GIVING BACK IN WEST OTTAWA

FROM CEO TO CEO AWARD WINNERS DISCUSS WORK, FAMILY AND BALANCE

LIVING GUIDE

live, work, play FROM NEPEAN TO WEST CARLETON: FERTILE GROUND FOR BUSINESSES 36URBAN + RURAL

PLACES TO PLAY AFTER WORK

MICHAEL BLACKIE’S PERSPECTIVE ON OTTAWA

INNOVATION IN YOUR BACKYARD

MEET THE HUMANS OF OTTAWA WEST > STARTING ON PAGE 7

14 WEST OTTAWA BOARD OF TRADE WEST OTTAWA LIVING GUIDE 15

regretted ensuring I was there for a key moment in their lives as those are memories that are priceless.

James: What is the best mistake you have made in business and what did you learn from it?

Kevin: I love the “best mistake” connotation as it reflects the reality that not all decisions are right and that once you recognize this it can be a powerful learning moment. In today’s world with substantial data at your fingertips, there is still a requirement for trusting your gut. When I look back at some of my mistakes, the data at hand would have supported my decision at that time, but my gut was screaming perhaps I should ignore the data and trust my intuition that this wasn’t the best course forward.

A good non-business example: I have been coaching hockey for over 20 years and have done many player assessments over this period. One year, I decided to automate the entire process with scoring, grids etc. When I reviewed the results of the evaluation information, my gut was that a few players who did not score as high as others were still the right choice for my team … I trusted my gut and this ended up being the right decision. So absolutely review the information presented to you for a decision, but don’t let the information dominate your ability to trust your gut.

James: If you were to enter a new market/industry today and had no restrictions to doing it, what would it be?

Kevin: The music industry. I have played guitar for years, including with many bands in the Ottawa area while growing up. Some of my sons are musicians and it’s frustrating to see that talented musicians really do have a hard time making a living, especially in Ottawa or smaller community areas. I would start a company that would look to highlight the amazing talent we have here, ideally with a live music venue facility, and a team that could connect into the global music

ecosystem to ensure these artists had the best shot of making a living doing what they love to do.

KEVIN TO JAMES: IN A FAMILY-RUN BUSINESS, IT’S ALL OR NOTHINGKevin: Is there a company that you look to for either vision/direction in the growth of your company? 

James: Obviously Calian is my first answer – being able to sustain quarter on quarter growth for that long blows my mind – but if I had to choose one in my space, it would likely be Veritaaq. Transitioning generations as a family business, going through dramatic growth, overcoming significant challenges to becoming a market leader and being acquired by a multinational business.

That takes a combination of great vision, effort and terrific people – I have a ton of respect for that. Beyond them, I am constantly impressed by the likes of Assent Compliance who are able to maintain focus on their culture and vision while growing at a breakneck pace. The leadership has unwavering focus on excellence which is something I attempt to bring to Keynote every day.

Kevin: What are the unique challenges of starting/growing a family business? Conversely, what are the strengths of family-run organizations?

James: I always say that launching our own family business was the best

and worst thing we ever did! Building a company is tough – the cash-flow challenges, unexpected hiccups and complete accountability for success. However, there is no off switch for either of us. Work and life are one and the same, we have no fallback or alternative income source or security – Keynote is who we are, our home is our office and our office is our home. It is all or nothing and you start and end your day with your business partner.

With that said, there is no one I trust more in the world than my wife and business partner. We understand what we each bring to the business and never have to question engagement or commitment. We may not always agree but what married couple does? We just have more to disagree about and more to celebrate together as well. It is complete dedication to our future and the future of our family. Having worked in large multinationals, startups and mid-size family environments, the main difference in family business is how real and genuine everything is. It is my opinion that decisions are made with greater consideration for their impact on the people involved.

Kevin: What is your proudest moment?

James: I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed some great moments in my career. Up until last year, becoming a part of the Forty under 40 alumni in 2012 was something I never thought would be bettered. That was surpassed, however, by winning Best New Business from both the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and West Ottawa Board of Trade in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

Personal recognition is wonderful but being able to bring everyone together that has built this business and share that stage with them was fantastic. The simple realization that others feel we are doing the right things, in the right way, was incredibly humbling. The reassurance and relief that our choice to take a leap of faith and follow our vision and dream of building a company in our own identity was tremendous.

Business Excellence Award winners

discuss work, family and what it means

to find balance

FRANK TALK, CEO TO CEO

BY LEO VALIQUETTE

One CEO is more than 30 years into his career with multinational enterprises. The other is an entrepreneur

who founded his own business two years ago in the staffing and recruiting industry.

You could call it the old guard and the new. If given the chance, what three questions would one ask the other?

In April, the West Ottawa Board of Trade handed out its 2017 Business Excellence Awards. Staffing and recruitment consultancy Keynote Group won in the New Business Category, while Managing Partner and CEO James Baker took home the Young Entrepreneur Award. He runs the business with wife Donna Baker.

At the other end of the spectrum, Kevin Ford, President and CEO of

Calian Group, was recognized as Business Leader of the Year. Founded in 1982, Calian employs more than 2,700 people across Canada, delivering a variety of services in business, technology and systems engineering. The company has had more than 60 consecutive profitable quarters and counting.

We hooked up our two award-winning CEOs to ask each other three questions. Here are the results (edited for length):

JAMES TO KEVIN: TRUST YOUR GUT, VALUE THE PRICELESS MOMENTS James: How have you managed to balance growing a publicly traded business with family and personal interests? 

Kevin: Great question – I am asked often about work life balance. The phrase can indicate that one doesn’t work hard, which obviously isn’t true. Whether publically traded or privately held, I am confident most people today are finding it a challenge to balance work, family, friends and time for yourself. For me, managing the time challenge has really been through understanding that while I enjoy working hard, there MUST be time for family, friends and self.

So, it comes to prioritizing those things that matter to you, whether being there for your child’s school play, to ensuring you exercise on a regular basis or just hanging out with friends and getting caught up over dinner. I am also very fortunate to having an amazing family (my wife Marlene and four boys). I have never

James Baker, Managing Partner and CEO of Keynote Group,

with Calian Group President and CEO Kevin Ford.

PHOTO BY MARK HOLLERON