Like many people who are successful in business, David Schellenberg has known that since he was just a child, he was meant to lead a company. Now, the president and CEO of Conair Group Inc. and Cascade Aerospace Inc. has been named top CEO of a large private company by Business in Vancouver.
"It feels great to be recognized. For me it's really about recognition for the team that we have. I think we have a fantastic team of men and women," Schellenberg. "For the last five years, we've really recruited top talent into the company and those are the folks that make it happen."
Schellenberg has been steering the Abbotsford-based companies since 2007 after joining Conair as president in 2001. He had a hand in setting up Cascade that year, which has now grown to be larger than its parent company.
Conair is the world's largest private aerial firefighting company, with more than 60 planes in its fleet and development of North America's first jet-propelled water bomber is underway. Cascade serves as a specialty defence contractor providing engineering and maintenance for the Department of National Defence's C-130 Hercules transport planes.
Between the two companies, more than 1,000 employees work under Schellenberg.
Schellenberg has made finding the right people for Conair and Cascade his top priority in recent years, something he sees as crucial to his or any company's success.
"If I really concentrate on bringing the right talent into the company and supporting the heck out of them, our company will be successful no matter what," he said.
When it comes to steering the company and making big decisions, there's an underlying philosophy Schellenberg uses.
"The internal mindset comes from a positive place. In business, you have to be a realist but on the positive side of that. You can't approach decisions or problems from a negative mindset," he said. "In most cases, a good night's sleep and a little bit of thought time and making small incremental decisions will get you onto the right path."
There are two key components needed to make it to the C-Suite in a top company these days, in Schellenberg's view – education and mentorship.
Schellenberg earned a bachelor of commerce and chartered accounting degree from the University of Manitoba and a master in business administration from the University of Western Ontario.
"I really think education plays a big part in it," he said. "Whether it's my kid or anybody else's kid, the more education you can get, the better off you are. It sets the foundation for an enjoyable career.
"I'd encourage people to get a technical degree and maybe a business degree besides. If you can marry the technical with the business smarts, it's an unbeatable combination."
As for mentors, Schellenberg had two of the best in B.C., he said.
"I worked for Jim Pattison for 10 years directly and I owe a lot of my development along the way to his tutelage," he said. "I have a huge care and respect for Jimmy today. It's been a very, very formative part in my career development.
The other is Barry Marsden, founder and chairman of Conair.
"I've been working with Barry for about a dozen years now. … He's a real visionary and practical business guy at the same time. That's worth a ton."
Looking to the future of Conair and Cascade, Schellenberg is planning for more of the growth that has been the hallmark of his leadership since 2007.
"The goals for the company are pretty simple: continue building and growing. I see a lot of possibilities for each of our two businesses. I'm wired to help build the company and grow it. That, to me, is the greatest satisfaction," he said, adding that he gets a similar joy in watching his team succeed and achieve their goals.
Schellenberg's high regard for employees shows in the work environment he's had a hand in creating over the past 12 years, according to Deborah Maynard, vice-president of human resources.
"The culture within the company is best described as a tight-knit community," she said. "David has fostered a flexible, results-oriented work environment with a high degree of trust and respect for work-life balance,"she said. "Leadership, a core company value, is encouraged at all levels." •
For more information on the November 20 gala awards dinner celebrating our CEOs of the Year, click here.
