Steve Petrovic
Interview with Steve Petrovic, Country Manager (Croatia) Pedersen & Partners Executive Search.
Steve Petrovic is an inspiring man in career motion. He graduated with a degree in science and became a government scientist working on environmental issues. He went back to school to earn his MBA specializing in IT. That led to a few years in IT consulting.
A frank discussion with his dad and uncle encouraged him to start and run his own business in metal fabricating.
Later an interest in exploring opportunities in his family’s homeland of Croatia led him to accept the role as country manager for an international executive recuiting firm. That led to an opportunity to join a modernized 100 year-old steal mill.
Steve Petrovic’s story is inspiring and full of important insights.
Murray Hogarth, Pioneer gas stations
Interview with Murray Hogarth, Executive Chairman of Pioneer Petroleums, President and CEO of the Pioneer Group
Murray Hogarth launched the first Pioneer gas station in 1956. Today there are more than 150 Pioneer gas stations across Ontario.
Pioneer donates 1% of profits – not revenue to charity.
Murray Hogarth was instrumental in the formation of CAFE – the Canadian Association of Family Enterprises.
Pioneer is the largest independant gas station chain.
Murray Hogarth was voted the Entrepreneur of the Year by the Burlington Economic Development Corporation for 2010.
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Insights from this interview:
“We wanted to beat the major oil companies at their game.”
“In the existing model, the customer was an interruption and the employee approached the customer with a bad attitude.”
“We introduced the first loyalty program – bonus bucks.”
“Where do you get innovative ideas? Listen to what your customer wants.”
“You have to have drive and a vision.”
“Insulate yourself from the risk.”
Click below to listen or download this 30-minute interview.
Mike Pley, COM DEV
Interview with Mike Pley, COO of COM DEV International.
Space – the final frontier!
COM DEV produces electronics for satellites. A Canadian company and world leader in satellite technology, based in Cambridge, Ontario and employing over 1,000 people.
Mike Pley is an Engineering graduate of McMaster University.
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Insights & exceprts from this interview with Mike Pley.
We have to build something that will be super dependable for 15 years.
You can’t make repair calls in space.
Our equipment is on 80% of the over 650 satellites up there.
We don’t go after the low cost world where price is king.
We want to encourage the next generation to become astronauts and engineers.
The next big project we are working on is the James Webb Telescope which is scheduled to launch in 2014. It will see far more than the Hubble. The James Webb Telescope is seeking to see first light – the beginning of galaxies.
Click below to listen or download this 30-minute interview.
Walter Booth
Interview with Walter Booth, Chairman of The Timberland Group
Walter Booth started at Timberland as a young Project Engineer more than 40 years ago. He rose to the rank of President, bought the company, sold the company and is now Chairman. He is an engineering graduate of McMaster University. He has donated at least $3 Million to the Faculty of Engineering.
The Timberland Group grew signifcantly during those years. Originally a company that manufactured winches for the logging industry, they now provide special winches and hoists for mining, power distribution, underwater exploration and off-shore oil.
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Insights from this 30-minute interview with Walter Booth:
“The business still excites me after 40 years.”
“They hired me because I had experience in the ski lift business.”
“Buying the company – we worked on that deal for at least a year. You want it to move faster but it just took longer.”
“My boss encouraged me to join the Young Presidents Organization. I got to hang around successful business owners.”
“As chairman my chief role is mentoring and developing the new owners.”
”You have to bend the rules if you want success.”
Click below to listen or download this 3-minute interview:
Ray Simmons
Interview with Ray Simmons, President of CableTest Systems Inc.
CableTest Systems tests the wiring systems of military jets, high speed trains and the Space Shuttle (the exterior fuel tank has 8,000 connenctions). They provide a complex version of an electritian’s multi meter.
Ray Simmons has been the president and owner of CableTest Systems for the past nine years. Previously he was President of CRS Robotics. After a two year “retirement” he got edgy and longed to get back into business so he bought CableTest Systems.
Insights from this interview with Ray Simmons:
“Going public with CRS … was not me. That’s why I retired.”
“Retirement was quite challenging. I felt like I was disconnected.”
“55% of our business last year was in Europe. Asia is our next frontier. We like India.”
“Regrets? Two…”
“I think that in a technologly company a president that is totally focussed on technology is dangerous.”
“We’re on Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter.”
Click below to listen or download this 30-minute interview.
Howard Shearer, Hitachi
Interview with Howard Shearer, President and CEO of Hitachi Canada. He is the first non-Japanese to be president of the company. He seems to thrive on cultural diversity. He is orginally from Jamaica. He is also a people person. The two characteristics probably go hand-in-hand.
Howard has worked at Hitachi for over 25 years.
Hitachi globally employs over 300,000 people.
Hitachi is a strong technology company that operates in several markets including: consumer electronics, automotive electronics, computer storage, energy, medical, biotechnology, and high speed trains.
Insights from this interview with Howard Schearer:
“We’re in the business of serving customers.”
“There is no Hitachi car, but we are a major component in cars.”
“Business in all about relatioinships adn that’s not done with products.”
“I don’t screen my calls. If it’s good news I want to hear it. If it’s bad news I want to hear it first.”
“I’m happy when it’s Monday.”
Click below to listen to this 30-minute interview with Howard Shearer.
Evan Carmichael
Interview with Evan Carmichael, founder of EvanCarmichael.com – the online magazine for entrepreneurs. The site receives nearly 600,000 visitors per month. It has the world’s largest collection of interviews and stories about famous entrepreneurs.
Insights from the interview with Evan Carmichael:
“Donald Trump was our biggest target.”
“Entrepreneurs are arsonists, they like to light fires.”
“If you only had 24 hours to work on your business – don’t spend it all in one day. Instead spend one hour a day for 24 days.”
“If you check email in the morning, it ruins the rest of your day.”
Click below to listen to this interview.
Bay Gardens Funeral Home
Interview with Jan Nichols, President of Bay Gardens Funeral Home in Burlington and Hamilton, Ontario.
This is not your standard funeral home. It’s exciting. It has high ceilings, a waterfall and videos screens.
Insights from this interview:
“The most successful opening of a funeral home in North America. Most are lucky to get 100 people to attend. We had over 800!”
“Rooms are named after waterfalls, plants or ponds instead of being called Salon A and Salon B.”
“People want food at a funeral – but not in the same room as the body or in the basement.”
“Reaching out to non-profit organizations and giving them free access to meeting rooms.”
Click below to listen to this 30 minute interview
Peter De Jager
Interview with change agent and specialist, Peter De Jager. Peter is a consultant and professional speaker that helps organizations handle change effectively. He helped the world’s leading organizations successfuly handle the Y2K challenge.
Insights from this interview with Peter De Jager:
“The purpose of skiing is not to get to the bottom of the hill. It is falling down the hill with the most grace.”
“Being incompetent is normal – especially when dealing with change.”
“Don’t get into the water until you have learned to swim – is bad advice. How else will you learn to swim?”
Download or listen to the MP3 file below
Business in Motion Radio Show
George Torok founded the radio show, Business in Motion in September 1995. As the host he has interviewed over 450 business leaders. We will publish selected shows on this podcast.
George Torok is the co-author of the bestseller, Secrets of Power Marketing. As a professional speaker he delivers keynote speeches, executive briefings and training programs on Power Marketing.
Contact George Torok 905-335-1997
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