Lana Mador

The compelling tweets of SFU MBA professor Ian McCarthy earned him a spot on OnlineMBA’s international list: "50 Business Professors You Should Follow on Twitter." Business professor Ian McCarthy started out as a techie, working for several years as a manufacturing engineer before earning a PhD in operations strategy from the University of Sheffield in England. So it’s no wonder that he’s as comfortable with the latest communications technology as with flow charts and pie graphs.

Observe the lack of hands in the air when the boss calls for volunteers to plan the annual office holiday season bash and it’s clear that organizing a successful company-wide event can be a daunting task. To make sure that...

Congratulations to Wifarer Inc., #15 in 2012's Most Innovative Companies in B.C. Thanks to your trusty GPS you can get anywhere without a map, but as soon as you enter a building you’re on our own. Wifarer’s software-based technology brings wayfinding inside by using WiFi radio frequencies to pinpoint smart phones indoors, giving users an interactive map of the building they’re in.

Congratulations to Endurance Wind Power Inc., #12 in 2012's Most Innovative Companies in B.C. “Wind is hot,” our Innovators panellist Brent Holliday notes. Nevertheless, a field of gigantic whirring turbines can be a tough sell. In this market Endurance Wind Power Inc., a Surrey-based manufacturer of wind turbines, has a distinct advantage: it has developed what CEO Glenn Johnson believes are the quietest and most efficient small wind turbines on the planet.

Congratulations to SendtoNews Video Inc., #4 in 2012's Most Innovative Companies in B.C. Remember that viral video of the head coach of the Abbotsford Heat hockey team throwing a hockey-stick-smashing, shirt-tearing tantrum on the bench? So do 150 million other sports fans. But that outburst never would have seen the light of day if it hadn’t been for SendtoNews, the Victoria-based company that is changing the way newsrooms connect with content.

Congratulations to Saltworks Technologies, #2 in 2012's Most Innovative Companies in B.C. Here in water-rich B.C. it’s easy to forget that one in six people on the planet does not have access to fresh water. At Vancouver-based Saltworks, however, turning saltwater and wastewater into potable H2O is a top priority.

Would you trust a surgeon who hadn’t updated his or her skills, techniques or medical knowledge in the 20 years since graduating from medical school? Without ongoing training any professional can lose their edge, but how do you ensure professional...

How to get full-time loyalty from your part-time employees. Almost a quarter of all B.C. service sector employees work part-time, but attracting and retaining this valuable demographic can be a challenge. We asked the experts for advice: Denise Buchanan, vice-president of human resources at White Spot Ltd.; Gary Faryon, operations manager at Mountain Equipment Co-op; and Murat Imren, president of Plenty Stores Inc.
 Be flexible

How Vancouver sewing supercentre Dressew built a retail empire, one button at a time. In the 21st century, selling sewing notions in the heart of Vancouver without credit cards, social media, or even a website defies all business logic, but that’s exactly what Roger McKie and his family have been doing for 51 years, and business is booming.


If the Friday morning doughnut pickup is the extent of your office’s community interaction, it might be time to think outside the boardroom. For advice on building a corporate culture of philanthropy and community outreach, we turned to three experts:...