Nick Kuzyk is the Senior Financial Lead in the Competitive Process group at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), his most memorable milestone being a move from Toronto to Calgary upon graduating in 2002. What was the inspiration behind the move? Find out in today’s YPDaily…
Elevator Pitch: Describe your job in a nutshell.
As the Senior Financial Lead in the Competitive Process group at the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO), I am responsible for all financial and risk-related matters in the development of a fair, open and transparent competitive procurement process, primarily for the $2 billion critical transmission infrastructure project spanning from Edmonton to Fort McMurray.
Why did you start working at your company? What was the inspiration for this career route?
My decision in the spring of 2012 to leave a business development role in the mid-stream oil and gas sector in favour of this job at the AESO was based on an interest in learning about the power industry, while gaining an appreciation for the role of the government in comparison to the goals of a for-profit organization, and for the benefit of Albertan stakeholders rather than company shareholders. Thus far, the education has been invaluable and the future learning opportunities are endless. With a background in oil and gas, and now in power as well, I have diversified my commodity-based experience to broaden my career options going forward.
What is the best part of what you do on a day-to-day basis? The most challenging part?
The best part of my job on a daily basis is working on something that has never been done before. Creating a competitive procurement process for major electricity transmission infrastructure in Alberta is long overdue. Once approved, the process will benefit all rate payers both financially and functionally for the foreseeable future as the province continues to grow and prosper. Conversely, the most challenging part stems from the same thing – the uphill climb into uncharted territory requires a lot of research, communication, change management and patience along the way.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Given that I’ve been quite lucky in life and am a genuinely happy person, in five years I simply hope to be surrounded by the same calibre of friends and colleagues that I am today, to be challenged by my daily professional and personal pursuits, and to hopefully have visited five new countries as well, in keeping with one of my long-term goals of having been in more countries (41) than my age (33) at any time.
What does success look like to you?
My definition of success involves a dynamic combination of good health, great family and friends, challenging work, a golf handicap under 10, a pair of concert tickets always at the ready, and a trip to which one can look forward in the not-so-distant future.
What is the most memorable milestone in your career?
Fortunately, my most memorable milestone was simply moving from Toronto to Calgary in 2002 after graduating from university, to begin my career working for a great mentor, in the city that would turn out to be the economic engine of Canada for the next decade and beyond.
Do you have any advice for other young professionals?
Stay true to your talents, challenge yourself to continuously improve, and align yourself with leaders that you admire and respect.
Do you support any charities? If so, which one(s) and why is that important to you?
Yes, I mainly support two charities. I am on the Board of Directors of the fun-spirited Oneball Charitable Cancer Organization, which aims to raise both awareness and funds in the fight against testicular cancer – the #1 type for men between the ages of 15-35. Also, I am the Co-Founder of the Leadership Committee for Club Wolfgang at the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, which brings socially-minded, philanthropic young professionals together in support of world-class music.
What to you is notable?
I feel that the following are notable pursuits: treating people as you would like to be treated; saying what you mean and meaning what you say; and taking risks but admitting when you’re wrong and learning from your mistakes.
BlackBerry, iPhone, Android, or Other?
iPhone 4S…until the imminent arrival of my pre-ordered iPhone 5.
Describe your ideal retirement: how old will you be and how do you plan on spending your retirement years? (Sponsored by the TD Redefine Retirement Contest)
In my mind, retirement has nothing to do with time or money. Rather, my ideal retirement will begin when I have full control over how I use my energy on any given day, be it consulting in an area of expertise, travelling the world, playing lots of golf, catching up on unread books, or spending endless time with family and friends.
What are you looking forward to most about retiring? (Sponsored by the TD Redefine Retirement Contest)
When I’m retired, it will be fun to travel back to the places that I visited in my youth, to see how much they have changed while likely remaining mostly the same. And I suppose it’ll be interesting to reflect on myself in a similar way, while visiting each of those places once again.