Entwhistle returns as Telus CEO

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T U E S D A Y, A U G U S T 1 1 , 2 0 1 5
FINANCIAL POST
CA LG A RY H E R A L D
Entwhistle
returns as
Telus CEO
C H R I S T I NA PE L L E G R I N I
FINANCIAL POST
Brian Winch is the operations manager at Quality Maintenance Inc. The 30 year-old company picks up litter from
strip malls and other commercial properties. L O R R A I NE HJA LTE / CALG ARY H E RALD
Darren Entwistle is taking back
the corner office at Telus Corp., the
country’s second-largest carrier.
The Vancouver-based company
said Monday that Entwistle, 52,
who served as chief executive officer and president for 14 years until
relinquishing the job last May to
become executive chairman, will
replace the man who succeeded
him, Joe Natale, 51, effective immediately and on a long-term basis.
Likewise, Dick Auchinleck, who
has served as Telus’ lead director,
has been named the company’s independent chairman.
Natale, who has worked in Toronto, has resigned after notifying
the board that he’ll be unable to
fulfil its request to relocate to the
West Coast. The release says the
leadership shuffle follows a review
by the board that wrapped up late
Friday, the same day Telus posted
another quarter of strong financial
results.
“Mr. Natale recently indicated
that a move to Western Canada
would not work for him and his
family for several years,” states
the release, which thanked Natale
for his 12 years of service at Telus,
“and the Board determined that
the Company would be best served
by having its chief executive officer
reside in the West.”
To help make the transition a
smooth one, Natale will serve in
an executive, non-board capacity
until the end of 2015. He is prevented from joining a competitor for
18 months beginning Jan. 1, 2016.
While Natale’s sudden departure
being attributed to his reluctance
to physically relocate, Telus is
known for allowing select employees to choose where they want to
work. On its corporate website, the
company says it strives to have 30
per cent of its staff working out of
an office — and the rest remotely —
because it enhances productivity,
encourages work-life balance and
reduces its real-estate footprint.
Patrick Horan, principal at investment fund Agilith Capital, said
that doesn’t fully explain why an
executive at a major telecom company would give up his position.
“It doesn’t make sense that he’s
been in there for a little over a year
and they’re picking a fight over
whether he’s located in Toronto
or Vancouver,” he told The Canadian Press.
Josh Blair, Telus’s chief corporate officer, said the board’s goal
has always been to have a management team spread out across
Canada, “but have the most-senior
management position in Western
Canada, given the majority of our
customers and revenues, come
from Western Canada.”
Its directors had expected that
Natale would move once Vancouver-based Entwistle progressed
to a non-executive chairman role
when his three-year contract expired in 2017. The succession discussions between Natale and the
board had been ongoing, according
to a spokesperson.
As CEO, Natale reported to
Entwistle, who led earnings calls,
fielded questions about strategy
and reported to the company’s
board. Since he took over in 2000,
Entwistle had been lead architect
who helped catapult Telus from a
regional telephone provider to one
of the country’s largest telecommunications companies.
“While this news is a surprise,
we do not see any changes to the
strategic direction or financial priorities of the company,” analysts at
RBC Capital Markets said in a note
to clients.
Telus shares, which have gained
about five per cent this year, closed
at $43.92, down 65 cents or 1.46 per
cent Monday in Toronto trading.
Winch brothers have kept the city
clean after dark for 30 years
Family-run company battles against
litter for 150 commercial properties
DAV I D PA R K E R
Joe Winch earned his living
as a janitor with the Calgary
Board of Education. To help
support his growing family he
made extra money by picking
up litter and shovelling snow
at commercial properties and
churches close to his home.
His sons, Dale and Brian, would
often join their father and were
a big help as he picked up more
clients.
When Joe Winch died, Dale
thought he should carry on the
small business. He approached
his father’s customers and
launched Quality Maintenance,
a company now celebrating 30
years of providing after-hours
litter control.
Brian had started his own snow
removal and litter control business but sold that venture to join
his brother at Quality Maintenance in 1989 to “see how big we
could grow.”
Today, the family-run company looks after 150 commercial
properties with a daily, on-foot
service that specializes only in
litter pickup.
The majority of its accounts are
commercial properties like strip
malls and small office complexes
that property management companies hire the brothers to take
care of.
Some have been clients for
more than 20 years. As developments get sold, some choose to
go in-house and use their own
maintenance crews or select a
competitor, though many choose
to return after finding it difficult
to replace the quality of service
they’ve received.
The Winch brothers provide a
very personal service with their
trusted crew of around 10 others.
“Quality is never an accident. It is
always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent
direction and skilful execution,”
said Brian, who acts as operations
manager for Dale.
Fighting the never-ending
battle with litter is key, but the
company also acts as an extra
set of eyes at properties. Observing any graffiti, vandalism,
burned-out lights, illegal dumping or overflowing Dumpsters is
reported. Quality Maintenance
understands litter-free grounds
helps attract and keep tenants
while creating positive thoughts
within the community.
It’s a simple but very efficient
business. Brian shows me a photograph of himself at work in the
1980s using the same hand tools
he uses today — a litter scoop and
a broom.
People’s habits have not
changed much either. Brian said
people still walk out of a convenience store, unwrap a package of
cigarettes and throw away litter
despite standing next to a garbage receptacle. He reckons he’s
picked up tons of cigarette butts
over the years; even watched
people dump their vehicle ashtrays on the lot while he has been
picking up.
Not too many people see Brian
or his workers as they usually
work after hours, seven days
a week, picking up litter from
parking lots, sidewalks and landscaped areas so tenants feel good
about walking into their buildings each morning.
Picking up litter is not just
another job for workers who
might not be too enthused about
doing a little extra. Dale and Brian are proud of the service they
perform; one which has given
them a good living and allowed
them to spend quality time with
their families.
N EW S A N D N O T E S
I was shocked to see the face of
Darryl Barber smiling out from
the Herald’s obituary columns
last week. I got to know Darryl
when I was at Calgary Economic
Development Authority and the
lawyer seemed to be so involved
with, and knowledgeable of, all
the happenings at City Hall. For
the past 20 years of writing this
column, Darryl, who knew what
was going on in the downtown
development business, was a
great encourager. He will be
sorely missed by many. Los Angeles Times called Tom
Peter the “father of the postmodern corporation” and he has
certainly become one of the most
influential business thinkers of
our time. The bestselling author
is coming to Calgary on Sept. 11 as
part of a powerful panel that will
address the full-day Art of Leadership Conference at the Calgary
Telus Convention Centre
David Parker appears Tuesday,
Thursday and Friday, Read his
columns online at calgarayherald.
com/ business. He can be reached at
403-830-4622 or by e-mail at info@
davidparker.ca
Calgary Herald
Darren Entwistle will re-assume his position as CEO of Telus, replacing the
man who succeeded him, Joe Natale, effective immediately and on a longterm basis. DAR RYL DYCK / T HE CANADIAN P R ES S/FILES
Real estate developers
to settle ASC charges
DA N H E A L I N G
C A LG A RY H E R A L D
Two Calgarians who operated companies focused on buying undeveloped lands on the edges of urban
centres in southern Alberta have
each agreed to pay $50,000 plus
$5,000 in costs to settle Alberta
Securities Act violations.
Mariano Giuseppe Serpico and
Kevin Gary Allan, directors with La
Terra Ventures Inc., La Terra
Mortgage Inc., Discovery Plains
Park Ltd., and Eagle Ridge Park
Ltd., admitted the corporations
were selling securities related to
land acquisition and development
projects without filing a prospectus,
according to a news release from
the Alberta Securities Commission.
La Terra Ventures admitted to
trading in securities without being
registered, and La Terra Ventures
and La Terra Mortgage admitted
to acting as a dealer without being registered in accordance with
Alberta securities laws. Serpico
and Allan admitted to having authorized, directed or acquiesced
to violations of Alberta securities
laws by the La Terra corporations.
According to an agreed statement of facts, La Terra signed deals
with property owners to buy their
land conditional on fundraising. It
raised $28.4 million between 2008
and 2012 by selling undivided interests or UDIs in the land.
The projects include Discovery Plains in Olds, Eagle Ridge
near Okotoks, Heritage Heights
in Strathmore, Iron Landing near
Crossfield, The Meadows near
Claresholm and Creekside near
Brooks.
The ASC said Serpico and Allan were co-operative and, while
accepting responsibility for the
contraventions, believed that their
actions were in accordance with
Alberta securities laws.
Two other men, La Terra directors John Carlos Labun and Ryan
Scott Allan, are to appear in September to set a hearing date on
charges they authorized, directed
or acquiesced to violations of Alberta securities laws by the La
Terra corporations.
dhealing@calgaryherald.com
twitter.com/HealingSlowly