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26 J o e F r a n s c e ll a ; A d a m B l a s b e r g B C B U S I N E S S . C A N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R 2 0 24 T H E K I C K O F F : Christy Wyatt started her career as a software developer in Newfoundland, but in the mid-'90s she moved to California and found herself in the middle of Silicon Valley's tech boom. Wyatt was only meant to be on the West Coast for 18 months, but she ended up staying for 30 years, working for some of the biggest names in the tech space—like Apple, Palm and Motorola. All of that led her to cybersecurity firm Absolute Security, where she became CEO six years ago this November. A C T I O N P L A N : Absolute, which recently moved its headquarters from Vancouver to Seattle—though Vancouver still remains its largest office and development site—is pro- lific in its reach. "The unique thing about Absolute is that we work with all the PC manufacturers around the world and embed a little piece of technology into the hardware itself," says Wyatt, who notes that the technology can't be disabled. And, Wyatt adds, because of where the software lives, if there's a problem, they can "fix it without the user or IT needing to do anything." Since Wyatt has come onboard, Absolute has transitioned into being part of the public cloud—in other words, customers can access its services through a standard internet connection. Though the company's product has always been a cloud- hosted solution (meaning, the F I N A L I S T Christy Wyatt C E O , A B S O L U T E S E C U R I T Y company does not have support staff working at clients' premises), moving onto the public cloud meant changing its architecture fundamentally, so that "the customers could have a lot more flexibility about where they would want their data," Wyatt explains. C L O S I N G S T A T E M E N T: While moving onto the public cloud opened new opportunities, Wyatt points out that those avenues aren't just "new customers and new international markets, but new verticals." This provided a pathway toward gaining the necessary certifications to participate in more heavily regulated spaces where security requirements are even higher. It has worked out— Absolute is in the process of finalizing its FedRAMP designation, which will eventually allow the company to become a supplier to the U.S. federal government.–D.W. n T H E K I C K O F F : When Rain Zhang was a child, she loved observing weddings in her small village in China. But it wasn't the matrimony itself that excited her: it was watching carpenters build furniture for the newlyweds. "It was so fascinating to me," she remembers. She told her parents that she wanted to be a carpenter, but they were less than thrilled. "They did not accept, or believe, that this is what I would do," she says with a smile. Instead, she pursued college studies in interna- tional business, then went on to work for General Motors and engineer- ing giant Fluor. "But my passion to design, and my passion to build—it was a shadow that followed me wherever I went," she says. A C T I O N P L A N : At 31, she made the move to Canada. Finding a job was difficult, and she saw an opportunity to embrace her lifelong love of design. "I thought, why don't I start my own business—using my skills—in textiles and furniture?" she says. Zhang founded Willowest and focused on linens, reasoning that the tourism industry (hotels, spe- cifically) would be dependable customers. "They need a lot of sheets!" she quips. She created a cotton/polyester blend that is less expensive and longer lasting than 100-percent cotton, and heat-set her materials so they wouldn't lose their shape through hotels' intense laundering processes. She visited over 30 hotel properties and spoke to room attendants about their work, which resulted in Willowest changing the sizing of the linens to make changing sheets more practical. C L O S I N G S T A T E M E N T: Willowest's products (which now include both textiles and furniture) can be found in over 35,000 hotel rooms across Canada. Loden, Azur, Marriott and Sheraton are all clients. Artificial leather made from recycled bottles and upholstery made from recycled linens are part of the company's commitment to sustainability. Zhang credits her innovation and adaptability, in part, to the empathy she's gained as a mother and an immigrant. "Products aren't for profit— products are meant to bring people convenience and function," she says.–A.H. n F I N A L I S T Rain Zhang F O U N D E R A N D C E O , W I L L O W E S T E N T E R P R I S E C O . L T D . W H AT ' S A N ODD JOB Y OU ' V E H A D ? Probably the most fun part-time job I had in high school was working in hair salons. I apprenticed for a master stylist. Q+A W H AT ' S T HE BE S T L E A DE R S HIP A D V ICE Y OU ' V E E V E R R E CE I V E D ? Lead by example and listen more than you speak. Q+A

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