With a mission to inform, empower, celebrate and advocate for British Columbia's current and aspiring business leaders, BCBusiness go behind the headlines and bring readers face to face with the key issues and people driving business in B.C.
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6 BCBUSINESS MAY 2021 PORTRAIT: ADAM BLASBERG A sked how she leads, 2021 Women of the Year finalist Candice Appleby told me that she often thinks of a dear friend. "He always would say to people, 'You go on ahead. I'll stay back here and help the others through,'" recalled the executive director of the Small Scale Food Processor Association, her voice breaking. "That's how I feel as an entrepreneur." I heard similar things from other winners and runners-up in our second annual competition, whose full results you can find on page 17. Their comments suggest that powerful female business leaders see themselves as servants, not masters of the universe. "You should be decisive but nurtur- ing," said Karimah Es Sabar, co-founder and CEO of venture capital firm Quark Ven- ture. "Leaders are there to serve, not to be served," she added. As Es Sabar admitted, her style has evolved. "I started as a bull- dog, too," she said, laughing. Jill Van Gyn, our cover subject and the CEO of nut butter maker Fatso, also subscribes to servant leadership. "I'm not here to tell my employees what to do," she explained. "I hired them because they know what they're doing." Central City Foundation presi- dent and CEO Jennifer Johnstone doesn't believe in a top-down approach, either. "Leadership is about walking alongside the folks that you are trying to work together with to make change," Johnstone said. Madeleine Shaw, co-founder of sustainable period product maker Aisle, called herself a collaborative leader. "I don't have a strong need for control," said Shaw, who also founded coworking venture Nest- works Workplace Society. "I just want to see the vision realized, and to me, the best way of doing that is to let other people have their space and bring their best." Stressing the importance of female role models for women who aspire to lead, Jill Schnarr of Telus singled out Karen Radford, a former executive with her company. "She was just so warm and comfortable with everyone, whether it be the CEO or a front-line employee," said the telecom's chief social innovation and com- munications officer. "And I thought, Yeah, that's how you have to be." On that warm note, congratulations to all of the Women of the Year contenders for making the 2021 awards a success. And thank you to our panel of judges—Laurel Douglas, Paris Gaudet, Trish Mandewo and Tina Strehlke—for helping us through. Nick Rockel, Editor-in-Chief bcb@canadawide.com / @BCBusiness ( editor's desk ) Awards season continues with our 2021 30 Under 30 competition I N J U N E At Your Service BCBusiness is published eight times a year by Canada Wide Media Limited, Suite 230, 4321 Still Creek Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5C 6S7. Phone 604-299-7311; Fax 604-299-9188. Mail Preferences: From time to time, other organizations ask us if they may send some of our subscribers information about products and services that might be of interest. If you prefer that we not provide your name and address, please contact us at the address listed above. No part of this magazine may be reproduced in any form—print or electronic—without written permission of the publisher. For subscription info, call 604-299-1023 or email: bcbsubscriptions@ canadawide.com. B.C. residents: to subscribe to BCBusiness for one year, send your name, address, telephone number and a money order or cheque for $26.20 ($24.95 + tax) to BCBusiness at the address above. Send change of address notices and covers of undeliverable copies to address above. ISSN 0849-481X. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40065475. Printed in Canada. PUBLISHER Samantha Legge EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Nick Rockel CREATIVE DIRECTOR Catherine Mullaly ASSOCIATE EDITOR Nathan Caddell ACTING ASSOCIATE EDITOR Michael McCullough ASSISTANT EDITOR Alyssa Hirose PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR Landon Spenrath DESIGNER Edwin Pabellon DIGITAL AD COORDINATOR Kim McLane AD DESIGN Nadine Gieseler PRODUCTION SUPPORT TECHNICIAN Ina Bowerbank SALES MANAGER Anna Lee SENIOR ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Johnny Alviar, Charie Ginete-Ilon, Mira Hershcovitch, Amy LaJambe, Jessica McBean, Joan McGrogan, Sheri Stubel HEAD OFFICE / SALES 604-299-7311 sales@canadawide.com NATIONAL MEDIA SALES Margo Bock 647-472-5203 mbock@canadawide.com U.S. SALES REPRESENTATION, HAYES MEDIA SALES 604-377-7922 lesley@hayesmediasales.com EUROPEAN SALES REPRESENTATION, S&R MEDIA Sylvie Durlach +33 1 44 18 06 62 srmedia@club-internet.fr CHAIRMAN & CEO Peter Legge, obc, lld (hon) PRESIDENT Samantha Legge, mba VP OF HR/ADMIN Joy Ginete-Cockle VP OF FINANCE Sonia Roxburgh, CPA, CGA EXECUTIVE CREATIVE DIRECTOR Rick Thibert DIRECTOR OF CIRCULATION Tracy McRitchie DIRECTOR OF SALES Brianne Harper (on leave) SENIOR PRODUCTION MANAGER Kristina Borys (on leave) HEAD OF BRAND PARTNERSHIPS Johnny Alviar, mce, sce ACCOUNTING Terri Mason, Eileen Gajowski CIRCULATION Katie Gajowski, Kelly Kalirai OFFICE MANAGER/SALES COORDINATOR Lori North EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CEO/ ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Charie Ginete-Ilon CANADA WIDE MEDIA LIMITED canadawide.com