Last month, 1,100 BCIT students crossed the stage in five in-person Convocation ceremonies. Convocation is not only a celebration of our students’ achievements, but also a testament to our commitment in helping our graduates create sustained and meaningful impact in their careers beyond BCIT.
This year, BCIT invited leaders from numerous competitive industries to share their valuable advice for our graduates who are starting to make a mark in the world. Here’s what they said:
Chris O’Riley, President and CEO, BC Hydro
BC Hydro is BC’s largest Crown corporation and the fourth largest company in the province as ranked by annual revenue. Powered by water, BC Hydro safely provides reliable, affordable, clean electricity to its four million customers.
During his 32-year career with BC Hydro, Chris has made significant contributions in leading operations, overseeing capital projects, and managing risk for BC Hydro’s trading subsidiary, Powerex, as a professional engineer in electrical engineering.
In his speech, Chris reminded our graduates of the importance of lifelong learning: “There is no end to education, and your whole life will be a process of learning. Don’t limit yourself [and] be open to experiencing different experiences.”
Brent Charleton, President and CEO, EnWave Corporation
EnWave is a publicly listed proprietary drying technology company with over 50 food manufacturers located throughout 25 countries, including PepsiCo, Dole, Calbee, Perdue, Hormel, and the U.S. Army.
A BCIT Marketing Management alum, Brent started as an entry-level Marketing Coordinator and made his way up to CEO and President of EnWave. He raised more than $40 million through the capital markets to support EnWave’s innovation and growth.
Brent shared these words of wisdom to our graduates about the key to success: “Life is not solely about reaching a destination but about embracing the journey, the process, and the continuous pursuit of growth and learning. In this rapidly evolving world, success is not static but dynamic – a constant state of adaptation and evolution.”
Sarah Clark, President and CEO, Fraser River Pile and Dredge
Sarah joined Fraser River Pile and Dredge as Chief Operating Officer in 2014 and was promoted to President and CEO in 2017. Prior to joining the company, Sarah was President and CEO of Partnerships British Columbia Incorporated, a crown agency responsible for the delivery of public private partnerships and other complex project procurements. She also worked for Bombardier Transportation and has been a member of multiple boards.
In her speech, Sarah attributed our graduates’ success to their deep resilience and close connections with their communities: “You’re sitting here today because you dug deep and you figured it out. Why do we go to university? It’s to challenge ourselves. To make life long meaningful relationships.”
Closing her speech, Sarah reminded our graduates the importance of resilience and appreciating the people that have supported them. “Resilience is a capacity to withstand and to recover quickly from difficulties. Resilience got you here and it’s going to get you where you want to go. That and your network of your friends, family, and colleagues that support you and that you support.”
Susannah Pierce, President and Country Chair, Shell Canada Ltd.
In her current role as President and Country Chair at Shell Canada Ltd., Susannah is responsible for integrating and coordinating business investment and operational performance across Shell’s lines of business in Canada.
With over 20 years in the environmental, social, and governance sector in Canada and abroad, Susannah is a distinguished leader in bringing businesses, governments, communities, and Indigenous groups together to support the development of energy resources.
Susannah called for our graduates to adopt a mindful perspective, saying “this era is calling for a more advanced and humanistic approach to leadership.” As our graduates set off on their own paths, she reminded them how their thoughts often affect their actions, which in turn affect the outcome of their destinies: “Your perception of the world around you define your experience.”
Rick Ilich, CEO, Townline Homes
Rick established Townline Homes in 1980, and under his direction, the company grew into an industry-leading real-estate developer and investor leader in the residential, commercial, and mixed-use development and construction industry.
For the past 10 years, Townline Housing’s sister company, Townline Housing Solutions, provided more than 3,000 units for women fleeing domestic violence, those with special needs, as well as Indigenous and workforce housing, among others.
Sharing the key to his successes, Rick emphasized on the importance of resilience: “Resilience can flourish when life does not go as planned. For me resilience is a learned attribute. I am a resilient person because of the choices I made.”
Rick also inspired our graduates to continually believe in themselves. “Your education has empowered you to be agents of change, to lead with integrity. Never lose sight of the power that you possess to make a difference.”