In the two and half years since Salman Manki joined natural-gas engine manufacturer Westport Innovations Inc. (TSX:WPT), the company has undergone rapid global growth.
Manki joined Westport in 2010 when the company had approximately 210 employees and a market capitalization of under $700 million. Now the company has grown to over 1200 employees in nine countries including Australia and China, and its market capitalization has reached $2.75 billion.
In 2011 Westport acquired two new corporations – one in Italy and another in Sweden. Manki was central to integrating the new companies and the 200 new employees into the legal and risk profile of the company’s global operations.
The biggest and most exciting change that has happened during Manki’s tenure has been a lucrative agreement signed with Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT) to develop natural gas technology for off-road equipment, including mining trucks and locomotives. The deal saw Westport’s share price rise 21% in a single day.
“I was one of the lead negotiators of that deal. It was probably one of the most important things. It really opened up our high horsepower bandwidth,” said Manki.
Westport’s deal with Caterpillar and its acquisitions has seen its legal team manage the companies legal affairs on a global scale. There are seven members of Manki’s team scattered across the globe, and he and his team must liaise with several different law firms globally.
The sun never sets on Manki’s global team and this can mean calls at any time of the day. However, even with the pressures of a high-powered career, striking a work-life balance is important to Manki – especially since the birth of his son Asha more than 18 months ago.
There is also another reason why keeping a work-life balance is important to Manki. In 2006 he was diagnosed with non- Hodgkins lymphoma.
“I was only given a 48% chance to live,” said Manki. After chemotherapy treatment he was eventually cured. “It taught me the importance of valuing your life away from work as well as making sure you have a good work-life balance.”
Manki encourages his team to go home on time or early and to take time off (or forces them to if necessary).
“Keeping a decent work-life balance is always a challenge,” said Manki. “Prioritizing and being organized are probably my keys to [achieving that].”
Mentoring his staff is important to Manki. Team lunches are almost a daily occurrence and he empowers his team to operate files independently. He also makes himself accessible to Westport’s business teams and regularly provides training on legal topics to new staff in Canada, Europe and the U.S.
Manki studied law in Oxford University, England. After his time in Oxford he returned to Vancouver to practise law and worked for two top law firms in the city and then went on to be in-house counsel for VANOC.
Outside of his work and family commitments, Manki is part of the B.C./Yukon chapter of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Canada. He takes a lead role in organizing the Light the Night walk, the charity’s signature fundraiser. He and his team have raised more than $80,000 over the past six years.
