If the buzz about the BC CEO awards is any indication that an encore is in the offing, then Nancy MacKay had better start planning for next year. CEO of MacKay CEO Forums, she worked with Business in Vancouver to establish the awards program, and this year marks its inauguration. It appears to have been a longtime coming.
"I think it's been very well received," she said. "There's a lot of enthusiasm and positive feedback from the business community."
The awards honour six outstanding leaders of private and public organizations in six categories:
•Christine Day, Lululemon Athletica (public company over $50 million);
•David Schellenberg, Conair Group and Cascade Aerospace (private company over $50 million);
•Warren Roy, Global Relay (small private company under $50 million);
•Nolan Watson, Sandstorm Gold (small public company under $50 million);
•Ken Martin, Pacific Blue Cross (community and publicly accountable category); and
•Isobel Mackenzie, Beacon Community Services (non-profit).
"We've got a very vibrant and successful business community here in B.C. and it's great to be able to celebrate [that]," Mackay said.
MacKay knows CEOs. It's her business to; she works with 150 of them in B.C. alone. And with more than 250 members throughout Canada, MacKay CEO Forums runs CEO peer groups at locations across the country, bringing leaders together to share ideas.
She used her connection to the CEO community to develop the standards used to judge nominees.
"I went across the country and talked to CEOs asking what criteria [they] thought should be used to judge the CEOs." Out of that process came five categories:
•vision and strategy
•financial performance
•people development
•innovation; and
•social responsibility
Nominees were evaluated by five judges:
•Bev Briscoe, president, Briscoe Management;
•Bjorn Moller, former CEO, Teekay;
•George Melville, chairman, Boston Pizza;
•David Rowntree, managing director, Tricor Pacific Capital; and
•Alice Laberge, director, Royal Bank.
Judges were selected based on their extensive experience in assessing CEOs. They all sit on boards and represent the types of companies that constitute the competition's six categories.
All nomination packages were rigorously examined by each judge. Clear front-runners were identified and winners chosen for their overall performance in each category. To qualify, CEOs had to have been in their role for at least three years.
The criteria used to judge nominees encompass more than just financial performance. By placing an emphasis on social responsibility, the awards highlight the important role businesses play in developing and improving the communities in which they operate.
Nominees must also have a demonstrated track record of making their company a healthy place for employees. "[Judges] are looking for CEOs who are proactive in identifying and developing strategies for their people, [and have a] commitment to building a culture that is a great place to work."
The awards are run on a volunteer effort, said MacKay. "It's been the commitment of the very talented, experienced judges that has been the key success factor for the initiative." •
For more information or to book a table for our November 20 gala awards dinner, click here.
