~Toby Tannas~

Photos by Lia Crowe

From his home tucked in Kelowna91裸聊视频檚 south slopes, overlooking Okanagan Lake, Elroy Gust lives and works with gratitude for the life he91裸聊视频檚 crafted. Getting to where he is today did not happen by accident. From the very early days of his career, this CEO had a clear vision of where his path would lead.

91裸聊视频淭his is just where I always saw myself,91裸聊视频� says Elroy, referring to his drive for success91裸聊视频攕omething cultivated in his humble Manitoba farming family roots.

Happily married with three grown children, he91裸聊视频檚 founder, president and CEO of Newlook Capital. The private equity firm is based in Ontario but now more than ever, Elroy manages Newlook from his home office three time zones away.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 mind the schedule, a lot of people in Kelowna have this schedule. You roll out of bed and by 6 am you91裸聊视频檙e on your first call. Then by about 1:30 to 2:00 pm your phone stops ringing because the work day is over back east. I really like the lifestyle.91裸聊视频�

Elroy91裸聊视频檚 home office didn91裸聊视频檛 always boast lake and mountain views. For more than 30 years, he enjoyed the hustle and bustle of city life. From his start in the commercial lending department of a Lower Mainland bank, to buying and selling multiple companies, to founding Newlook Capital, Elroy has learned important lessons every step of the way.

91裸聊视频淲ith my first job as a commercial lender, I started to understand how things work from a lending perspective,91裸聊视频� he explains. 91裸聊视频淲hen I worked with my dad and my brother, we had a warehousing-logistics business in Toronto. I grew it, became president at 29 and then, when I turned 30, I decided it was time to sell and I made my first million.91裸聊视频�

That taste of success91裸聊视频攐f building something with your own grit, determination and wherewithal91裸聊视频攗ltimately spurred Elroy to form Newlook Capital. Over the course of a decade, the company has grown to more than 700 employees in both Canada and the United States. Newlook owns more than a dozen companies and continues to have very active and strategic acquisition plans.

91裸聊视频淭his year we will buy another four businesses and I would say we91裸聊视频檙e talking to about 15 in total right now.91裸聊视频�

Elroy has removed himself from daily operations, by design, working on select projects and dealing directly with the executive management team.

91裸聊视频淭he business will continue to grow,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e really built the fly wheel, we91裸聊视频檝e built the culture, we91裸聊视频檝e built the machine. Now it keeps going, keeps growing whether I91裸聊视频檓 involved more or less.91裸聊视频�

Elroy is always ready and willing to fly back east if needed (he spends at least a few days a month in the Burlington office), but his days of being a regular, weekly commuter are done. COVID-19 played a hand in that.

91裸聊视频淚 had already become intentional with my travel, but when COVID happened, I stopped travelling back and forth altogether. I got rid of the condo in Burlington and set up in Kelowna full time. So far it91裸聊视频檚 worked out well using Zoom.91裸聊视频�

COVID-19 hasn91裸聊视频檛 had a huge economic impact on Newlook Capital91裸聊视频檚 business holdings, as all were deemed essential services. In the early days of uncertainty, though, Elroy found himself in a new role91裸聊视频攖hat of mentor. His knowledge and experience allowed him to guide and support operating partners who were nervous and overwhelmed with the rapidly changing business climate.

91裸聊视频淭he biggest thing for me was changing their mindset from being defensive to offensive. For me to get engaged with the people who are at the ground level running the businesses and get their mentality to shift, that I could have that impact on someone, that was really cool for me.91裸聊视频�

It also allowed Elroy to look at what91裸聊视频檚 made him successful over the years and what advice he would give to young people working in any career field.

91裸聊视频淩ecognize what you are good at. Really understand that and quantify it,91裸聊视频� he says emphatically. 91裸聊视频淚 recognize what I am not good at and then I partner with people who are good at those things to make sure that I91裸聊视频檓 just working on my strengths.91裸聊视频�

With four years of Okanagan living under his belt, Elroy is pretty comfortable in his new schedule and laid-back surroundings. He says the most notable difference between Burlington and Kelowna is how he answers the question, 91裸聊视频淲hat do you do?91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淲hen people in Kelowna ask you what you do, I had to recognize they91裸聊视频檙e not asking you what you do for a living, they don91裸聊视频檛 care. They91裸聊视频檙e asking, 91裸聊视频榙o you snowboard, do you ski?91裸聊视频� That91裸聊视频檚 the focus here,91裸聊视频� he chuckles.

Elroy has become an avid skier (even though he almost threw in the towel during his first week of lessons). He spends summer afternoons on the lake and ample time socializing with friends.

91裸聊视频淚 joined a business leaders91裸聊视频� group and have met a lot of great people, many who are in similar situations, working remotely.91裸聊视频�

Elroy seems to have achieved the perfect balance between work and lifestyle. It makes a final question about retirement almost unnecessary.

91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 think I91裸聊视频檒l ever retire. I can manage how many days I91裸聊视频檓 working and how much effort I91裸聊视频檓 putting in.91裸聊视频�

That is a privilege that91裸聊视频檚 earned through years of commitment and, in the case of Elroy Gust, one that will be savoured for years to come.