“My UNBC education literally opened a door to the world for me.”
Tops in the game of global trade
Christopher Colussi is excited as he points to small rectangles on his computer screen. They’re arranged to mimic the yard full of containers outside of his office at the Fairview container terminal in Prince Rupert, and the graphics on his screen neatly reflect the world of global trade happening right outside. The yellow rectangles are bound for Yokohama; Shanghai is red. Those green ones are heading to Chicago; peach is for Memphis. It’s all a bit like a video game, where the object is to move the maximum number of containers in the least amount of time.
Christopher Colussi
“I was in the lookout area when the first vessel arrived, and I was the first person hired after the initial start-up,” recalls Chris, who is the Marine Superintendent. “I’m very proud of the collaboration between Maher Terminals, our Foreman, and our workforce. Together, we’ve developed a world-class container terminal for the region and for Canada. My UNBC education literally opened a door to the world for me.”
Degree, Major, Year: BSc, Mathematics, 2004 Hometown: Prince Rupert Job Title: Marine Superintendent Employer: Maher Terminals Location: Prince Rupert 6
If it was a game, Christopher would be a champion. He manages and supervises the vessel department for U.S.-based Maher Terminals, which operates the Fairview terminal. Since opening five years ago, the Prince Rupert facility has increased its cargo throughput every year, and the speed with which containers come and go is unmatched in North America. Christopher is justifiably proud of what he and his fellow employees have achieved. Christopher came to UNBC in 2000 and graduated with a mathematics degree four years later. Born and raised in Prince Rupert, he quickly returned after graduation, getting a job in the local economic development agency. Back then – as it is now – economic development was synonymous with port development and the container terminal was the jewel in the crown.
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