When you’re a young lawyer who spends free time climbing mountains and downhill skiing, it may seem like the world is your oyster.
For Jason McLean, it truly was the case because it marked the beginning of an adventurous life that saw him join the world of international diplomacy as an “advance man” for former Canadian prime minister Jean Chrétien. From 2000 to 2002, he travelled the world making sure everything from logistics to event programs were in place for the “the little guy from Shawinigan.”
“It was like a really good management training experience. It felt like five years of experience condensed into a lot of travelling,” said McLean, who often found himself dealing with ambassadors who were decades his senior. “I saw the world, learned a lot about myself and, frankly, got a lot of the wanderlust out of my system.”
His next challenge had its own learning curve.
“Family businesses are peculiar animals and they are not for everybody,” said McLean, who is president and COO of the McLean Group of Companies. “We have worked hard at defining our roles and at understanding the line between family and business and between management and directors.”
A “tricky buyout situation” saw Jason lay out a different course of action than his father, David McLean, the company founder and chair – a decision that saw the family ultimately decide to follow Jason’s lead.
“It was the first time that dad didn’t lead the charge. It was right after that that [brother] Sacha and I became presidents. I think it was a bit of a coming-of-age moment for us in the business,” he said.
Besides being a member of the Vancouver Police Board, McLean, currently senior vice-chair of the Vancouver Board of Trade, will become the youngest chair in board history in June 2010. It’s a role that McLean was asked to consider by noted B.C. businessman and philanthropist Don Rix, who passed away in 2009.
“It was quite a moment for me. He is such a mentor, but also a really larger-than-life figure,” said McLean. “He was an incredible business leader, but gave so much to education and his community. For him to tap me, it was very motivating.” •
