BC Business
CEOs in transitTransLink veteran Ian Jarvis has stepped down from the company’s top job, the transit authority announced Wednesday. Doug Allen, recent CEO of InTransit BC, will take over as TransLink’s new CEO. The shift precedes a heavily publicized—and perhaps even more heavily debated—referendum to implement a 0.5 per cent transit sales tax in Metro Vancouver, which would help fund transit expansion such as a subway along Broadway Avenue. The move is likely aimed to help rebrand the company, widespread public disapproval of which is oft-cited as the Yes side’s biggest hurdle. For more insight, check out this interview BCBusiness conducted with Jarvis just before he stepped down (which we decided to publish early, given Wednesday’s news).
Fuelling growthVancouver’s Ballard Power Systems has inked a US$80 million deal with Volkswagen, transferring intellectual property related to fuel cells to the German car company. The deal also includes an extension on a two-year contract providing engineering services for Volkswagen. “This transaction extends and deepens our relationship with the Volkswagen Group, a leading global automotive manufacturer,” Ballard CEO Randy MacEwan said in a release. “Extension of the engineering services contract reflects a growing positive sentiment toward fuel cells within the automotive sector.”
Hyper learningHyper Island, an intensive three-day workshop in digital media, is returning to Vancouver next month (March 4-6). The Swedish company’s world-renowned “master class” first came to Vancouver last year. If you want to take part in 2015’s offering, tickets can be purchased here (a word of warning: at US$4,000 for three days, they’re on the hyper expensive side).