ans of the eponymous 2004 movie
starring Ashton Kutcher—or
groupies of American theoretical
meteorologist Edward Lorenz—
are aware of the so-called "butterfly effect."
Lorenz coined the term back in 1972, mak-
ing the case that a small occurrence—like a
butterfly flapping its wings—could cause a
massive one many miles away.
While there's nothing small about the
impact of legendary Vancouver financier
Milton Wong, there's little doubt that when
the late chair of
HSBC Canada (and the
2002 EY Lifetime Achievement Award win-
ner) flapped his wings, great things stirred
all around him. In many ways, the "Milt
effect" is a case study in how the Entrepre-
neur of the Year program operates at its
highest level.
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s,
Wong served as a mentor to two young
entrepreneurs, Ken Sim and John DeHart.
Sim was working in finance at
KPMG and
CIBC at that time—first in Vancouver, then
DEHART OF
THE MATTER
Vancouver home health-care
company Nurse Next Door
owes a lot to its formidable
founders Ken Sim and
John DeHart, but also
to their legendary mentor,
Milton Wong
by Matt O'Grady
The entrepreneurial
life is very solitary.
And we never think
we're good enough.
I would encourage
people to apply for
the awards—even
if you don't think
you're ready."
CHAIN
REACTION
John DeHart
reflects on his
long career in
business—and the
friends he made
along the way
