CEO Today Global Awards

Canada www.ceotodaymagazine.com 14 CEO Today Global Awards 2019 and you can’t cut corners, however, the foundation to grow an organization needs to be strong for it to have staying power; Establishing a future-minded organizational growth plan: our Connected Garden – modernization IT strategy will place visitors and supporters at the heart of our business plans. Rich data sets will allow us to learn about our visitors and their preferences; Identifying and growing stable recurring revenues to support a sustainable operating plan in the short through long-term; and Aligning the right teams of staff and business partners is also critical because in a global economy we need to be sharp about how we operate in a local and global context. The best way we can progress in a competitive tourism economy is to have the right people in the right roles to support a dynamic path into the future. I am treating Toronto Botanical Garden, a registered charity, as a proper business set to scale exponentially, with the tools to do so. The most significant part of the changes I am leading is about how the organization will shift in how it operates in the future. Business intelligence puts organizations light years ahead of its competitors and it dramatically shifts the ways in which we court our clients, engage our shareholders (donors), and optimize our talent and program delivery. 2. What will be your legacy? I focus on what my legacy will be, every day. From day one, I have looked at all the factors that will make Toronto Botanical Garden a charity of excellence. This means looking at our business fundamentals and ensuring they are strong - having a business plan and internal planning process engaging teams across the organization; strong financial systems; infusing innovation in our future plans; the right partners to allow us to play effectively in the global economy. My legacy strategy is the Connected Garden – our innovation strategy that infuses technology and data into our business plans. The Connected Garden will help Toronto Botanical Garden truly engage visitors, optimize our operations across the gardens and set a robust business plan into the future because data will be at the core of our plans. Our people culture is primed for innovation and growth, essentials for building up organizations. 3. What are your everyday responsibilities at Toronto Botanical Gardens (TBG)? Keeping a daily focus on growing new, sustainable revenues, incrementally introducing innovation in the ways in which we operate, including how we work across teams and with existing and new partners. Listening and reflecting is a big part of each day because the smallest details matter as much as the bigger strategic focus of being a robust, world-class botanic garden. We have a tremendous future ahead, being a living and learning museum where we expect to host a million plus visitors a year in the new future and my every day is about getting us through the short through long term milestones, alongside my colleague, Harry Jongerden, Co-CEO and Garden Director, who is heading up the 10-fold capital expansion of our gardens. I work with sharp people who know their portfolios: I have to be nimble to what each day brings and keep us on track for sustained organizational growth. I’m first and foremost a coach to the smart teams of people that work, volunteer and donate their support at Toronto Botanical Garden. There’s a rhythm to set for growing an organization and keeping teams focused on the steps to take for growth is vital. Harry Jongerden and I work closely together so that we chart out the path for organizational and capital expansion in a way that is mutually complimentary. Central to my job is to look at where and how to invest in the organization as I work with teams to support the organization’s growth. What I’m especially excited about is how we are on the cusp of becoming a data- centric organization. Analytics is king for organizations that want to sustain their operating plans well in the future and that is especially so for Toronto Botanical Garden as we plan Credit: Arthur Mola