Former BC Premier Glen Clark is leaving the Jim Pattison Group

Breadcrumb Trail links

1. News
2. Local news
3. Business

Worked his way up from Pattison’s signature department to president of the company.

Glenn Clarke (centre, with Jim Pattison right) at the announcement of the new St. Paul in 2019. Photo by Jason Payne /PNG

Article content

Many people were shocked when former NDP premier Glen Clark went to work for British Columbia’s most successful businessman, Jim Pattison.

Advertisement 2

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Article content

But Clark flourished at the Jim Pattison Group. For the past 10 years, he has been the company’s president, and for the past seven, he has been the chief operating officer. In 2022, the company has 60,000 employees in 97 countries and sales of $16 billion.

Start your day with a roundup of BC-focused news and opinion delivered straight to your inbox at 7am, Monday to Friday.

By clicking the signup button, you agree to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link at the bottom of our emails or any newsletter. Postmedia Network Inc. | 365 Bloor Street East, Toronto, Ontario, M4W 3L4 | 416-383-2300

Thanks for signing up!

A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your spam folder.

The next issue of Sunrise, presented by the Vancouver Sun, will be in your inbox soon.

We encountered a problem registering you. Please, try again

Article content

Now the shocker is that Clark has resigned as president and chief operating officer of the Pattison Group, effective December 31.

Reached on his cell phone, Clarke sounded a little surprised that the media would care.

“I don’t think it’s big news, is it? I just turned 65,” said Clark, whose birthday was Nov. 22.

Asked if he was retiring, Clark said: “No, I want to do something else, maybe.”

Then he laughed.

“Well, I’m leaving the Jim Pattison Group after 22 years,” he said. “It was fantastic. (But) I’m still on the board of Canfor and West Shore Terminals. Jimmy kept me on those boards.

Advertising 3

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Article content

Pattison said he was not surprised Clark decided to leave.

“No, not at all,” said the 94-year-old. “He’s 65, and most people at 60 usually retire. It’s just part of the game.”

Pattison admitted that people were “surprised” when he hired Clark, especially in the business community. But Clark’s work ethic and sharp business sense helped propel him to the top of the company.

“Glenn is a good worker, hard worker and has a lot of common sense,” Pattison said. “He’s determined, he’s a hard worker. We really like Glenn. Of course, he will remain on the board of several companies, as a director of several of our important companies.

Clark said he learned a lot working with Pattison.

“Jimmy was a great mentor to me,” said Clark, who was a union organizer before entering politics. “I’d say he’s the most successful businessman of our time, so you learn a lot.”

Advertising 4

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Article content

Like?

“The importance of cash flow, the importance of management, dealing with problems, implementing decisions,” he said. “These are things you just get at home. You need to recover the invested capital. These are things that become second nature when you work there because they are just part of the company culture. Responsibility.”

Glenn Clarke at a Pattison Group warehouse in Richmond in 2009. Photo by Bill Key/Vancouver Sun

Pattison is known to travel the continent and even the world to check on his many companies. Clark too.

“Jimmy is hands-on,” Clark said. “It’s not an office job, you’re out and about talking to people all the time. It’s a bit of a cliché, but everyone is human. I guess I learned that from Jimmy, you can’t really understand what’s going on sitting behind a desk, you have to go out and see people.

Advertising 5

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Article content

Clark said his time as British Columbia’s premier (1996-99) and finance minister helped prepare him for the business world. But there are differences.

“It’s all about leadership,” he said. “The business is pretty clear, the rules of the business: You have to try to make money. If you don’t make money, you go out of business. You have an imperative, a sort of structural imperative that drives your business forward.

“Unlike government, which has multiple complex objectives and doesn’t have the same, if I may say so, simple structural imperatives.”

Former NDP premier John Horgan served in Glenn Clark’s cabinet.

“What I learned from him, I tried to apply when I had the opportunity,” Horgan said. “What he has demonstrated over the last 22 years is that you can go from a so-called non-mythical socialist union leader to the head of the largest private sector company in the country. This is extraordinary. It speaks to Glenn’s ability to recognize and recognize where people are, not just in business, not just in labor, not just in community, but all of these things are intertwined. That’s what Jimmy saw in him, and it’s good for both of them.

Advertising 6

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Article content

1. Jimmy Pattison donates $30 million to Royal Columbian Hospital’s new tower

2. Vaughan Palmer: A veteran civil servant, he has seen governments come and go

The new president of the Pattison Group is Ryan Barrington-Foot.

“He’s a really good guy,” Clark said. “Young lad, he is an accountant. The weather just looked good. The company has a good group of younger leaders.”

Pattison, meanwhile, is still going strong at 94

“I haven’t retired because I love going to work every morning,” Pattison said. “I started the company about 60 years ago and I love coming to work. That’s what I do.”

jmackie@postmedia.com

Two future NDP premiers, Glenn Clarke and Mike Harcourt, speaking while in opposition in 1990. Photo by John Janishin /PNG More news, less ads: Our in-depth journalism is made possible by the support of our subscribers. For just $3.50 a week you can get unlimited advertising access to The Vancouver Sun, The Province, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Vancouver Sun | The province.

Share this article on your social network

Advertisement 1

This ad has not yet loaded, but your article continues below.

Comments

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion and encourages all readers to share their views on our articles. Comments can take up to an hour to be moderated before they appear on the site. Please keep your comments relevant and respectful. We’ve enabled email notifications – you’ll now receive an email if you get a reply to your comment, there’s an update to a comment thread you follow, or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information and details on how to adjust your email settings.