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Connecting to Vancouver’s residents and businesses as their mayor
As mayor of Vancouver entering a municipal election, Ken Sim has to transition into an additional role as mayoral candidate. This means this is a double-duty role, having to run the city and run a campaign at the same time. But he sees himself as just one member of the council chamber and campaign team – he follows the advice of the team that he has assembled, connecting to the city’s residents and businesses as much as he can.
Understanding the city and being drawn into public service
What does it take to be a principled and strong opposition city council member? Pete Fry learned how to do that when he was placed in that situation after the rise of Ken Sim as Vancouver mayor. After all, his journey as an entrepreneur and longtime resident of the city gives him an insight on what it takes to build a life in Vancouver, and his personal struggles allows for an understanding of what families in crisis may go through.
Campaigning for mayor by assembling an experienced team
When she was a city council at Vancouver City Hall, Colleen Hardwick wanted to assemble a team that had academic and professional backgrounds, to lead the city in the direction that she felt it should be going. To her, the key to success is to have a team of people who have the experience and background knowledge that can affect the change that the city needs.
Leading a municipal political party and running for mayor
Rebecca Bligh is the party leader of Vote Vancouver, but she is aiming higher – she wants to be mayor of the entire city of Vancouver. “We are the ultimate political startup,” she says of the parallels between starting a political party and business. She saw a need for a centrist party in the city, which was not being filled. With the right team that believes in Vancouver, she is hoping to govern in a way that benefits everyone who has a stake in the city.
Expediting First Nations’ economic infrastructure
Who is looking out for the economic wellbeing of First Nations? As the president and CEO of the Nanwakolas Council, this is part of Dallas Smith’s job, by bringing together six of British Columbia’s First Nations. By connecting First Nations with the government to improve their economic infrastructure, projects get expedited and managed on a level that might even outpace the economy at large.
Bringing ideas from politics to policy
When you are running for party leadership, there is one crucial task – making sure your supporters are party members. That is Caroline Elliott’s mission, during her run for the helm of the Conservative Party of British Columbia. This is a far cry from where she expected to be when she attended high school. But she could not escape the fascination from her first few jobs, including at the Victoria legislature, which taught her how something goes from politics to policy.
Being curious, willing to make mistakes, and taking risks
As the CEO of the Mining Association of British Columbia, Michael Goehring represents the entire mining and smelting industry of the province and advocates the sector’s interests to the government.
Being a US ambassador: More than just diplomacy
How does one become an ambassador? For US ambassador to Canada David Cohen, it depends on what kind of ambassador you are – and yes, there are different types. And there is more to being an ambassador than simply diplomacy; it is also about maintaining a high-morale team that is proud to represent the United States and facilitate trade between American and Canadian companies.
From geology to public affairs: Shifting a career
Every day is different for Allison Macfarlane – and she would have it no other way. Despite her position as a director of a public policy affairs faculty, her journey didn’t start there – in fact, her education moved her to places like the Himalayas, Ecuador, Greece, and more. Her decision to change fields from science led to a chance meeting, which fuelled a shift towards public policy; she hasn’t looked back since.
Being in the room to shape public policy
When Gidi Grinstein saw the Oslo Accords after his military service in Israel, he was fascinated. He knew he was witnessing an incident of great statesmanship in history – and realized that he wanted to be part of groups that shaped public policy. Leveraging that passion, he started the Reut Group, a public policy think tank. At first, he did everything. Over time, he realized that he couldn’t do everything alone – he had to work with people around him.
Building relationships between government and infrastructure projects
Mark Liedemann is great at relationship management – his job as CEO of Infrastructure BC calls for it, helping to cultivate the relationships between government and builders of infrastructure around British Columbia. To get to where he is today, it was a journey through a biochemistry degree, teaching in Germany, the banking industry, a business degree, and more.
Keeping an open mind: Succeeding in the pharmaceutical industry
Rory Mullen, as the head of BioPharma and IDA Ireland, meets a lot of people, to say the least. He started studying in business and working in advertising, but wanted to expand his horizons internationally, outside his native Ireland.
From video game industry pioneer to government minister
There is no “normal” day when you work in government. That is what Brenda Bailey has learned as British Columbia’s Minister of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation. In fact, she sees her job as a real-life crash course on British Columbia.
Turning struggles into successes through determination
Ellis Ross is shaking things up these days. He’s focused on attracting opportunity to the riding he represents in the BC Legislature. That is work that compounds and adds to the same focus he brought to his role of Chief Councillor of the Haisla First Nation.
Leading by example and changing her community
While that isn’t an official job title, that is what Jody Wilson-Raybould is: “a change maker.” Her career as a lawyer, as a leader within her community and with First Nations across Canada positioned her to become an elected member of the 2015 Liberal government.