FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – December 3, 2007
Vancouver, B.C. – Kari Yuers of The Kryton Group of Companies has been named President of the Leadership and Management Development Council of BC (LMDC) for 2007/08. Yuers, CEO and President of Kryton, was elected President at the Council’s recent Annual General Meeting in Vancouver, BC.
LMDC Board of Directors for 2007-08
Pictured from left to right: Ron Trepanier, Norm Embree, Kathi Thompson, Jim Payn, Vinetta Peek, Kari Yuers, Colin Bennett.
The LMDC serves as a catalyst in pulling together the resources needed to strengthen the leadership and management capabilities among small and medium-sized business owners in BC. A not-for-profit organization, the LMDC works in partnership with the corporate sector, educational institutions, and government. Yuers, an Entrepreneur of the Year Award winner, brings a deep and strategic business background to the LMDC. Her role as President will include the support, development and implementation of strategies to foster relationships and partnerships with members of the business community. Yuers will also play a key role in ensuring that dedicated funds from corporate, provincial and federal sources are utilized to create programs and services that can immediately help businesses to address issues such as skilled labour shortages.
“Every region across the province is affected by skills shortages that are unique to their respective area,” says Kari Yuers, President and CEO of Kryton International Inc. “We were once a small business at Kryton and we struggled with many of the same challenges that small and medium-sized businesses face today such as developing the skills necessary for a company to thrive let alone survive. Because the LMDC is driven by a business helping business approach, we can implement timely and customized programs that work while ensuring that much needed financial support is used wisely and economically.”
According to the Small Business Profile 2007, small businesses account for 47% of all jobs in BC and contribute 27% to the province’s GDP. The LMDC provides services such as the Small Business Check-up, an online self-assessment tool to help business owners and managers measure their abilities, assess their skill development needs and improve their performance. Peer group mentoring promotes local business by bringing owners together with business leaders to address issues unique to their respective geographical region. Financial training ensures that business owners are provided with the know-how to secure financial support.
“The LMDC has a long history of working across BC in partnership with local service providers,” says Ron Trepanier, Secretary and Executive Director LMDC. “There’s a very practical business leadership component in continuing to develop these partnerships. We believe that Kari Yuers, as one of BC’s strong business leaders, can lead us forward in fostering and developing small and medium-sized business throughout BC.”
Yuers is also active in a number of provincial, national and international industry associations including Director of the American Concrete Institute (ACI), Construction Specifications Canada (CSC), British Columbia Building Envelope Council, British Columbia Ready-Mix Concrete Association, American Shotcrete Association, and the Vancouver Board of Trade.
About Leadership and Management Development Council BC (LMDC)
The Leadership and Management Development Council of British Columbia was established in the spring of 1995, stemming from the BC Chamber of Commerce report, “Moving Forward: The Vision of B.C. Business,” and was later formally incorporated under the Society Act of B.C. in April of 1996. The LMDC is a non-profit society governed by a volunteer board of directors and supported by a group of corporate sponsors.
