The Ampersand - Unplugged

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged, we sit down with our very own Cam McDonald (or, Cameron, when we're being serious). Originally hailing from Sydney Australia, Cam chased his wife to Canada and has been living in Calgary ever since. He shares stories about fatherhood, raising his two young kids while balancing a busy career. We also share some hilarious Vegas stories, do a deep dive into the difference between retained and contingent recruitment, the differences between Australia and Canada and why Cricket is better than baseball. 

We hope you'll tune in as we just know you'll appreciate hearing the insights of one of our own and enjoying a front row seat to the truly unique culture at the core of Pekarsky & Co.'s special sauce.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with another of Calgary's Mayoral candidates, Brad Field. A lifelong Calgarian and business owner, Brad is the 'outsider' candidate, not from City Hall and bringing the perspective of a business owner and community member to the Mayor's Chair. Join us as we discuss trains from Calgary to Banff, doing politics differently and whether Brad would rather be a famous badminton star or no name baseball player.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

Having worked in 9 different industries and across Canada, Bob Sartor, CEO of the Calgary Airport Authority, joins us on this episode of the podcast to discuss all things airport. Who’s Bob’s customer? Why does it even matter? Why passengers are guests and why that matters. Bob candidly discusses the challenges of managing through the pandemic and the virtues of never reading a book twice. Once describing the airport as “a giant shopping mall that airplanes park at” Bob reveals that, unlike many who work at YYC, he has no great passion for aviation, but rather a passion for building great companies who aspire to be leaders in their field. Tune in for this fascinating discussion with one of Calgary’s truly great leaders.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with the owner of Murrieta’s West Coast Bar & Grill. Not only is Murrieta’s the long-time neighbour and friend of Pekarsky & Co. in the old Alberta Hotel Building, but its owner, Ron Salverda, is a truly fascinating person with lots to say. Having studied architecture in school and growing up with one of the top 10 chef’s in America (his dad), Ron speaks candidly about managing a downtown restaurant through a crushing pandemic, the future of Calgary and why we’re sort of dropping the ball when it comes to revitalizing the core.

Join us to learn from Ron the difference between a Chef and a Cook, what makes a truly great waiter, bartender and customer experience. And most importantly, why 2022 is going to be Off The Hook! You will love this tasty edition of The Ampersand: Unplugged!

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

On this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down with City Councillor and Mayoral candidate, Jeff Davison.  Jeff shares his views on Calgary “the Mecca of opportunity,” a “hand up, not hand out city,” how he plans to “expand the base, not the rate” and how “he can, and will” bring the city through its Covid recovery. If the Mayor’s chair doesn’t become Jeff’s, we are certain that a bumper sticker business would be a home run.  Jeff, a lifelong Calgarian, discusses a broad range of issues from why people choose to live in Calgary (“nobody moves to Toronto or Vancouver because it’s cheaper”), whether he’d prefer to live forever or win the lottery and why he’d eat pizza forever, and not ice cream.  

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

Join us for a great conversation with Jordan Singer, President of Henry Singer Fashion Group, as we explore the similarities between men’s fashion and executive search, building trust, curating the customer experience and why you should never look at the back of your head when the barber holds the mirror up. Jordan, a third-generation business owner, walks us through the challenges of buying next season’s fashions while this season’s merchandise is still on the shelf, and he explores what it means to be special, how we’ll dress post Covid and whether he would rather talk with the animals or speak all foreign languages.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode we spend some quality time with Jyoti Gondek. City Councillor. Entrepreneur. Mother. Leader. Businessperson. Wife. Citizen. Friend. Daughter. Problem solver. Expert in how cities work. Current Ward 3 Councillor and mayoral candidate, Jyoti is a driven city builder, entrepreneur and diversity champion. She shares her story with us. From Winnipeg to Wainwright, Greyhound Bus Lines to her version of Calgary's Hop On/Hop Off bus tour, Jyoti talks candidly about being a woman on City Council, a diverse mayoral candidate, leading with humility and having X-Ray vision. We hope you enjoy. 

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged we sit down, albeit virtually and with no end of technical difficulties, with four of Calgary’s legendary city builders. Jim Gray, George Brookman, Rod McKay and Brian Felesky discuss everything from white hats to green lines; from why Calgary made a mistake in not bidding for the 2026 Olympics and how one generation of city builders passes the mantle of leadership to the next; from bungee jumping to deep sea diving and from the old Chinook Drive-In to present day challenges and opportunities facing the city. There isn’t a conference in the world that wouldn’t want to book these four gentlemen for a one-hour sit down such as the one we were privileged to host. Tune in and enjoy!

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged, our co-hosts unpack dysfunction, the Popeye Syndrome, creating safe spaces, looking at your proclivities and living to 143 years of age. A fascinating and candid discussion about leadership and where it's headed, assessments and how they're to be used, and finding your blind spots with Pekarsky & Co. Director, Leadership Development Dr. Jill Birch.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!

Send us Fan Mail

In this episode of The Ampersand: Unplugged, we sit down with Pekarsky & Co. Partner and longest-serving employee, Ranju Shergill. Affectionately known around the firm as "Mom," Ranju is often referred to as the operational conscience of the enterprise. She is also an immigrant and she leads the Equity, Diversity & Inclusion initiative at Pekarsky & Co. and for Panorama, the global alliance of boutique executive search firms to which Pekarsky & Co. belongs. In this wide-ranging and candid discussion we learn how Ranju first came to search after a 16 year career in environmental sciences, why diversity and inclusion matters, what role executive search firms can play in this critical area and whether she would choose to live without eyebrows or eyelashes.

Want to stay connected with us?
Follow us on our LinkedIn!