“True to form, Azim Premji has an austere meal in front of him. ... His company, Wipro Ltd., has laid out an array of decadent pastries, hot drinks and a rainbow platter of fruit for our interview at his new Canadian office. Mr. Premji, India's third-richest man, has selected seven strawberries and a cup of tea.”
“A cold [Dambisa Moyo] had picked up along the way was sapping her energy and appetite, leaving her poking dutifully but without enthusiasm at a goat cheese omelette.”
“Anyone who plans to share a meal with [David] Dodge should probably eat first. He unleashes such a torrent of thought-provoking and passionate arguments that food becomes an afterthought. Which is another way of saying that muffins prepared for our morning meal will remain wrapped on his desk and the fighter pilot black coffee mostly untouched.”
BLOCKHEADS
“These guys are like sheep to the slaughter. How do I know? I once was one. ... I've lost the kind of money in China that might make some of these guys throw themselves off a building. That's how I understand what is going on.”
– Carson Block, the short seller whose report helped spark multiple investigations of TSX-listed Sino-Forest Corp., explains why he has an edge over the Canadian research analysts who had recommended the stock
IRON WILL
One of the most surprising profiles to come out of the Lunch series was that of Maureen Sabia, the chairman of Canadian Tire. Here is how writer Marina Strauss began her look at the woman:
TORONTO – Maureen Sabia is on a diet of protein and strict self-discipline.
The first of these, an eating regimen that consists mainly of meat and fish, has allowed her to shed 10 pounds in six weeks. The second – the self-discipline – is a lifelong habit. Ms. Sabia preaches and practises a life of extreme structure, self-restraint and hard work, propelling her to the head of the boardroom table at Canadian Tire, one of the country's most iconic retail chains. In the process, she has become one of just a handful of women to hold such a position at a major Canadian public company.
Ms. Sabia has no concept of work-life balance. She never got married, though she was engaged once and broke it off. She never wanted children. She doesn't take holidays.
Her obsession with hard work and getting ahead wasn't compatible with finding a life partner, but it helped her land jobs at established organizations and seats on prestigious boards. That intensity began early in her career, playing a part in getting her through law school in the 1960s as one of just three women among 300 at the University of Toronto.
But even as she smashes through glass ceilings in an array of male-dominated domains, she stubbornly holds on to contrarian views. Case in point: She refuses to be addressed by the gender-neutral title of “chairperson” or “chair,” insisting instead on being called “chairman.”
“It's an office of the corporation,” says Ms. Sabia, as she winds down during a catered buffet of baked salmon and salads in a Canadian Tire boardroom. It's just a few doors away from her more expansive top-floor office, which has a flawless south-facing view of the city.
“If we had a female CEO, we wouldn't call her ‘president-ess.’ I object to ‘chairperson’ and ‘chair.’ I'm not a piece of furniture ... I'm a traditionalist.”
NOTE: BEING FINANCE MINISTER IS NOT THE WORLD’S BEST JOB
