Graduates from Ryerson’s business school are making a mark in the business world, using their university experiences as one of their primary tools to succeed in the competitive world of business. David Lyons is one such graduate.

“With Ryerson being a city-university, very practical knowledge is delivered. It gives you the hands-on-experience and the theory, obviously. But with projects and other stuff, it prepares you for what you need,” said Lyons.

Lyons, who graduated from the Ted Rogers School of Management with a Marketing Major in 2007, is the Marketing and Member Development Manager at the Ontario Institute of the Purchasing Managers Association of Canada (PMAC).

Sitting in his office in a high-rise downtown building with a clear view of the CN Tower and Lake Ontario, Lyons took some time out of his busy work schedule to tell us about his experience at Ryerson and his journey afterwards.

While he only got the opportunity to study at the new building of the Ted Rogers School of Management in his final year, he considers that branding the school of business under a separate name is reaping great benefits for the students. “In the long run, it will certainly hold some weight,” he said.

Lyons also praised the Business Careers Program at the Ted Rogers School. “It was actually the Business Careers program that helped me find this position. It’s a great program and I highly recommend it to anybody; it opens doors because the job market is hard. When you’re out there, its high competition, so any niche portal that you can be given puts you a step ahead of anybody else,” he said.

Lyons mentioned that even though Ryerson’s Business Program might not be as highly ranked, it is starting to get its fair bit of recognition among business professionals. “It’s definitely building up steam– It’s going in the right direction,” he said.

Noting that while the recession has been really bad for some professions, he said that in some ways it has benefited the Supply Chain Management field.

“It’s got a lot more attention, a lot more focus,” he said, “A lot of business’ actually turned to their supply chain department to help run a little bit more lean and to turn a profit when revenues are down.”

He also mentioned that after the recent decline in new employment, companies are again looking to rehire and that more jobs are cropping up, especially in the field of supply chain management.

Lyons also had some valuable advice for students going out into the job market. He stressed the importance of continuing education, since it shows how much an individual is committed to his or her field of study, besides being honest in whatever work they do.

“What I would recommend for people going out there is to be honest,” he said, “If you don’t have the infield experience, just say that you want to learn.”

Each year, the Women’s Executive Network releases a top-100 list and Belvedere, a fourth-year marketing student, was given a spot in the “Future Leaders” category for her contributions to business in her community, including her work with Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) Ryerson for two years.

“The [defining qualities] that come up all the time, no matter who I’m talking to, are my passion, motivation, my energy and my ambition,” which, she says, are why she fits in with the big names on the Top 100 list.

Belvedere is a chameleon. In her own words, a strong businessperson is someone who knows how to “morph.”

“Even talking to them, they’re passionate about their own thing,” she said. “But they overcame so many obstacles, they were so driven, so motivated to achieve their goal. And it was very inspiring for me to see that.”

Accomplished as she is, accepting the award alongside various top executives and industry and social leaders, was “a bit intimidating” for Belvedere. “I walked in and I thought ‘What? Why am I on the same scale as some of these women who have done these huge things [with] these million-dollar companies, when I’m a student who’s done some significant things, but on a different level?’” she said.

Ryerson president Sheldon Levy sent the young businesswoman a congratulatory letter, reminding her that this award is a push towards being a future leader; that this is only the beginning and Belvedere still has so much to accomplish.

“I can honestly say that I never had that moment where I was like ‘I won top 100, so I’m better’,” Belvedere said. “For me, I was excited, but I also thought to myself ‘I have so much that I can do and that I’m going to do.’ So I set the bar even higher for myself than I had before. I guess that was probably the biggest effect that had on me, now, people expect even more of me, which is great – I get excited about that too.”

Whether it’s delivering a presentation or running a meeting, Belvedere says that being recog- nized means she must meet and surpass new, higher standards.

Still, there are obstacles. “Because I’m younger and a woman, I often get [the impression that people are thinking] ‘you don’t have much experience and we’d rather deal with a man,’” said Belvedere.

“I don’t take offense to it, because I understand that mentality and I understand saying ‘well, you know, you’re just a student.’ It can be frustrating, but it’s learning that you just have to accept it and say ‘fine, here’s my boss, there you go.’”

It’s important for Belvedere, and other young women, to learn how to approach people in different ways, and how to make them more open to working with young female leaders. The advantage of being young and a strong leader means that there is time to develop these skills.

In her future plans Belvedere hopes to run her own business. In a more short term time-frame, she wants to give reciprocal support to SIFE, Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship (SAGE) and Ryerson for the roles they have played in shaping the person she has become.

“When an organization or something gives you their best, you deserve to give them your best back,” she said. “That’s one of the things that I’m a huge believer in: if they supported you, you should be supporting them right back.”

She plans to do this by continuing her work with SAGE, and supporting high school students with entrepreneurial visions. She wants them to grow to be excited about entrepreneurship and motivated to work hard to achieve their goals. She, after all, has seen first-hand the success these attributes can bring a person.

“You have people that believe in you, but [students] also need the support of resources,” she said. “And you hear entrepreneurs say all the time ‘I need funding, I need funding’ – well, you need more than funding. You need the team, you need the idea, you need the plan. So, there’s a lot to it, but that support for the person and support for the venture are both necessary. And I know that there’s so much support that’s out there, but a lot of times it’s finding the right support for you.”

The way Belvedere motivates and inspires students through SAGE is also what makes her a leader regarding her own group ventures and projects. “I love being able to come up with the vision of where something is going and communicating that to people, and I love motivating people. Both are so important to me and both are things that I’ve devel- oped and become much better at,” she said.

“I’ve always been a natural leader, I’ve always sort of stepped up. I don’t mind the responsibility, I love making the decisions,” she said. “As much as making money is nice and all of that, I love just being able to work on something that I’m really passionate about. Once you start to see the results and everything comes together, it’s so rewarding.”

Why, in the end, was Andrea Belvedere chosen as one of the Top 100 and not one of countless other talented business students, both in TRSM and country-wide? She believes it was the kinds of changes SIFE went through under her leadership, and her ability to grow the organization, while at the same time balancing her student life and life outside Ryerson. “I really am like other students. I went to school, I took my classes, I had my part-time jobs, I paid for school myself, there are all those things that I did,” she said.

Belvedere is a chameleon. In her own words, a strong business- person is someone who knows how to “morph” – who knows when to flip the switch between professional and casual. When people get older, it is expected, but Belvedere says this skill is just as important among young professionals.

While at Ryerson, she struck a balance between going to class, her paid employment, SIFE and her extracurricular involvement, and even left time to play hockey every Wednesday. But ultimately, Belvedere says that she is not alone in her success, and that she is just an example of what Ryerson students are capable of achieving.

“There are so many women at Ryerson who I have worked with, students, recent graduates, who are awesome. And they are doing so, so much,” she said. “I’m so grateful to be recognized, but at the same time, there are so many students out there doing incredible things, and it’s important that they get recognized too.”

Four “mompreneurs”, Julie Cole, Tricia Mumby, Julie Ellis and Cynthia Esp from Hamilton are the founders of Mabel’s Labels, a company that produces labels “for the stuff kids lose.” They were winners of the RBC Momentum Award at the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards last December.

Mabel’s Labels’ business plan is straightforward – manufacture dishwasher, microwave, and laundry safe labels to help moms lead more organized lives – and has turned their basement venture into a multi- million dollar success story, with celebrity clients and international expansion.

Seven years ago, all four women were working in traditional jobs – one financial planner, one lawyer, one teacher, and one graphics manager – said Julie Cole, co-founder and company spokeswoman. “The traditional workforce can be unforgiving to mothers. This came at the appropriate time too, also because we had the business idea,” Cole said.

“At the time I had a couple of young kids, and we were constantly asking questions like ‘who’s sippy cup is this?’ or going to the daycare and saying things like ‘I might have left my bottle lid here, have you seen it?’ So we created a product that people would use,” she said.

Cole, now a mother of six, said that one of the secrets to the Mabel’s Labels success is a strong understanding of the target market – and Cole, Mumby, Ellis and Esp are their own market. “We knew that the people who were going to be buying these were people like us,” Cole said. “[The product] had to be durable. It had to be cute. It had to have good value.”

As a result, the company’s sales continue to increase at over 85 per cent a year and the women have been featured in a number of magazines and on several television networks. But before the fame and profits, people were skeptical. “When women or mothers start businesses they are often viewed as hobbies. You know, mom is making widgets at home so she doesn’t have to go back to work,” said Cole. “We never approached our business as a hobby.”

Cole’s experiences have lead her to believe that advertising oneself as a “mompreneur” isn’t always the best idea. Sometimes, big business moguls see women who incorporate motherhood into their businesses as too bogged down. “People assume you are going to be scheduling work between play-dates and naps and diapers,” she said. “People started once they met us and saw that we have business goals, and do strategic planning, and ex- pect a lot out of our business and ourselves.”

When the four women accepted their award at the Canadian Women Entrepreneur Awards gala, Tricia Mumby, co-founder & VP marketing and special programs, had one thing to say to young businesswomen looking to take a similar leap of faith: “Just do it. If you start at no- where, you have nothing to lose.”

Cadillac Fairview owns and manages over 84 million square feet of commercial real estate, not only in Canada, but also in the U.S., China, U.K., and Brazil. Closer to home, Cadillac Fairview had an integral part in securing the current home of the TRSM. Wayne Barwise, senior vice president of office development for Cadillac Fairview has extensive knowledge of commercial, multi-use and retail development with more than 20 years of experience in the industry.

What are Cadillac Fairview’s goals for 2010?
Cadillac Fairview has two or three major initiatives we will continue to focus on. One is best-in-class policy. We take a look at all of our office buildings, retail centres and look at what we can do to enhance these properties, to redevelop them. All these are done to truly make them the best in their class. Look at Shops at Don Mills as an example. What can we do in terms of enhancing the mix of the tenants and the type of variety to enhance the shopping experience? We want to give people a reason to go there and to keep traffic flowing. This is achieved by ensuring we have the best retailers at our centres, the best properties and facilities, and that our properties are run and operated in the best way possible.

How have Cadillac Fairview’s retail properties fared in the United States in comparison to the Canadian ones?
Canada has performed exceedingly well relative to the United States. Where our shopping malls in Canada continue to be fully tenanted, the stores are doing exceedingly well in comparison to the United States. In the U.S. in general some shopping centre sales are down 20 to 30 per cent. If you walk in some of the centres you will see many vacancies. In Canada, sales at the peak of the recession were down about 11 per cent, now they are closer to 2 to 3 per cent.

Do you feel Cadillac Fairview’s presence in America has helped bring American retailers to Canada?
Cadillac Fairview has a good reputation. We are known for our work in the United States. American retailers come to Canada because it is a good way for them to expand. On a per capita basis, the United States has double the retail per square footage in comparison to Canada. You could say that the United States is over-retailed.

The Shops at Don Mills has been deemed a success. Are there any plans to continue building more lifestyle centres?
Don Mills has been one of the first lifestyle centres to be built in Canada. We are very pleased with the way it is going. There is going to be more residential development at the centre, and continued retail development. Density intensification in the area is a focus. Don Mills will continue to grow. We will continue to monitor it; we will look to see whether there are other areas where we can do similar things.

Li, a senior fellow at the esteemed Brookings Institute located in Washington DC and director of research at the John L. Thornton China Center, has advised both Obama and Clinton with China-U.S. relations. Because of China’s rise to prominence in the world, Li has been integral in assisting the United States to gain a more thorough comprehension of China.

Can you share with us a little about the Brookings Institute?
The Brookings Institute has a 97-year history and is the largest think tank in the United States. We established the China Center about five years ago. We believe the rise of China is arguably the most important event of the first half of the 21st century. The United States and the Western world are not really prepared for that major geopolitical shift, so we need to do more homework to understand the various aspects of China’s rise so that American policy makers understand the social impact, military security and cultural [impact] with China’s rise. The Brookings institute is bipartisan. We do not belong to any particular party (Democratic or Republican). However, the Brookings Institute was very close to the Obama administration during his campaign. And altogether 40 people joined the administration, including 16 senior colleagues. Some of these people became ambassadors to the United Nations, the Ambassador to Mexico, the Ambassador to NATO and  the second in command at the state department.

“We believe the rise of China is arguably the most important event of the first half of the 21st century”

Why do you feel the emerging middle class is one the most important issues facing China?
Well, it’s not necessarily the most important issue facing China; it’s the issue that will reshape China, reshape the world. Because of the size of the middle class 15 years ago, there was no such thing as a middle class. According to the Mackenzie report, in 2025 there will be altogether 520 million people belonging to the middle class, in the Eastern coast region: Beijing, Shanghai and some inland cities. The global economic landscape will forever change and it has profoundly contributed to the global market. This also has possible negative consequences for China’s environment. This will not only change China’s political landscape, but stimulate China’s domestic demand. So in social, political and economic terms, they are all profoundly important.

Is China’s decision to let their currency appreciate against other currencies a sign of strengthened ties with the United States?
China in the past three or four years has appreciated their currency about 20 per cent. Some countries still push China for appreciation, particularly European countries and China’s neighbouring countries. The United States wants China’s currency to appreciate for its own exports. But China was facing an export problem, and employment pressure in the near future would be really slow. China has already emerged as an economic giant and has a responsibility to take. So eventually I do believe that China will continue to appreciate their currency. China’s premier said that the currency will gradually be flexible and meet market demand.

Because it took Stephen Harper so long to officially visit China, will this hinder Canadian opportunities in China?
Going later is better than not going at all. I think Canadians should change their perspective of China. The United States has already changed its policies and I will mention that Western countries should change accordingly. Previously we always used a logical approach; point our fingers at China and blame China all the time. But you cannot do that. First of all this is wrong. This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t talk about real issues like human rights, Tibet and religious freedom. These are not problems unique to China. We ourselves have terrible problems in treatment of minorities: Native Americans and our history of slavery. But my point is we should not think that we are moral policemen. We need to adjust that. But now with China’s growing economic power, we don’t have that authority. We are only self-defeating by worrying over ideological things. Again, I’m not saying that these issues are not real, China is [also] addressing these issues. The Chinese talk about human rights. I believe there will be a civil  rights movement in China eventually, but through China’s own development.

Where do you see China economically in 10 years?
If the prediction of China’s evergrowing middle class is true, we have only seen the beginning. It’s the tip of the iceberg. China will continue to grow for the next few decades. My sense is that China will surpass the United States not in per capita GDP but overall GDP.

Newman’s discussions will outline how business success is becoming more entrepreneurial as opposed to owners inheriting a business from their parents. “I’m hoping to connect with students through some of the anecdotes and things that happened to me, because I know those things best, to get them interested,” he said.

How long have you been based in Toronto, and why this city?
I’ll have to give you a little history. We came to Canada in 1939  and we lived on a farm near Burlington, and none of us spoke a word of English. But my father was way ahead of his time, and he realized that as long as I’m living at home speaking Czech and German, I would never speak English. So he sent me to Upper Canada College. I learned English in about six weeks, [because other] boys in their teens are the best teachers, you want to stop [being teased all the time.] For example, as a boarder you eat in all the time, and somebody asked me, “Are you still hungry?” And I said, “No I’m quite fed up,” which, grammatically made sense, but that’s the kind of mistakes I made. You do that once and the next time you say it right. So I learned English quite fast. So Toronto became the place to be. My family sold the farm and moved to Toronto, and I then went to University of Toronto for a BA and MBA, and then got my first job at the National Post and later became the Editor in Chief of the Toronto Star.

When you speak to the Ryerson business and journalism schools, do you think that the future of the publication process and business will come into your talks?
Sure. And on the business side, I’m the guy that invented the “Canadian Establishment” and I did seven books on the Canadian Establishment as the people who run the country. You know, politicians think they run the country but I think the Establishment – any by the Establishment I mean the hundred or so top CEO’s and accountants and lawyers – runs the businesses and they run us [consumers]. The news there that I’m going to be talking about to the business school is that the Establishment is dead, or dying. In the sense that, [people aren’t important] just because your father was [a part of the Establishment], or because you belong to a club or went to Upper Canada College, all that matters now is what your quarterly earnings are. So we are now leaving the age of the Establishment and entering the age of meritocracy, where what you’ve done is what matters, not who you are. And that’s a huge shift because it’s going to be a totally different kind of person coming in. [Essentially], the old Establishment was a club, and the new Establishment is a network. And that’s going to the theme.

“I am very excited about the new generation because they are inventing themselves and new businesses.”

You’ve spent your career as a journalist and a figure in Canadian journalism under the names Peter Newman and Peter C. Newman, but how do you want to be perceived by Ryerson students and faculty? How do you want people here to see you?
Well, I have a split personality at Ryerson, I come as a journalist or I come as a business expert. As a writer I want to be perceived as someone who brought a new perception to Canadian journalism, which is to write about feelings too. The quote I use – which is often taken out of context – is “making facts dance.” By that I don’t mean to distort facts, but to make them interesting. You’re not going to devote a lot of time to reading a book or magazine or newspaper unless it gives you something back. It could give you entertainment or information, or like in my case, it can be written in a way that can make it interesting. I have a sense of audience, to keep the audience entertained, and that’s what I bring to the journalism [students], to get them to do that, because it works. People give you their time because they think it’s worth it. And on the business side, again I make it interesting. Instead of saying they’re all just a bunch of guys trying to make a lot of money, I turn them into a group, the Establishment, which was true. I drew wonderful anecdotes and stories about them. And now, they’re even more interesting because they’re everybody. You look at the Globe [and Mail] business section, and the [featured people] are not names that anybody knows. There was a time when you would make the connections with big families. But in fact the big families will be gone, like the Eaton’s, those dynasties have vanished. We can survive in the 21st century if we’re going to be very entrepreneurial because these guys are all going to make their own way as opposed to inheriting from another generation.

Do you ever get questions from students challenging things that you have written? Do you see traits in them, as young leaders and entrepreneurs, that you have also seen in the business world that you have reported on?
Yeah, I am very excited about the new generation, because they are inventing themselves and new businesses. They are using intuition; you can’t be taught how to survive in the business world. You have to get out there and do it. You can be taught certain things about how to do business and some accounting rules, but in the end it’s your intuition against 20 other guys who are trying to get the same contract, and so it makes it a fight. I’m going to have to do a new book on the Establishment soon, because there’s always an Establishment. It just means that making it now means quarterly earnings instead of having a father who owns the company or marrying somebody, or all of these dining clubs. None of that means anything.

How do you feel about the trends that came up recently about buying Canadian and sticking “north of the border” about how we run our businesses and how we purchase, and being conscious about this kind of thing? Do you think it’s going to be successful?
This is where I depart from most people. Most people say it doesn’t matter anymore that something’s Canadian, but I think it does. I think it’s a question of values. I’m not anti-American, I think they’re our best friends whether we like it or not, but I also want there to be the Canadian value content, because we are different. A New Yorker isn’t the same as a Torontonian. They have a different set of ethics and values and priorities. I like to think that we can preserve a Canadian way of doing things. I’ll get an argument, but I think it may be a generational thing, but I still feel strongly about it.

Is there anything that you want students to know about you before meeting you?
Well, I deliberately asked [the Ted Rogers School] to give me an office. Most visiting professors don’t have offices, and I want to be there a day a month for people to come and see me, to talk about anything. I want to be accessible as opposed to just coming in and having a speech.

Harold Innis’ Staple Thesis, a theory of Canadian economic development, has continued to be relevant today.  But what can Canada do to move away from this?
Innis would be rolling over in his grave to see what’s happening to us.  He warned us 70 years ago about the dangers of putting all of our eggs in one basket when digging resources out of the ground and selling them to others.  It means our economy is stunted, undiversified, fragile and dependent on decisions made in other countries.  For some decades after the Second World War we made some considerable progress from the Staples Thesis trap.  Proactive measures were put in place such as the autopact, which built our auto industry or strategies to develop aerospace of telecommunications and we became a leader, not because we are naturally good at it, but because we had policies in place that made sense.
That changed with the ratification of NAFTA in 1989. We assumed that free trade would make us better, and what free trade has done is powerful.  Market forces are pushing us back towards becoming a specialist in resource extraction.  Now, there is considerable income, some jobs and certainly some profits that come with that.  The minerals and petroleum industries have been unbelievably profitable.
There are enormous risks as well; both environmental and economic.  We are missing out on the potential for value-added production.

Do you think Canada is doing enough to identify alternative energies as a true potential growth sector?
No, we aren’t doing enough.  It partly has to do with an invested interest in the tar sands industry and known companies that are making unbelievable profit.  Even the most timid suggestions get met with such an onslaught, a barrage of outrage from the oil industry.  An economic report released by TD bank showed how we could meet emission targets in the future that would require less oil sands.  You saw it almost like a witch-hunt from the oil industry, from Alberta politicians, and federal government leaders, like environment minister Jim Prentice, trying to denounce it as if it was fantasy.  They are the ones  in a fantasy world if they think, whether environmentally or economically, we can continue as a country to just scrape tar out of the ground to pay our way in the world.

How relevant are unions in today’s manufacturing climate?
Unions have a crucial role to play in revitalizing and restructuring the industry.  Also, in trying to make sure the industry follows behind value constructive approaches to the future rather than just trying to drive everything down into the ground.  It’s very tempting for an employer to say, “Wow, I’m in a really tough situation.  I’m going to cut wages.”  That’s not going to do you any good at all in the long run, because someone else will cut their wages even more.  The only way to build an industry as Jay Myers said, is to be innovative, high value, create new products, new processes and labour.  I think we’ve done that very well in Canada’s auto industry, which faced a do-or-die crisis over the last year.  We absolutely were part of the solution.  Not just by negotiating contract changes but more importantly by positioning Canadian plants to share in the rebound with some of the new policies that were put in place.

Regarding the concept of the role itself, San Juan had some advice to give Ryerson students at the Ted Rogers Leadership Centre’s Learn from Leaders workshop Nov. 16. He sat down beforehand to share some of those ideas.

How did you first come to work for the world’s largest cosmetics and beauty company?

I grew up and finished university in Spain, and then I went to France and took a two-year post-graduate degree in business administration there. Afterwards, I had two offers: Novartis and L’Oréal. After working with Novartis, I decided that I wanted to get into a different kind of company and consider a career change. I think I had a good fit with the head of human resources at L’Oréal, who asked if I would consider working there, and of course I said yes.

“I think I had a good fit with the head of human resources at L’Oréal, who asked if I would consider working there, and of course I said yes.”

With a 17-year international career with L’Oréal – director of finance in Russia for four years and sales and marketing director in Spain and France, to name a few – were you always working your way up towards a presidential position?

I think the nicest job in an organization is to be a CEO, and that was what I was aiming for. I found it was the natural progression of things. I was lucky enough when I was 26 that my first job was chief financial officer in the Philippines at Novartis.

When looking at what makes a great leader, is there such a thing as being naturally-born one, or is it all about having the right tenacity and passion?

I don’t think anyone is born to be a leader. Leaders are people who feel comfortable leading and taking responsibilities more than executing somebody else’s ideas and orders. They need to have a willingness to lead and feel comfortable doing it. If you have the right tools and make the sacrifices, you slowly get there.

What qualities do you consider essential to be a leader?

Not the qualities a leader has, but the qualities a leader should have: the capacity to listen, drive to make collective success and the capacity to take risks, aiming to make as few mistakes as possible, but to not be afraid of them.  The biggest quality is being able to communicate a vision and engage people to follow. People can be convinced they are leaders, ask people to follow them into the jungle, andJo find themselves completely alone.  It’s not enough to have a vision and a will; you need to be able to communicate – get people to follow your vision.

“It’s not enough to have a vision and a will.”

Does the pressure of the role ever become overwhelming, and how do you cope with that?

A good leader is a person that is always checking and always asking questions about the right direction. What can be done? You need to be sure where you’re going, but also questioning – asking yourself if it’s right. This contradictory state of mind can be overwhelming.

What is the one thing you hope students take away from the presentation?

If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that leadership has nothing to do with one person’s self, but has to do with others. I have a team of people who are better than me, each with a level of responsibility. Most papers written about leadership are written from the viewpoint of the leader. Marketers should write for consumers, for example, not products. It is about the people a leader engages, not the leader himself.

Based out of Bolton, Ontario, Galt attributes the success of Husky to delivering what customers really want, and their ability to innovate. While becoming a CEO was actually not in his original plans, Galt does have some words of wisdom to share with students enrolled in nearly any field.

How were you able to be in the position you are in now: Ryerson Alumnus, and now CEO of Husky?
I was a young man like anybody else, who had no idea what they wanted to do until they got out of high school. My guidance counselor actually was the one that recommended Ryerson because the combination of hands on practicality of the sciences could be the right one for me. I loved it at the end of the day because I love the concept of building great products and building a great company.

Everybody is looking for a competitive edge and that’s where innovation comes in. How do we give you something that not everybody has, so you can be more productive? It is the absolute lifeblood of our organization. If we ever stop innovating, first of all, it wouldn’t be much fun and I probably wouldn’t enjoy it.

If we ever stop innovating, first of all it wouldn’t be much fun and I probably wouldn’t enjoy it.

Our growth internationally is a large part to do with our ability to stay state of the art. Our leading positions in the core markets are the direct result of that research and development and great customer service.

Do you think the government can do anything, if at all, to help stir R&D capabilities in Canada?
I think what the government can do is harmonize the R&D tax. And if you think of any jurisdictions around the world, Germany most notably is the worldwide leader in the manufacturing industry. If you look at the bold moves Germany has made, like into alternative energy years ago, by providing grants and support networks to get businesses to set up in Germany. They grew their businesses in anticipation for the long-term benefits. That is something difficult in Canada because governments change more often, and because there are so many players in the game. It is very difficult to follow a 5-10 year roadmap.

How has Husky been able to survive in the current harsh economic climate?
That’s a real challenge. I’ll go back to the technology curve. We’ve organized our engineering into three structures: we do technology scouting, which is looking at other industries and potential to apply that technology or not; advanced engineering, taking those ideas and testing the value; and finally the development. And what we’ve learned is that there is an 18-month technology window around our new releases; so in other words, if we launch something today, in about 18 months our gap to the competition is going to be substantially reduced.

Is that similar to a product life cycle?
It’s the innovation life cycle. How long is that innovation unique and distinct from that of your competition? As soon as you release it, they start to learn. Whether they execute it your way or whether they execute it their own way, they start to learn and solve the same problems. And so what we’ve set amongst our goals is that every 18 months we want to release new technology. We have to have technology that has to offer at least five per cent better output per invested dollar. Over the last 20 years, the ability to deliver that 5 per cent plus improvement has allowed us that every time our products begin to be commoditized, we launch the improved version of it. It allows us to maintain that premium technological edge and with that, we can command our price. Now it’s not to say that in an environment like today there isn’t price erosion, but the rate of price erosion is usually greater during a commoditized phase than it is during the innovative phase.

Being an alumnus, do you have any advice for the aspiring CEOs at Ryerson?
That’s a really hard question to answer, because I never wanted to be a CEO. I wanted to be an engineer. I wanted to be a very good engineer. I don’t think my advice is different to anybody, which is find what you love and do it. Because unless you find something you love to do you are not putting all your passion into it. And it’s that edge is what employers look for.

If you happen to match your passions with a job opportunity and you give it your all, [the passion] will likely move forward with you. I would be very diligent of making sure to find an environment or creative company with an investment that you are making.

What was your fondest memory of Ryerson?
I think like every young person, I enjoyed that freedom, and with that freedom in engineering you have some fun. I met some great teachers here, people like a teacher by the name of Len Hennessey that taught dynamics at the time and he made learning fun. Rather than putting his material on the board he understood the individual, he understood whether they got it or not and he got you excited about it, and motivated me about the learning process. And I loved dynamics as a result.

The RRJ has published in-depth, analytical writing about the world of media since 1983, and is written and edited by fourth-year journalism undergrads and masters students. It is read across the country by professional journalists and is known as “the watchdog of the watchdogs.”

“We’ll be looking at different ways major game-changers in the media world will be addressing issues,” said Katherine Laidlaw, editor-in-chief of the Spring 2010 issue. The Pink Slip Party sold just under 130 tickets, raised over $2,000, and included $5 cupcakes that came with extra prizes, with all funds going towards the magazine. Laidlaw said she was very happy with the turnout and the atmosphere.

Laidlaw is a Master of Journalism student, with an undergraduate degree in English from Queens. Her hopes for the magazine and the media industry are focused around the writers and editors who continue to work and write despite the poor economic conditions.

“I hope that talented writers and editors in our country have and continue to have vehicles for that work,” she said. “I think it’s important and I don’t think that tough economic times make information gathering and interesting storytelling any less important.”

With a background solely in print, Laidlaw admits that the outlook of graduating journalism students isn’t looking more optimistic. “We’ve been told over and over and are sort of getting smashed over the head with the idea that media is not in a good place,” she said.

However, she says that interest in magazines and print media isn’t declining. Especially in the case of the RRJ, “interest will increase as the industry continues to face more challenges, because [media outlets] look to publications like ours for answers or ideas about how challenges are being tackled.”

When it comes to the world of magazine publishing and the importance of the business side of things, Laidlaw agreed that fostering relationships between two of the most prestigious schools at Ryerson would be useful. “I think [it would benefit] someone entering marketing or someone who is interested in eventually getting into print publishing or leading a company like the CBC”, she said. Laidlaw suggested that an additional program focused on publishing could make fostering these relationships more effective.

“It’s something that is on journalists minds for sure and business students should care about issues that surround [the media] industry,” said Laidlaw. She added that in an academic setting where there are more opportunities to be innovative than in the typical workplace, it’s important to take advantage of that.

From stories of major industry changes to focused profiles of highly-respected professionals, the RRJ will put the media world into perspective for its readers and peers. Media is in a time of change and challenge and, luckily, the RRJ is there to help. “We have a focus on where we are headed and how can we make it as painless a transition as possible,” assured Laidlaw.