interview
Photo by Oliver Le Moal
In a Nutshell
■■ First job: The one that stands out is when I was 14, and I lived in Elliott Lake, Ont. I got interested in music and
decided to bring in bands from Toronto. I’d sell tickets to the concert and brought in three or four different bands.
It was fun to do. I didn’t actually tell my parents until the first band arrived. I had decided I wouldn’t put them in a
hotel; they’d stay at my house!
■■ Childhood ambition: Like many Canadians, I wanted to be a hockey player. I was tall prior to age 12; but by age
16, everyone else grew taller and I became the smallest – and that was the end of my career.
■■ Best boss and why: I’ve had great bosses. At CN, Hunter Harrison was the toughest guy with high expecta-tions,
but I learned a lot about the business from him. More importantly, he absolutely had the people mindset in
terms of development. He gave me everything I needed and more.
■■ Current source of inspiration: The person who has been my biggest supporter and inspired me the most is my
wife, Mary Jane. She was always supportive; she was a psychologist and she always gave me great advice through-out
my career. Now, it’s a different kind of advice, but it’s still inspirational.
■■ Best piece of advice you ever got: I’m an introvert by nature and never wanted to be the centre of attention.
The best advice I ever got was that at the end of the day, results always speak for themselves. So produce the
results, and let others recognize your effort. You don’t have to over-promote yourself.
■■ Favourite music: My favourite band is Bon Jovi, so I guess rock music is my favourite.
■■ Last book you read: Command Authority by Tom Clancy with Mark Greaney.
■■ How do you spend your time away from work? Playing golf and tennis, and spending time with my wife and
our dog, a golden retriever named Cassie.
HRPATODAY.CA ❚ MAY/JUNE 2014 ❚ 73