For those of you that haven't already heard, let this serve as official notification – this is my last issue of the OBJ.
I first came to the paper in July 2000, when the tech sector's irrational exuberance was at its peak, and documented the fallout in the lean years that followed. From city hall, to real estate and venture capital, I covered daily business news for OttawaBusinessJournal.com before taking the editor's chair in 2005. One of the greatest impacts on my professional development of that move was the need to be less of a cubicle hermit and more visible in the community. It didn't take long for my personal interest in the dynamics of human nature, the value of effective communication and the power of words well written to shape my focus. Even casual readers of this column will probably have noticed my emphasis on people and employment issues in the high tech sector, finding that elusive balance between work and leisure, and the critical importance of strategic marketing and public relations to a startup enterprise.
The latter point has led to my decision to pursue a new challenge outside the field of journalism. In my years with the OBJ, I have spoken with scores of executives, talent managers, headhunters, venture capitalists and sales and marketing gurus about what it takes to build a strong and successful company. A company that doesn't rely on the "wow factor" of a product's bells and whistles to drive sales and realizes that to settle for being "local" rather than global is to settle for mediocrity. Some companies in town get it, some don't, and others never will. In my new role with inmedia Public Relations, I look forward to working with the ones that do and winning converts from among those that don't. What's important is building a strong local economy that can provide quality employment, and I hope to be able to contribute to that in some way. Inmedia itself is a boutique public relations firm that focuses on providing "global reach, high-touch local service" that emphasizes the business case for a client's products, rather than the wow factor of bells and whistles. The fact that the inmedia team finds it easier to sell this concept to potential technology clients outside of Ottawa demonstrates we've got plenty of work to do in our own backyard.
I leave behind at the OBJ a capable team that includes reporters Krystle Chow, Roman Zakaluzny and Peter Kovessy, as well as photographer Darren Brown and researcher Christina Davies. Taking over as editor is Jim Donnelly. Jim first joined the OBJ as a reporter early in 2006 and has since worked for all of Transcon's Ottawa publications in various capacities. He is a solid and well travelled fellow with a master's degree in journalism. His resume includes work with Frank magazine, which will serve him well on this page. I am confident his familiarity with the OBJ and its audience will make for a smooth transition.
But my final contribution to the Editor's File wouldn't be complete without waxing critical one last time on some of these tired made-in-Ottawa issues that refuse to go away:
Leadership. I've already poked at that sales and marketing pimple above, but it's symptomatic of a deeper problem we have in this town with cultivating true entrepreneurship and appreciating the value of failure to building stronger, wiser and resilient leaders capable of taking our economy to the next level. Kudos to OCRI for being the cheerleader for Ottawa, but the community as a whole must come together to develop a game plan, rather than watch from the sidelines.
Light rail, light rail, light rail.< We need, it ain't going to get any cheaper, and it all has to start with a downtown tunnel. Otherwise, we're just creating a congestion crisis in the city core. It isn't a Cadillac option. It's a necessity. And the routes have to demonstrate a clear ridership advantage that will get cars off the road and offer commuters a FASTER way to get to work. That is the single most important consideration, even more so than whether east-west or north-south gets built first.
Term limits for city council. There are some great people on council, but recent budget gyrations, and the fact that residents' so-called vote for change in the last election saw every standing councillor re-elected, demonstrates the need for a better way to get fresh blood at city hall. If one indisputable fact has emerged from Larry O'Brien's time as mayor, it's that it takes a lot more than switching who is wearing those gold chains to spark real and dramatic change.
In parting, I would like to offer a sincere and profound thanks to everyone who supports the OBJ and appreciates the kind of focused local business coverage the paper provides. I am certain it will continue to evolve and improve long after my departure.
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