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CAN'T FIND SOMETHING? |
Business in Vancouver December 30, 2008-January 5, 2009; issue 1001 Mark Forward GM, Concord Security Corp., Age: 36 Mark Forward doesn’t know who nominated him for the Top 40 Under 40. As GM of Vancouver’s fourth-largest security company, Concord Security Corp., Forward thinks it’s a great honour, but the best part of his workweeks are the Wednesday afternoons he spends at Canuck Place Children’s Hospice. “It’s a good break in the middle of the week. You can sort of [have] a bad morning and whenever you go there, it puts everything in perspective,” said Forward. When he’s not playing with the kids at Canuck Place, it’s back to the security business for Forward, who started at Concord 15 years ago as a guard earning $8 an hour. “I know what its like to live paycheque to paycheque.” Concord provided him with the ability to get an education and work at the same time. He believes his experience rising through the ranks at Concord has given him a unique perspective on leadership, and he fosters a belief that employees should feel a sense of “ownership” about the site they guard. According to Forward, it’s working. Concord has grown 20% each year for the past three years with annual revenue of $25 million, and it now employs 900 people. Concord provides security for some of the Lower Mainland’s major shopping centres and schools such as Simon Fraser University, but Forward is hoping he’ll be able to expand his client contracts to include the Vancouver Olympic Committee and the Vancouver International Airport. He attributes his success to an ability to “roll up his sleeves” and get the job done, but he admits he’s struggled over the years to balance his professional life with his personal life. “At the end of the day, you just need enough things outside of work to make you want to go home.” • Birthplace: Vancouver Where do you live now: Coquitlam Highest level of education: BBA from Simon Fraser University and CGA Car or chosen mode of transport: Acura TL Currently reading: Thinking Inside the Box: The 12 Timeless Rules for Managing a Successful Business by Kirk Cheyfitz and Me to We: Finding Meaning in a Material World by Craig Kielburger and Marc Kielburger Last CD bought or music downloaded: Don’t Stop Believing by Journey Favourite movie: Shawshank Redemption Favourite local restaurant: Las Margaritas Profession you would most like to try: High school teacher or stand up comedian Mentor: My dad Toughest business or professional decision: To slow our business growth What’s left to do: Improve the workplace for our guard staff, improve our service to our clients, be a better partner, papa and master Rockband! |
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