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.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1508543
34 BCBUSINESS.CA OCTOBER 2023 said to my girlfriends about two years before the job came up. They said, What's the dream job you want to have? I said, The only job I want in Vancou- ver is the CEO of the Board of Trade. JS: Nice. BA: So, when I was appointed CEO, one of the first things I did with our board of direc- tors was in defining our purpose. Our purpose is to lead, unite and champion business so that our region is thriving and it's the best place to work and live. That's what gets me up every single day. We have more than 5,000 members. So understanding what their pain points are and leading around advocacy that will help make businesses stronger and thrive. Uniting is important. We can't be a lone wolf; we need collaboration with other associations and the full business community to get the ear of government. And you really have to be out there championing busi- nesses. That's what I see over the next few years—having more impact and influence so that government understands the challenges businesses are facing and will make some change to policy so that busi- nesses can thrive. JS: Come to B.C., hire in B.C. and buy in B.C. would be a great outcome from the GVBOT's perspective in the next couple of years. We'll get there by leading, uniting and championing. BCB: How do you unwind? BA: I hike. I go to the trails in North Vancouver or Pacific Spirit Park with my dog and friends, get outside to nature. I just bought an e-bike yesterday—I'm like a kid in a candy store with all the places I can explore. Getting outside, spending time with nature and family and friends grounds me. RC: I've lived in New York, Toronto, Winnipeg, Atlantic Canada. I've spent a lot of time in Quebec. I've never lived in a city with so much beauty around me. Walking the seawall is like a blessing. I also do a lot of reading. My husband does more reading than me— we have a book club where he reads to me. JS: That's nice! BA: I love that. RC: I'll be doing things and he reads me a chapter. And then I read to him. JS: I'll let you know when I unwind. n "KEEP LEARNING AND GROWING; BE AUTHENTIC; HAVE INTEGRITY. ALL THOSE VALUES ARE PART OF MY UPBRINGING. I LOOK AT MY MOM—SHE'S HAD A LIFELONG PASSION FOR EDUCATION. THAT'S SOMETHING I TAKE TO HEART AS A LEADER: THERE'S ALWAYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN AND GROW MORE." –Bridgitte Anderson L E A D E R S H I P