Page 14 - BOMA Spring 2017 Insider

ONE-ON-ONE WITH

Kelvin Shepherd

President and CEO of Manitoba Hydro

... seek out and enjoy each new
challenge and take full advantage of

opportunities to work with other people

who may have more experience and

knowledge than you do.

WHAT WERE YOU UP TO BEFORE MANITOBA complex and very critical service industry. Not a day goes
HYDRO? HOW DID THAT PREPARE YOU FOR by without learning some new aspect of how our company
WHAT YOU DO NOW? works, how we serve customers, the technology we use,
I spent my previous career in the telecom industry, and about the many relationships and stakeholders we
nearly 20 years at SaskTel and then 15 with MTS here in have.
Manitoba. I started out as a design engineer on microwave
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE YOUR FORMER
radio and fiber optic systems and progressed through
SELF WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED WORKING IN
various technical and management positions eventually
THE INDUSTRY?
taking on Chief Technology Officer, Chief Information
Officer and Chief Operating Officer roles at various I think my advice would be to pursue what you want to
points along the way. The last 9 years I was at MTS, I was do, to seek out and enjoy each new challenge and take
President of the “MTS Manitoba” business prior to the sale full advantage of opportunities to work with other people
of their Allstream division. who may have more experience and knowledge than you
do. Working with great people makes a person better and
Moving over to Manitoba Hydro, my professional training helps you grow yourself.
as an electrical engineer certainly helps, but also the
experience in technology and capital intensive industries WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BUSINESS PRINCIPLES YOU
and running a utility type operation that serves all types LIVE BY?
of customers – small and large, is directly relevant to what Show respect for others. Listen carefully. Look for positive
I am doing now. And whether we are talking telecom or solutions. Learn from your failures as much as your successes.
energy, having executive management experience working Give back where you can.
in and leading a large, complex business with lots of
people is certainly relevant to what I am doing. CAN YOU RECOMMEND ONE BOOK THAT’S WORTH A
READ FOR ANYONE IN AN EXECUTIVE POSITION?
WHAT'S ONE ASPECT YOU ENJOY THE MOST The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Steven Covey. It’s
ABOUT WORKING IN YOUR CURRENT INDUSTRY?
been some time since I read it - his book was written over 20
One thing I have really enjoyed during my first year on the
years ago, but I think it’s still a very good read for anyone in a
job at Hydro is the opportunity to learn a lot of new things.
leadership position.
Hydro is such an interesting business, and it's part of a

13 BOMA MANITOBA INSIDER | ISSUE 7 | SPRING 2017