Over the past 20 years, EOY winners have made their mark in shaping the province’s business landscape * 1995 John Volken United Furniture Warehouse John Volken sold United Furniture in 2004 and started a foundation with two major projects: Lift the Children supports 92 orphanages, and Welcome Home operates three addiction rehabilitation centres. The 71-year-old plans to expand Welcome Home with more centres across the U.S. and Canada. 1996 Norman Keevil Teck Corp. Keevil stepped down as CEO in 2001 and has chaired the Teck board since. He was named International Business Leader of the Year in 2008 and was inducted into the Order of B.C. in 2012. Keevil’s contribution to the industry was recognized with the creation of the Norman B. Keevil Institute of Mining Engineering at UBC in 2006.1997 Irving K. (Ike) Barber Slocan Forest Products Barber retired in 2002 and the company was bought by Canfor Corp. the following year. Barber was inducted into both the Order of B.C. and the Order of Canada and his donations made possible such institutions as the Irving K. Barber Learning Centre at UBC. Barber died on April 13, 2012, at age 89. 1998 Peter Thomas Samoth Capital Corp. Peter Thomas stepped down as chair of Samoth Capital Corp. in 2001 and went on to lead numerous ventures, including Mystic Tan Canada. He currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona, and travels throughout North America teaching LifePilot, a workshop devoted to aligning goals with personal values.1999 Wendy McDonald BC Bearing Group Wendy McDonald retired from BC Bearing in 2000 and in 2009 most of the company’s assets were sold. McDonald was inducted into the Order of Canada in 1997 and the Business Laureates B.C. Hall of Fame in 2007. She was an owner of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC and remained a fan until her death in 2012, at age 90. 2000 Julia Levy QLT Inc. Julia Levy stepped down as president and CEO in 2002 and remained a board member until 2008. Accolades include a lifetime achievement award from LifeSciences B.C. and induction into the Order of Canada in 2001. The 79-year-old continues to serve as director of numerous health-science companies.2001 Peter Brown Canaccord Capital Corp. Brown stepped down as CEO in 2012 to become honorary chair. He was inducted into the Order of B.C. and was granted honorary degrees from UBC and Emily Carr University of Art & Design. Today he chairs multiple boards and is a member of the Economic Advisory Council to the federal finance minister. 2002 Greg Peet ALI Technologies Peet oversaw the sale of ALI Technologies to McKesson Corp. for $536 million in 2002 and spent two years as a VP and general manager with McKesson. Today he is an angel investor, serves on the UBC board of governors and is co-chair, with Premier Christy Clark, of the Premier’s Technology Council. 2003 Ian + Louise Mummery International Vision Direct In 2003 Ian, then 37, and Louise, 35, sold their five-year-old online contact-lens retailer to Drugstore.com for $74 million and moved to Bellevue, Washington, to take vice-president roles. In 2005 they left the company and moved back to Vancouver to raise their family. Today they offer unpaid advice to startups.2004 Robert Madigan Teligence Communications Inc. Robert Madigan remains chair of Teligence Communications Inc. In 2006, the company expanded to the Mexico market, and in the same year Madigan accepted the Company of the Year award, presented by the B.C. Technology Industry Association. 2005 Ian Telfer Goldcorp Inc. Ian Telfer stepped down as CEO of Goldcorp in 2006 to chair its board of directors. Today the 67-year-old splits his time between homes in West Vancouver, Ontario’s Muskoka Lakes and Palm Springs (where he golfs with his wife, Nancy Burke, and their two grown-up sons).2006 Art Aylesworth Carmanah Technologies Corp. In 2008, Art Aylesworth left his position as CEO of Carmanah. He is currently the president of Armada Pacific Strategies Inc., CEO of Light Based Technologies and the chair of Sendtonews.com.2007 Lukas Lundin The Lundin Group of Companies Lukas Lundin remains chair of Lundin Group and serves as a director of a number of publicly traded companies. He is the chair of the Lundin Foundation, which oversees 30 initiatives in 17 countries. 2008 Brian Hill Aritzia LP Hill remains CEO of Aritzia, which now has more than 50 stores across North America and a 13,000-square-foot Fifth Avenue flagship boutique in Manhattan. Hill was awarded the 2012 Distinguished Retailer of the Year Award by the Retail Council of Canada.2009 Ryan Beedie The Beedie Group Beedie remains president of the Beedie Group. In 2011, along with his father, Keith, Ryan donated $22 million to his alma mater, SFU business school, which was renamed the Beedie School of Business. 2010 Chad Wasilenkoff Fortress Paper Ltd. Chad Wasilenkoff remains CEO of Fortress Paper Ltd., which in June this year exited the specialty papers (wallpaper) business with the sale of its Germany mill. It continues to make security papers and is moving into energy production. 2011 Robert Little FPI Fireplace Products International Ltd. Robert Little’s company continues to work flat out to keep up with demand; he predicts eight per cent growth this year. Retirement is not in the 61-year-old’s plans: “There’s only so much I can eat and drink,” he says.2012 Ashley Cooper Paladin Security Group Ltd. Ashley Cooper remains CEO of Paladin Security Group Ltd., which in 2013 was recognized as a Best Managed Company by Deloitte. * no overall winner in 1994
