asian community. He sits on the leadership council for the Vancouver Indian Summer Arts Festival and has organized fundraising events for BC Children’s Hospital. ■ PHOTO | KENT KALLBERG STUDIOS

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It’s the biggest piece of work I’ve done in a leadership role

[]

FORTYUNDER40 Arjan Stephens

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, IIT Stuart School of Business Car or chosen mode of transport: Lexus Hybrid Currently reading: Meditation as Medication for the Soul

by Rajinder Singh Last CD bought or music downloaded: Dam Mast Qalandar, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Favourite app: Flight Tracker, an excellent travel tool for tracking flights Favourite local restaurant: The Naam â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the veggie burger is a longtime fave!

Profession you would most like to try: Organic chocolatier, aka Willy Wonkaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s job What you think stops people from succeeding in business: I would say that a success is a failure that never gives up Toughest business or professional decision: Discontinuing products that we invested a tremendous amount of time and effort into launching Advice you would give the younger you: Quality should never be sacrificed for any consideration; never expand beyond your ability to personally control; do your best and leave the rest to a higher power

Executive vice-president of sales and marketing, Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Path Foods Age: 31

H

ow do you show your friends you love them? If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re Arjan Stephens, you make a big batch of granola.

That was the genesis of the newest product for Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Path, Love Crunch. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s based on a recipe Stephens and his wife concocted to hand out to guests at their wedding. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It combines the most decadent ingredients and the most tasteful ingredient that we had as a company,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We had dark chocolate, coconut, flax seeds and strawberries â&#x20AC;Ś our guests just loved it.â&#x20AC;?

Love Crunch is just one of 12 new products Stephens has launched since joining the company. He also led a $100 million rebranding that has resulted in overall growth of 30%.

Stephens has grown up eating, tasting, growing and thinking about food.

His parents owned the first vegetarian restaurant in Western Canada and started Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Path in 1985. Stephensâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; sister Jyoti also works for the company. The company now has 350 employees working in four facilities.

With growing competition in the natural food market, most of the family businesses have been bought out by brands like Kelloggâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, General Mills and Kraft.

Natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Path is one of the last such businesses, meaning the company needs to be able to compete against what Stephens calls the â&#x20AC;&#x153;big boys.â&#x20AC;? â&#x20AC;&#x153;We like to think of ourselves as an underdog â&#x20AC;Ś but weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re much more nimble

and able to act quicker and develop new products in a faster way,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great challenge to have and itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s one that we relish.â&#x20AC;?

In addition to leading fundraising efforts in support of local food banks each year, Stephens spearheaded the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bite4Bite program, which sees the company match each bag of Love Crunch sold with donations of cash and food to food banks. â&#x20AC;&#x153;So far this year, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been $1 million to these food banks,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x2013;

Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re much more nimble and able to act quicker and develop new products in a faster way

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

25

Sponsorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Message

Robin Hemmingsen Dean, BCIT School of Business

Congratulations!

The BCIT School of Business is pleased to join Business in Vancouver and sponsor the annual Forty under Forty Awards. As one of the largest business schools in the country, we feel that the BCIT School of Business is the right choice for the Forty under Forty.

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Whether considering a career in business, contemplating a career change, or simply wanting to keep your skills current, the BCIT School of Business has programs and courses delivered through various learning options to help meet your educational goals.

On behalf of the BCIT School of Business and its employees, I would like to congratulate this yearâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s winners!

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26

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Orono, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MD from McMaster, master of clinical research, University of Toronto Car or chosen mode of transport: Kawasaki Versys motorcycle or Mini Cooper Currently reading: Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel Last CD bought or music downloaded: Passive Me, Aggressive You by the Naked and Famous Favourite app: Tune In – Internet radio Favourite local restaurant: Central Bistro Profession you would most like to try: Sommelier What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Gathering and enabling a highly skilled and loyal team is the key to success Toughest business or professional decision: Giving up opportunities in other North American cities to move to Vancouver in 2006. Despite some serious challenges, I saw a lot of potential at St. Paul’s Hospital Advice you would give the younger you: Listen more and think longer before making major decisions What’s left to do: At St. Paul’s Hospital, we are working on innovative approaches to colorectal cancer surgical care. I hope to lead

FORTYUNDER40

Carl Brown Head, division of general surgery, Providence Health Care Age: 38

even per cent of Canadians will be stricken S with colorectal cancer.

At St. Paul’s Hospital, Dr. Carl Brown is in charge of making things better for patients with the disease. He has developed innovations which have reduced the invasiveness of life-saving procedures, shortening recovery times.

“You have to have the courage to try new things, which is difficult in medicine because in general we’re all fairly conservative and we want to do the safest thing,” he said.

As well as leading a group of surgeons at St. Paul’s, Brown has also brought colorectal specialists throughout the province together so that research, resources and referrals can

It requires some vision to see things not how they are but how they can be

[] be shared more effectively.

St. Paul’s is now the leading tertiary care centre for patients with colorectal cancer.

As president of the Providence Health Care Medical Staff Association, he leads more than 1,000 physicians, surgeons and midwives.

Brown believes being able to bring people together is central to effective leadership.

“It requires some vision to see things not how they are but how they can be,” he said.

After facing challenges revolving around its aging facilities in recent years, Brown said there’s a new energy and sense of purpose at St. Paul’s.

“There’s renewal happening at the hospital and there’s a lot of excitement, where there was a lot of uncertainty five years ago,” he said. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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FORTYUNDER40 Evan Wood Director, Urban Health Research Initiative, BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS Age: 38

hen Dr. Evan Wood looks for addiction speW cialist like himself in B.C., he sees a huge gap.

“We don’t train addictions doctors in British Columbia,” he said. “If you have chest pains or any other kind of medical condition, you’ll be seen in a hospital by an expert who has training in that area.” But those coming in with addiction problems don’t have an expert to see them, he said.

Wood, who is a professor of medicine at UBC, recently secured a $3 million donation from Vancouver-based mining company Goldcorp that will be used to train 20 doctors in addictions medicine.

For much of his career, Wood has focused on developing treatment strategies for patients with HIV. He was the lead author of the first study to show that HIV treatment could prevent the transmission of the disease among injection drug users.

Wood was one of the principal investigators of Insite, Canada’s first safe injection site, and has co-authored studies on the effectiveness of the facility in reducing overdose deaths. He is also the founder of Stop the Violence BC, a coalition that advocates for marijuana to be taxed and regulated.

“Throughout my work in this area was a real concern with the problems created by drug and alcohol addiction,” he said. “That includes the spread of HIV but also some of the community safety issues that come from treating addiction as a criminal justice issue.” ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Throughout my work in this area was a real concern with the problems created by drug and alcohol addiction

[]

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

27

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD in clinical epidemiology, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Toyota RAV4 and a Brodie commuter bike Currently reading: Principles of Addiction Medicine 3rd Edition published by the American Society of Addiction Medicine Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Muppets Movie Soundtrack for my four-year old daughter Favourite app: Shazaam music identification Favourite local restaurant: Campagnolo Profession you would most like to try: Fly fishing guide What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Poor interpersonal skills Toughest business or professional decision: Undertaking four additional years of training in internal medicine Advice you would give the younger you: Forget about sleeping during your training What’s left to do: Fix a broken system that has failed people with alcohol and drug addiction

28

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40 Tressa Wood CEO, Men in Kilts Age: 39

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Men in Kilts, the company sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s led since 2009. Standing next to her employees â&#x20AC;&#x201C; who, yes, all wear kilts while they work â&#x20AC;&#x201C; she said she might as well be invisible. â&#x20AC;&#x153;When you go out with these guys, if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re at a coffee shop or anywhere in public, people flock to them,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s unbelievable.â&#x20AC;?

Before becoming CEO of Men in Kilts, Wood was VP of operations at 1-800-GOTJUNK. The fun, irreverent brands of both companies appealed to her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s really the reaction that you get from people when you do the service with such a fun brand,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not used to getting their junk removed or their windows done by a fun, interesting company that makes them smile.â&#x20AC;?

The opportunity and the vision for this brand â&#x20AC;Ś is bigger than anything Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved with to date

[] The opportunities for growth are also exciting.

While Wood was at 1-800GOT-JUNK, franchise revenue grew 92% in a five year period. She sees even more potential at Men in Kilts: the company will soon have nine franchises in Canada and three in the United States. In 2013, the company plans to add 20 to 30 more franchises. The company is also planning to add more services, like carpet cleaning, painting or moving. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The opportunity and the vision for this brand â&#x20AC;Ś is bigger than anything Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been involved with to date,

Birthplace: Whitehorse, Yukon Where do you live now: South Surrey Highest level of education: BBA, Lakehead University Car or chosen mode of transport: Lincoln MKX SUV Currently reading: Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Lumineers by the Lumineers Favourite app: Flipboard â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it has all my choices for news and reading categorized and you can flip through the pages like a book or mag, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s great Favourite local restaurant: Cielos in White Rock Profession you would most like to try: Secret agent What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Fear and lack of diligence Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving the corporate world for good and becoming an entrepreneur Advice you would give the younger you: Just keep doing what youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re doing, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re on the right track Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Everything!

Feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just getting started. More businesses, more travelling (with kids now), more charity work

in being able to do it all under one umbrella,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Becoming a mother of two children, now aged two and four, hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t lessened Woodâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s drive and ambition, but it has changed her perspective and hiring practices. She now encourages her staff to work flexible hours or from home. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I hire a lot of working moms, because I understand that they still have so much to contribute, if you can give them a little flexibility.â&#x20AC;? â&#x2013; PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

Matthew Quinlan

Birthplace: Calgary Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc. in mechanical engineering and business finance, University of London Car or chosen mode of transport: Public transport.

Honda minivan on the weekend for ferrying the kids!

Currently reading: Arguably by Christopher Hitchens Last CD bought or music downloaded: Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay Favourite app: BBC podcast app â&#x20AC;&#x201C; allows you to subscribe and download selected BBC podcasts directly onto your iPod Favourite local restaurant: Diva at the Metropolitan Hotel Profession you would most like to try: Helicopter pilot What you think stops people from succeeding in business: The stigma of failure stops people from taking risks Toughest business decision: The toughest decisions are ones that move you out of your comfort zone in your current profession â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for me this has been changing firms as these come with a steep change in role and expectations Advice you would give the younger you: Do not wait â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the time will never be â&#x20AC;&#x153;just right.â&#x20AC;? Start work with whatever tools you may have at your command â&#x20AC;&#x201C; better tools will come

Managing director and co-head, global mining investment banking, CIBC Age: 39

s a recent transplant to Canada from the U.K., A Matthew Quinlan spent his first two years in B.C. â&#x20AC;&#x153;ski bumming at Whistler.â&#x20AC;?

But when he knuckled down to a chartered accountancy program in Vancouver, he quickly found himself drawn to the highoctane business of mining. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just found the business to be fascinating,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I liked the people, because the mining industry tends to be full of people who take risks.â&#x20AC;?

Quinlan was recruited by CIBC in 2007 to build its first mining investment banking team in Vancouver. The team now includes seven members with expertise in mining engineering, metallurgy and corporate finance. â&#x20AC;&#x153;My clients are the (mining) companies themselves.

Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll come to me and say, should they buy this mine in

29

I just found the business to be fascinating. I liked the people, because the mining industry tends to be full of people who take risks

[] Chile and how much should they pay for it,â&#x20AC;? he said.

The job requires a passion for the business of finance and mining. â&#x20AC;&#x153;You have to really treat it like a hobby,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Quinlanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team advises companies like Goldcorp, Teck Resources and Pan American Silver. They have also attracted new clients to CIBC, including Anglo American, Redback Mining and Uranium One. Quinlan sits on the fundraising cabinet for the United Way, where he focuses on raising money from B.C. oil and gas, forestry and mining companies. â&#x2013; PHOTO | CARLOS TAYLHARDAT/ARTOFHEADSHOTS.COM

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FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

Mik Kersten CEO and co-founder, Tasktop Technologies Age: 36

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[] open-source software. The idea, said Kersten, was to allow open-source developers all around the world to make changes to Mylyn and improve it.

Mylyn is currently downloaded two million times a month. Tasktopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s forsale products are used by Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Microsoft and CA Technologies. In the past 18 months, the company has doubled in size, and continues to double its revenue year over year.

Kersten has worked in Silicon Valley as a research scientist for Xerox PARC, but he chose to establish his

Birthplace: Warsaw, Poland Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: PhD, computer science, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Motorcycle, Ducati Monster 1999 Currently reading: Escape Velocity by Geoffrey Moore Last CD bought or music downloaded: All Gone by Pete Tong and Booka Shade Favourite app: Djay for mixing music, due to its beautiful and simple UI. TripIt stands out as well, as Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;d have a hard time juggling my travel schedule without it Favourite local restaurant: Bin 941 Profession you would most like to try: Welding What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Focusing on the exit instead of building value Toughest business or professional decision: Betting the company on a new product Advice you would give the younger you: Make good decisions and have fun Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Grow

company in Vancouver, in part because of the talent coming out of his alma mater, UBC. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We see this as a great place to bring in talent from the schools here and attract talent,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x2013; PHOTO | SUPPLIED

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FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

Navid Meghji

ping a downtown Vancouver condo while he was still a student.

“That’s actually how I funded business school – through the sale of that condo,” he said. “That experience made me realize that real estate was where I wanted to be.”

With academic training in accounting, business and real estate development under his belt, Meghji has put together several $100 million deals while at Capital Now Ventures Corp., Grosvenor Canada and Retirement Concepts.

He was brought on board at Retirement Concepts to diversify the company’s investment portfolio and assets. The B.C. company develops housing and hotels for seniors.

“Now I get to run an acquisitions team to buy real estate in Canada and the U.S., which for me is a dream job,” he said.

31

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Master’s in real estate and urban development, Harvard Car or chosen mode of transport: Jaguar XKR Currently reading: Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill Last CD bought or music downloaded: “Wonder Woman” by Elise Estrada.

Proceeds go to the Amanda Todd legacy fund Favourite app: SaveEveryDay. It gives me access to more than 250,000 mobile coupons in 150 cities.

Proceeds go toward raising funds for local schools Favourite local restaurant: Italian Kitchen Profession you would like to try: Writer/producer at HBO What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Lack of hard work and persistence Toughest professional decision: Moving back to Vancouver after Harvard instead of going to New York. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at the time (he’s in full remission now) so I moved back to be close to my family Advice you would give the younger you: Focus on finding balance in life What’s left to do: Everything achieved to date is really just the foundation for what’s to come

Director, business development, Retirement Concepts Age: 35

avid Meghji has been hooked on real estate N ever since buying and flip-

DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Meghji has recently overseen the acquisition of projects in Los Angeles and Phoenix and has added offices and multi-family properties to the company’s assets.

Between working at Grosvenor and starting at Retirement Concepts, Meghji started up a tech company with a friend from high school, Shafin Diamond.

Members of SaveEveryday. com receive coupons for everyday items; proceeds from the memberships go towards fundraising for local schools.

Meghji took over finding investment funds for the company when he didn’t like the terms other investors were offering his friend. He continues to be involved with the company. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Now I get to run an acquisitions team to buy real estate in Canada and the U.S., which for me is a dream job

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40 Omar Ladak

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Sauder School of Business, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Audi A5, though I prefer to walk wherever I can Currently reading: It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership by Colin Powell Last CD bought or music downloaded: Watch the Throne by Jay-Z & Kanye West Favourite app: Sonos Controller. It controls the audio system throughout my house and provides access to a virtually unlimited library of music Favourite local restaurant: Miku Profession you would most like to try: DJ What you think stops people from succeeding in business: A lot of people get too excited about a great idea and don’t do the hard and honest thinking of whether that great idea can become a successful business Toughest business decision: Selling my interest in the first business I was a principal in. Exiting was necessary to create a platform for greater success, but it was a tough call to exit Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t get too high from the wins, don’t get too down from the losses

Managing director and CEO, Noverra Group of Companies Age: 35

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o Omar Ladak, there’s nothing like being your T own boss.

“We frequently joke, if we ended up having failures in our business lives, I’m not exactly sure what I could do working for somebody else,” he said.

Four years ago, Ladak cofounded the Noverra group of companies, which grew from startup to 100 staff.

The business is made up of three companies, including Brighter Mechanical, a leading plumbing contractor; Noverra Consulting and Capital Partners, a boutique financial and management advisory firm; and Thompson Building Services, a janitorial and building services company.

Ladak said the turning point in his career came when he was made partner at RPO Management Consultants at the age of 27.

The switch from being an

It’s a big deal to go from working for someone to signing up for the debt and the financial obligations and the responsibility of a number of people and their families

[] employee to owning part of the company came with both rewards and risk.

“It’s a big deal to go from working for someone to signing up for the debt and the financial obligations and the responsibility of a number of people and their families,” he said.

At RPO, Ladak helped to grow the firm to 50 staff; the company doubled its size from when he became

partner to when he left to start Noverra.

As Noverra continues to grow, the company will be looking to partner with or acquire other businesses that put people first.

“We think there is a lot of value in good people and good values, people that are honest, treat customers properly, provide a good product for service and treat their employees properly,” he said. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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FORTYUNDER40 Patrick Haney

After completing an undergraduate degree in genetics, he started out at Keir Surgical as a territory manager, responsible for making sales and managing accounts.

Now as vice-president and as a partner in the company, he remains passionate about the products Keir Surgical sells: from the humblest operating room scissors to a cutting-edge tumour removal system. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our products are the tools to the trade for the people that actually do the business,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of like the hammer to the carpenter.â&#x20AC;?

Since becoming vicepresident at age 29, Haney has been primarily responsible for tripling revenues and transforming the company from a regional distributor to a national player. Keir Surgical recently opened an office in Montreal to handle sales in Eastern Canada.

Haney has also reworked compensation for sales staff to encourage growth and introduced a parental

return bonus, an employee emergency loan program and donation-matching. Keirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s relatively small size has enabled him to â&#x20AC;&#x153;wear a lot of hats,â&#x20AC;? including finding innovative ways to improve employee compensation. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do some of the things that the big, big employers in town can do in regards to pension programs and that kind of stuff,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But we can do some of the small things that make an impact on peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s dayto-day.â&#x20AC;?

After being diagnosed with hemochromatosis in 2010, a hereditary genetic disorder in which iron accumulates in the body, Haney began volunteering with the Canadian Hemochromatosis Society and became president this year. In March, Haney participated in a surgical mission to Guatemala organized by B.C.-based Project HANDS. He continues to help the organization source medical supplies. â&#x2013; PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Our products are the tools to the trade for the people that actually do the business

[]

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33

Birthplace: Lethbridge, Alberta Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Cornell and Queenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Universities Car or chosen mode of transport: Ford F150 Currently reading: All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy Last CD bought or music downloaded: Babel by Mumford and Sons Favourite app: Scrabble Favourite local restaurant: Burgoo Profession you would most like to try: Novelist What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Lack of discipline. Success comes from hard work and perseverance, often combined with a little good luck Toughest business or professional decision: Terminating an employee.

It is particularly difficult when the individual is a good person who is unfortunately not right for the position or company culture Advice you would give the younger you: Truly appreciate the opportunities you have been given and recognize you did not get to where you are alone

Vice-president, Keir Surgical Age: 35

atrick Haney has found a way to merge his love of P science with business.

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

!

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

Philippe Arrata Vice-president, service operations and financial services, Best Buy Canada Age: 38

fter several years working in management A consulting at McKinsey and Company and Deloitte, Philippe Arrata now relishes the ability to work on different types of projects at Best Buy Canada.

“In consulting, you’re always advising on what a company should do to improve their operations,” he said. “The big change is now I actually get the opportunity to do it and implement those changes.”

Those projects include revamping Best Buy’s warranty program to include a wider suite of services, like initial computer setup and remote support available at the click of a mouse.

Arrata has also made big changes in how the company deals with merchandise that is returned to stores.

“It was kind of like that show Storage Wars,” he said. “We’d literally have these photos and it’d be a pallet of stuff: there’d be TVs on it and laptops and a fridge. Companies would come and they’d bid on this random stuff, and some of it might work and some of it wouldn’t.”

[] Now technicians at Best Buy’s headquarters in Langley test and repair the items.

The electronics are then sold to Best Buy employees, friends and families through a private marketplace web site, directly to other businesses or to the general public through eBay. The stuff that can’t be repaired is sold for parts.

“It’s better for the environment, it’s better for us, it’s more profitable,” he said.

Arrata said Best Buy’s young, dynamic culture suits him well. So does the city of Vancouver, where Arrata and his family have settled after stints in Calgary and Singapore.

“Ultimately we got lucky, and ended up at Best Buy, and got to live in the city where we wanted to live,” he said. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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Birthplace: Montreal Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Car or chosen mode of transport: Nissan X-Trail Currently reading: Born to Run

by Christopher McDougall Last CD bought or music downloaded: Overexposed

by Maroon 5 Favourite app: The two I use daily are Kindle as I always have a book on the go and Nike+ to track my runs Favourite local restaurant: Bistrot Bistro for business and Pho Xe Lua 24 on Cambie with family Profession you would most like to try: GM of a professional sports team What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Setting personal limitations on what you can accomplish is a big risk. Getting caught in the details and losing sight of the big picture is an impediment to success Toughest professional decision: Relocating for career opportunities impacted everyone in our family Advice you would give the younger you: Work with people you like, trust and respect. Be confident in your business judgment What’s left to do: Continue to deliver more to the business world and our community

FORTYUNDER40

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FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

John-Paul Bogden

Birthplace: Prince George Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: LLB, University of Manitoba Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW 328ix Currently reading: The Secret History by Donna Tartt Last CD bought or music downloaded: Barchords by Bahamas Favourite app: Songza: It streams curated music based on the time of day and user preferences Favourite local restaurant: Boneta Profession you would most like to try: Investment banking.

Or being a sommelier.

There’s probably some overlap there What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Lack of tenacity Toughest business decision: Being resolute on a legal issue knowing that it could scuttle a deal for a significant client of ours Advice you would give the younger you: Be unfailingly tenacious and gracious, always do things right and remember that if you’re thinking something seems wrong, it probably is What’s left to do: Plenty: grow my individual practice, provide increasingly meaningful opportunities for younger lawyers and continue to do all the other things that make Blakes an excellent law firm

Partner, Blake Cassels and Graydon Age: 38

Bogden loves the fast-paced world of merJgersohn-Paul and acquisitions.

A recent deal that stands out for Bogden is Twitter’s acquisition of Summify, a Vancouver software company. It was Twitter’s first acquisition of a Canadian company.

“The talent they got in that acquisition is an important chunk of what Twitter is trying to do today,” he said. “Those guys [at Summify] are very, very good at building software that can cull and distill for you all the things they think would be interesting for you.”

Bogden regularly mentors young lawyers and articling students. Last year, he helped organize the first Summer Sizzle party, a fundraising event for the Dr. Peter AIDS Foundation that introduced young downtown professionals to the charity. He recently helped raise $20,000 for Athletics for Kids BC by stepping into the ring and boxing in a white-collar fight night event. ■

“If you’re acting for owner-operators when they’re being acquired by somebody large, it can be a life-changing event for them,” he said. “Apart from that, the pace at which those deals move and the cut and thrust of the negotiation is always exciting.”

As a partner at Blake Cassels and Graydon LLP, Bogden represents clients large and small, from entrpreneurs and venturecapital backed businesses to large TSX and NYSElisted corporations. He has tenaciously recruited clients like Twitter, Fulcrum Capital Partners and Informatica Corporation.

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

The pace at which those deals move and the cut and thrust of the negotiation is always exciting

[]

Thank you to our loyal customers, amazing staff and the local business community for another great year at Webnames.ca!

We wish you all a safe and happy holiday season.

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: B.Sc. in computer science, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: I walk whenever possible. Otherwise I take a cab Currently reading: Built to Last

by Jim Collins and Jerry I. Porras Last CD bought or music downloaded: Ritual Union by Little Dragon Favourite app: I love Evernote.

It’s a great way to organize ideas, to-do lists, interesting web clips and everything else I need to keep track of Favourite local restaurant: Boneta’s food is amazing.

Profession you would most like to try: I’ve always thought it would be rewarding to help other immigrant women into entrepreneurship What stops people from succeeding in business: Applying too many resources before having a true value proposition can be very risky. Also, trying to be too nichey and not going after the really big market opportunities Toughest business or professional decision: Knowing when to act on a new business initiative is tricky. You need to be confident it won’t harm old business or confuse clients and investors Advice you would give the younger you: Build a team of knowledgeable advisers that add strategic value and make sure your investors know your industry

FORTYUNDER40

Shahrzad Rafati CEO, Broadband TV Age: 32

hahrzad Rafati has tackled one of the thorniS est problems of the Internet age: how to pay the creators of video, television and movies when their content is pirated and distributed on the web.

“What we wanted to do is put the content providers back in control and at the same time help the fans share the content but in the right way,” she said.

Rafati and her team at Broadband TV have created technology that finds pirated video and places ads next to the content. The advertising revenue is then funnelled back to the publisher.

The business helps large companies, like the NBA, reclaim revenue that would otherwise be lost. Through a new dashboard tool, Broadband TV will launch this December. The company also plans to help amateur video makers distribute, track and make money off their content.

“It’s an end-to-end solution where, from the point when you deploy your content to distributing your content, optimizing the asset and tracking the asset … you can increase your views, increase your revenues,” she said.

Broadband TV is ranked as one of YouTube’s top five video content partners, next to companies like Warner Music and VEVO.

Rafati is also the cofounder of the Chopra Yoga Centre, a yoga and meditation centre that was opened in partnership with Deepak Chopra. She is the founder of Make Change, an organization committed to relieving human suffering in disadvantaged areas, and has been active in fundraising for Mission Possible, the United Way and World Cancer Day. ■

What we wanted to do is put the content providers back in control

[]

PHOTO | PETER HOLST

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FORTYUNDER40 Spencer Sheinin

tech boom in the late 1990s.

He remembers shaking his head at the high prices piein-the-sky dot.com businesses were fetching. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[I] couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t understand what tech businesses were being sold for that never sold a dimeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth of product,â&#x20AC;? he said.

When Sheinin and his business partner walked into Norwood Packaging, the Surrey company they would end up buying, they saw a reassuringly real product â&#x20AC;&#x201D; lip balm â&#x20AC;&#x201D; coming off the production line. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We just looked at it and said wow, all we have to do is do this a little bit better than the next person.â&#x20AC;?

While it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite that straightforward, Sheinin remains passionate about his company and the products it produces. In addition to lipbalm, Norwood makes skin cream and sunscreen for store brands like Shoppers

DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

We just looked at it and said wow, all we have to do is do this a little bit better than the next person

[] Drug Mart and Safeway.

They also manufacture products for other brands. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re experts in formula development and manufacturing and supporting other brand owners,â&#x20AC;? he said.

Under Sheininâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leadership, the company has had a 100% successful regulatory audit history and no adversereaction recalls. Norwood is the largest private-label lip balm supplier in Canada.

Sheinin is looking forward to introducing more natural products, an area where demand is growing. Some of those products will be on sale soon at stores like Rexall and Loblaws. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve been able to create true green products that are as effective as their conventional counterparts,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x2013; PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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37

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: Horseshoe Bay Highest level of education: CA Car or chosen mode of transport: Prius Currently reading: The War of Art by Steven Pressfield Last CD bought or music downloaded: â&#x20AC;&#x153;Northwest Passageâ&#x20AC;? by Stan Rogers. I downloaded it to finish my â&#x20AC;&#x153;most important song by year for the past 40 yearsâ&#x20AC;? playlist Favourite app: iBooks â&#x20AC;Ś pretty self-explanatory Favourite local restaurant: East Is East Profession you would most like to try: Backcountry mountain guide What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Getting trapped working on whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s urgent instead of whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s important Toughest business or professional decision: Splitting up with my business partner after 12 years together Advice you would give the younger you: Figure out your passion and spend at least an hour every day doing it.

No excuses Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: My first 100-mile trail marathon.

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m planning on running the 2013 Ultra-Trail du Mont Blanc in France

President and owner, Norwood Packaging Age: 39

pencer Sheinin was working as an investment S banker at the height of the

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

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38

FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

Ted Reid CFO, Paladin Security Group President, Paladin Security Systems Age: 39

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to work in business from a young age. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I always liked what he did, as far as business was involved: dealing with people, trying to develop teams and grow sales and deal with finance issues,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;All those were things that interested me.â&#x20AC;?

As CFO and president, Reid has helped to grow Paladin Security from a regional firm to a national player. The company has acquired Atco Security in Alberta, OBO Security in Manitoba, Reliant Security in Nova Scotia and Maddison Security in Toronto, among others, since 2008. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our foray into new provinces has always been preceded by an acquisition â&#x20AC;Ś

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The company is now one of the largest security companies in Canada, with 6,000 employees and 16 branch offices.

Building a strong finance team has been key to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s success. Reid now believes Paladin has â&#x20AC;&#x153;the strongest accounting team in our industry in Canada, and that allows us to make better business decisions.â&#x20AC;?

Developing that group of employees has taken time and careful thought.

Birthplace: North Vancouver Where do you live now: West Vancouver Highest level of education: CA, Institute of Chartered Accountants of BC Car or chosen mode of transport: Anything that gets me from A to B in one piece Currently reading: 127 Hours by Aron Ralston Last CD bought or music downloaded: Time Out by Dave Brubeck Favourite app: Score Mobile FC â&#x20AC;&#x201C; it provides soccer news so I can keep up to date with Chelsea FC Favourite local restaurant: Carmeloâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Profession you would most like to try: Teaching management (Monty Pythonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s talked me out of lion taming â&#x20AC;Ś) What you think stops people from succeeding in business: When they stop learning from their mistakes in order to be better next time Toughest business decision: Telling a friend that they are no longer a fit for the changing needs of the organization Advice you would give the younger you: Learn to identify, understand and appreciate differences in people for better perspective in decisionmaking Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Raise my children with solid values to be the best they can with what is before them

â&#x20AC;&#x153;It takes a lot of coaching, it takes a lot of discussions on developing the values that we want to establish as a team,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of the questions I always ask our team is, how do you want to be valued outside of our department?â&#x20AC;? â&#x2013; PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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FORTYUNDER40 Trevor McCaw

since 1999. There was NRX Global, a software company that went public in 2000.

Then there was Frogbox, which aims to make the moving industry greener by renting out reusable moving boxes.

Now with Aegis Medical Innovations, he’s focusing on the cutting-edge medical device industry. To McCaw, who studied electrical and computer engineering before getting his MBA, the field is “just an interesting place where the convergence of technical, business and doing something good for the world all came together.”

The medical device industry was hit hard by the credit crisis of 2009, with venture capital funding dropping by more than 75%. But with the trust of a few key investors, McCaw managed to successfully weather the storm.

“I was lucky because I had some investors who believed in the technology and believed in me,” he said.

Aegis Medical Innovations is commercializing a

stroke-prevention device which was developed by the Mayo Clinic. The technology, which has gone through clinical trials but is not yet on the market, may replace the blood thinners some patients currently take to prevent strokes.

The possibility for medical devices to take the place of drugs excites McCaw. “We’ve got a lot of people who are popping pills to solve something, and drugs have all kinds of issues, from compliance to cost to side effects,” he said.

McCaw has spent much of his career in the United States, but he returned to Canada to start Aegis Medical Innovations in Vancouver in 2007. While the choice was partly personal, it was also a shrewd business decision.

“I actually saw it as a competitive advantage,” he said.

“All else being equal, there’s a huge, huge pool of talent here that’s untapped and unfocused.” ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

39

Birthplace: Richmond Hill, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, Harvard Business School Car or chosen mode of transport: Subaru Outlook, Car2Go or bus Currently reading: NurtureShock by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman Last CD bought or music downloaded: Curious George

by Jack Johnson and Friends (for the kids) Favourite app: Flipboard, a news summary app, and the New York Times app Favourite local restaurant: Jethro’s Profession you would most like to try: International spy What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Analysis paralysis Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving my first startup Advice you would give the younger you: Focus, focus, focus

President and co-founder, Aegis Medical Innovations Age: 38

erial entrepreneur Trevor McCaw has founded or S co-founded three companies

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

I was lucky because I had some investors who believed in the technology and believed in me

[]

here’s to B.C.’s brightest stars

Gowlings extends our congratulations to all the winners of the 2012 BIV Forty under 40 awards. We are delighted to have our own Stuart Breen counted among them.

We know great things are in store for each and every one of you and look forward to seeing you shine.

Gowlings is a leading Canadian law firm, with offices across Canada, in Moscow, the U.K., and now a representative office in Beijing, offering a diverse range of services to assist Canadian and international organizations in achieving their business objectives.

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40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: LLB, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW Currently reading: Four or five kids books each night to my children Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Blue Album by the Beatles Favourite local restaurant: Pair Bistro Profession you would most like to try: Author (fiction) What you think stops people from succeeding in business: We all face different challenges so I think it really depends on each person and their circumstances.

That said, I think a lot of great opportunities and potential successes are lost because a risk wasn’t taken Toughest business or professional decision: Deciding to be a solicitor Advice you would give the younger you: Relax. Your career is a marathon, not a sprint What’s left to do: Raise my kids

FORTYUNDER40

Stuart Breen Partner, Gowling Lafleur Henderson Age: 38

tuart Breen is an expert in crafting complex S investment and acquisition deals for mining companies.

While in law school, Breen at first thought he would become a litigator. But when he was exposed to corporate finance law while articling, he found the work to be intellectually challenging and always interesting.

“Mining transactions involve a lot of creativity,” he said. “They aren’t transactions that follow standard forms. Often the clients have unique projects and transactions that have never been done before.”

Recently, Breen led the commercial mining law portion of a complex and innovative $1 billion in financing provided by Franco Nevada to Inmet Mining.

Last year, he advised Hathor Exploration in successfully resisting Cameco’s hostile takeover bid. He subsequently advised Hathor during its friendly takeover

by Rio Tinto for $654 million, a complex and widelypublicized transaction that involved teams from the

firm’s Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto offices.

His in-depth knowledge has helped to double Gowling Lafleur Henderson’s mining group revenues.

Breen is an enthusiastic mentor of articling students and to associates at his firm and commits to mentoring one UBC student each year.

It’s time well-spent, he said.

“From my perspective, a law firm really is just people,” he said. “Investing in the people you work with is so critically important.

You can build a firm by hiring and engaging and developing great associates and students.” ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Mining transactions involve a lot of creativity. They aren’t transactions that follow standard forms

[]

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FORTYUNDER40

BUSINESSVANCOUVER

Salim Janmohamed or Salim Janmohamed, the son of a single mother F who sought safe haven in

large contracts with WorkSafe BC and developing a pediatric clinic for children with autism to be two of his biggest recent achievements. He has also focused on hiring the best and the brightest.

“We’ve done some things like incorporating intelligence testing and collegial interviews … . That’s really helped us identify people that could live up to the challenges of working in this very dynamic industry.” ■

To help people get back to that important part of their lives, where they can provide for their families … was really powerful for me

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

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41

Birthplace: Halifax Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MBA, strategy specialization (UBC, Sauder School of Business) Car or chosen mode of transport: SkyTrain Currently reading: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry Last CD bought or music downloaded: Psychedelic Pill by Neil Young and Crazy Horse Favourite app: Stock Guru.

It ranks top 100 stocks weekly according to composite criteria score of investment gurus like Warren Buffett and Peter Lynch Favourite local restaurant: Provence, especially for breakfast!

Profession you would most like to try: Lawyer or comedian What you think stops people from succeeding in business: A lack of persistence and focus Toughest business or professional decision: Leaving a salaried position to join Community Therapists while also completing my MBA Advice you would give the younger you: Not every customer is a good customer to have. You can’t be all things to all people What’s left to do: Now that we have achieved scale, we need to invest in an ERP system to integrate and harmonize our various accounting, billing, CRM and operational systems

Managing director, Community Therapists Age: 38

Canada, choosing a career started with one pragmatic question: will I get a job?

Occupational therapy fit the bill. With Canada’s aging population, demand for health care was sure to grow. The program only took three years to complete, so he wouldn’t rack up big student loans.

“I also wanted to find something that would make a difference in people’s lives,” he said.

It’s a choice he has never regretted, especially since starting to practise in the area of vocational rehabilitation.

“To help people get back to that important part of their lives, where they can provide for their families … was really powerful for me,” he said.

Janmohamed also found he was well suited to working in the business side of the field.

At Community Therapists, he has decreased corporate overhead from 31% to 20%. Since 2006, the firm’s headcount and revenue have doubled. The company now has 90 staff throughout B.C. He counts securing several

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40 Amir Adnani CEO, president and director, Uranium Energy Age: 33

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mir Adnani saw potential in an ever-growing need for energy and a scarce supply of uranium.

“When I studied and understood what was going on in the uranium market because of the broader development in nuclear industry and the nuclear renaissance, I felt like this was a very compelling situation to get involved with,” he said.

The entrepreneur has grown Uranium Energy Corp. from exploration to production in just five years.

The company’s growth has been fuelled by acquiring other companies and gaining their exploration rights and results.

The uncluttered field is one of the things that appealed to Adnani.

“There’s only six or seven companies in the world that

In uranium, you’re part of a very exclusive club

[] mine uranium … . If you set up to become a producer of any other key metal, you’re one of many,” he said. “In uranium, you’re part of a very exclusive club.”

The company now has several using the in-situ recovery method, which involves pumping water and oxygen into the ground and dissolving and recovering uranium in chemical solutions.

The practice, said Adnani, is more cost effective and causes less environmental harm than traditional open pit or underground mining methods. ISR is now used in one-third of global uranium mining.

Looking into the future, Adnani has ambitious goals for his company.

“Our objective over the next two to five years is to expand and increase our

Birthplace: Tehran, Iran Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Bachelor of science degree from UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: taxi Currently reading: The Last Resort by Douglas Rogers Last CD bought or music downloaded: Immortal (The album is a soundtrack to Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour) Favourite app: Most apps for accessing/reading newspapers and magazines Favourite local restaurant: East Is East Profession you would most like to try: Professional soccer player What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Over-thinking or overstrategizing and not executing on the steps to realize the greater vision Toughest professional decision: It can be tough knowing when to switch to industry. This was a tough transitional decision, starting a business out of university instead of continuing with a master’s degree or getting a job Advice you would give the younger you: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” – Winston Churchill What’s left to do: Everything!

Professionally, build Uranium Energy Corp. into one of the largest and most exemplary uranium producers in America.

Develop Brazil Resources into a new gold producer in South America. In community, investing in education is a great way to give back and an area to focus on in years to come

uranium production in the U.S. to become the largest uranium producer in the U.S.,” he said. ■ PHOTO | MARK MUSHET

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FORTYUNDER40 Don Gauvreau Co-founder and vice-president, PharmaFreak Age: 35

n three short years, Don Gauvreau has gone from Ibeing a kindergarten teacher to the co-founder of a sports supplement company with $10 million in sales.

Gauvreau, who competed in bodybuilding competitions in university, had experience selling and using dietary supplements. But after completing degrees in education, kinesiology and science, he thought he was settling into a teaching career when he started a job at a school in Toronto.

“I still just had so much passion for the nutrition and dietary supplement industry,” he said. “I still kept reading the journal articles, I still kept studying the ingredients in my spare time.”

Gauvreau started to develop what would become PharmaFreak’s first product, a supplement called Ripped Freak, while he was still holding down his teaching job. Eventually, he quit to work on PharmaFreak full time.

But with no personal savings, bank loans or investors, Gauvreau and business partner Alex Savva had to think creatively to get their product on store shelves next to well-established brands.

“We didn’t have money to advertise,” he said. “We needed something big to grab people’s attention.”

They focused on guerrilla marketing and designing an edgy product package. There’s also the name, which is designed to shock.

“Anybody in the bodybuilding or athletic community, they always kind of talk, like, ‘I want to get ripped,’” he said. “There are other guys who’ll talk about people that have great bodies, they’ll say, ‘Oh my god, that guy’s a freak!’

They want to become ripped freaks.”

Gauvreau said his company has created a superior product, partly because he and Savva are the target market.

“We are the consumer of our product, and we really create these products for ourselves and that’s why our products are so wellreceived,” he said. ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

We are the consumer of our product, and we really create these products for ourselves and that’s why our products are so well-received

[]

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: St. Catharines, Ontario Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: MSc in education, D’Youville College, Buffalo, New York Car or chosen mode of transport: I do not own a vehicle. Walking is my chosen mode Currently reading: Driven: How to Succeed in Business and in Life by Robert Herjavec Last CD bought or music downloaded: Tiësto’s Club Life podcast Favourite app: BlackBerry Travel App — it detects all travel confirmation emails and automatically downloads all the flight and hotel booking information into an organized format and it also alerts you of any flight cancellations or delays Favourite local restaurant: Cactus Club and Cibo Trattoria Profession you would most like to try: Record label executive or music producer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Fear of failure, lack of passion for the industry or business itself and the inability to make smart, fast and firm decisions Toughest business or decision: I actually get excited about making the so-called tough decisions. I know in my gut that at least 90% of my decisions will be the right ones, so I usually feel pretty good when making them Advice you would give the younger you: Don’t ever let yourself get too high or too low. Sometimes things will go great and sometimes things will go bad. But as long as you can stay balanced, control your emotions and maintain focus on your long-term vision then you’ll have a much better chance at long-term success What’s left to do: What’s not left to do? I could easily write a 200-page novel about what’s left to accomplish

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44

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

Birthplace: Kitimat Where do you live now: Vancouver Highest level of education: Fourth year Psychology and Political Science program, University of Victoria Car or chosen mode of transport: BMW 320i Currently reading: Race Against the Machine: How the Digital Revolution Is Accelerating Innovation, Driving Productivity, and Irreversibly Transforming Employment and the Economy by Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee Last CD bought or music downloaded: Tron: Legacy by Daft Punk Favourite app: Flipboard Favourite local restaurant: Tangthai Profession you would most like to try: Captain aboard the first starship into deep space What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Lack of time, lack of funding and lack of data analysis skills Toughest business or professional decision: Resigning (twice) from startups that were skyrocketing to start my own ecommerce company Advice you would give the younger you: Be resilient, unyielding and uncompromising in your quest for success.

Visualize success while failing quickly and as much as possible. The more you fail, the closer you are to succeeding

FORTYUNDER40

Jason Carvalho CEO, MarilynJean Media Age: 32

n paper, Jason Carvalho seems an unlikely coO founder of MarilynJean.com, Canada’s first private sale and online shopping club. Its target audience is moms of kids age zero to nine years.

And Jason?

“I’m not married and don’t have any kids.”

That didn’t stop him when he saw a niche market.

He connected with Cathy Thorpe, former vicepresident of retail at Please Mum and board member at MarilynJean.

“She has a strong background in kids’ retail and a deep understanding of offline space.”

Carvalho was no stranger to online marketing.

He was the first employee of Indochino and built the brand from $500,000 a year to $10 million. Through his in-depth conversations with Thorpe, Carvalho developed his vision of MarilynJean.

“Our value proposition is family first, which gives peace of mind to moms.”

He secured an initial angel investment in 30 days and MarilyJean was born.

Within six months, more than 40,000 members had joined the referral-based, private sale shopping site and it had attracted 30,000 Facebook fans. Today the self-made entrepreneur runs his successful business with just 10 employees.

“The future is mobile.

Keeping our company lean allows us to pivot and evolve as a brand.”

Carvalho is just as passionate about nurturing social entrepreneurship as building businesses. “I’ve been a big supporter of social entrepreneurship for the last 10 years.”

He founded the Canadian Social Entrepreneurship Foundation after attending three world conferences at Oxford University. Whether connecting with people through social networks or social entrepreneurship, Carvalho has carved his online path to success. ■

The future is mobile.

Keeping our company lean allows us to pivot and evolve as a brand

[]

PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

Business Events: In Print. Online.

BIV Datebook is Greater Vancouver's source for finding and marketing business events. Easy to use and effective.

FORTYUNDER40 Alexa Ulinder-Baughen Vice-president, investments and communications, Anthem

Properties Age: 34

lexa Ulinder-Baughen has grown up in the real A estate business. Her father, Daniel Ulinder, worked with Bob Rennie in the 1990s and the two were pioneers in residential real estate marketing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been exposed to the industry and always had an interest in it,â&#x20AC;? she said.

After a stint with a communications company, Ulinder-Baughen returned to real estate and worked her way up the corporate ladder over a period of 10 years.

As vice-president at Anthem Properties, she has led the acquisition of 19 new investment properties to the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s portfolio.

Ulinder-Baughen is also responsible for all corporate

Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always been exposed to the industry and always had an interest in it

[] communications, including media relations, sponsorships and donations and corporate branding and marketing.

In 2003, while she was studying for a degree in communications at the London School of Economics, life hit a speed bump when her father was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. â&#x20AC;&#x153;He was huge inspiration to me growing up â&#x20AC;Ś when he got sick, I flew home as soon as I found out,â&#x20AC;? she said.

Ulinder-Baughen ended up

Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: MA(Sc.), global media and communications, London School of Economics Car or chosen mode of transport: GMC Acadia Currently reading: 123 Magic by Dr. Thomas Phelan Last CD bought or music downloaded: The Blue Guitar Sessions by Jesse Cook Favourite app: Sideswipe, a customized news feed that allows for saving and sorting of articles and updates Favourite local restaurant: Lâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Abbatoir and Quattros Profession you would most like to try: Travel writer What you think stops people from succeeding in business: Complacency Toughest business or professional decision: Moving from the brokerage side of the business to work in-house for a development company. In the end, I feel it was the right choice for me Advice you would give the younger you: Find something that you love to do and success will find you Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s left to do: Continue to maintain a good balance between work and home and make time to support causes that are important to me

doing her thesis on how cancer patients use the Internet to learn about their disease and treatment. Before he died, her father took part in her study.

Having lost her father as well as two grandparents to cancer, Ulinder-Baughen is passionate about cancer research. She has chaired the Canadian Cancer Societyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s annual Daffodil Ball for the past four years. In that time, the event has raised $3 million for cancer research. â&#x2013;

45

BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25â&#x20AC;&#x201C;31, 2012

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BUSINESSVANCOUVER DECEMBER 25–31, 2012

FORTYUNDER40

Doug Nelson President and CEO, BC Cancer Foundation Age: 36

oug Nelson can attest that heading the BC D Cancer Foundation can be a roller-coaster of emotion.

Connecting donors to the researchers they fund, taking part in high-energy events like the Ride to Conquer Cancer, responding to a heart-wrenching letter from a child who lost her mother to breast cancer: it’s all part of the job description.

“There’s nothing more real or more human than raising money for cancer research,” he said.

Amid the drama, staying focused on the organization’s goals is key.

“We need to make sure that when we present a project to a prospective donor it is an area of highest priority and greatest promise.”

Nelson has made it his mission to make the foundation as efficient as possible in order to stretch donor dollars as far as they’ll go.

Since becoming president and CEO in 2009, he has cut the cost of fundraising in half and increased revenues by 78%.

Nelson has also worked closely with employees to identify goals and targets and tighten up job descriptions, a move that has raised worker satisfaction throughout the organization.

“So often in the not-forprofit sector, being nice is good enough,” he said.

The fact that people at the organization feel a stronger sense of purpose ties directly to the foundation’s goal of being as effective with donations as possible.

“Part of that is more private-sector-style management, and another part of it is really making sure every employee knows what difference they’re making with respect to cancer research in the province.” ■ PHOTO | DOMINIC SCHAEFER

There’s nothing more real or more human than raising money for cancer research

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Birthplace: Chicago. My family moved to Canada when I was 12 Where do you live now: North Vancouver Highest level of education: Master’s in higher education, UBC Car or chosen mode of transport: Bike when I can — trusty Nissan when the rain is too much Currently reading: 419: A Novel

by Will Ferguson Last CD bought or music downloaded: Solo Piano II by Chilly Gonzales Favourite app: Twitter Favourite local restaurant: Tavola — no question. Brad Roach and his team are amazing Profession you would most like to try: First baseman, Toronto Blue Jays What you think stops people from succeeding in business: For my entire career I have had supportive mentors who pushed me, pushed back and encouraged to me to be better. Most importantly, they taught me, in different ways, to think and to trust my instincts. Without great mentors it’s hard to know when a risk is just a risk and when it’s just crazy Toughest business or professional decision: The toughest are everyday decisions. Decisions, especially if they’re hard, have to meet our standard: will this benefit B.C. cancer patients and their families?

Advice you would give the younger you: Travel more, read more and worry less What’s left to do: The good news is that cancer research is working.

People in B.C. have the best cancer outcomes in Canada and among the best in the world.

We should be proud of what we have in B.C., but research is not yet working for everyone. BCCF will keep working until it does.

That is why giving is so critical

Business in Vancouver congratulates our 2012 Forty under 40 winners!

After 22 years, Business in Vancouver continues to find 40 outstanding young business professionals worthy of the Forty under 40 distinction. Winners are under 40 and have demonstrated excellence in business judgment, leadership and community contribution. Join us to celebrate their success January 29th at the gala awards dinner.

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WHEN January 29, 2013 Reception: 6:15pm - 7:00pm, Dinner: 7:00pm - 9:00pm WHERE The Fairmont Waterfront Hotel, 900 Canada Place PRICE General Price: $149 Member Price: $125 Regular tables of 10: $1250 Subcribers; $1490 Non-subscribers Corporate table of 10: $2250 (includes logo recognition at your table and from the stage) Visit biv.com/events/biv/40under40 to register

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