Manufacturing
Linda Hasenfratz Linamar Corporation Guelph
Linda Hasenfratz heads the Linamar Corporation team – a diversified global manufacturing company of highly engineered products, world renowned for its precision machining expertise. Are entrepreneurs born or made? A combination of both but mostly born – entrepreneurs have a gut instinct about driving for growth, opportunity, success and risk taking. It is a fire that burns in some but not all. What would you say are the top skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur? A risk taker, a driven and good decision-maker, a persuasive and persistent motivator, and an opportunist. How important have good employees been to your success? Essential – an entrepreneur is only as good as the team around them. My team is what gets the job done and creates our success. How can Canada support a stronger entrepreneurial ecosystem? Create an environment in which entrepreneurs can thrive – meet other like-minded people, share ideas, build businesses together, encourage creativity and take ideas and turn them into something tangible through some coaching. Where do you want to be in the next 10 years? I hope to continue in my current position for the next 10 years. I set a goal of $10 billion in sales for us when I became COO in 1997 and it is a milestone I feel I can achieve in 10 years. Who has been your greatest inspiration? Mostly my father, Frank Hasenfratz, who came to this country with nothing and built a multibillion-dollar company through his drive, determination and skill. Also our President and COO Jim Jarrell – a fantastic communicator and motivator, and a goal-oriented great leader who I have had the privilege of working with for almost 25 years. Lastly, my husband Ed Newton, who started a business based around building and development using interesting technology focused on environmentally beneficial building. If you have a great skill or a great idea, take a chance and try to build something on that. You miss 100 per cent of the chances you don’t take. Find a support network, compile a great team and build something you can be proud of. You will never regret taking that chance.
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EY Entrepreneur Of The Year 2014