Gordon Maron put in his first days at PCL Construction Holdings Ltd. in May 1966, as a teenage summer student doing general labour. Within a few years he realized the risk of being a lifer at a company – always being viewed as “the kid” and passed over for senior jobs.
But he shook off the stereotype and now, after serving as Edmonton-based PCL’s chief financial officer for 10 years, is being honoured as Canada’s top CFO for 2011.
The farm kid from Mannville, Alta., says his formula for success came from his father. His father lost both parents by the time he was four, Mr. Maron said, “so he ... didn’t have an easy go of it, and didn’t have education. He ended up in a career in farming because that was the default, that was all he could do.
“He was relentless that there had to be a better life,” Mr. Maron, 63, said in an interview.
With that lesson in mind, Mr. Maron turned to the books repeatedly to persuade PCL managers that he did not belong in a warehouse. He had a math and physics degree from the University of Alberta when he joined PCL as a permanent employee, and within 18 months he started a certified management accountant program.
That was followed by another turning point in 1984, when he went through a career development program and emerged with specific goals and a clear focus. He moved to the corporate side of PCL’s operations, and took over as chief financial officer in 2001.
Last month, he stepped aside from that role and will go out as Canada’s CFO of the Year for 2011, an annual award presented by Financial Executives International Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Robert Half Management Resources.
Mr. Maron is the first CFO from a private company – PCL is employee-owned – to be honoured with the award.
Under his watch, the construction company’s billings climbed to $6.3-billion in 2009 from $4.7-billion in 2006. In 2010, as the company waded through the recession, billings hit $5.3-billion, and Mr. Maron predicts billings will ring in around $5.5-billion this year.
Mr. Maron, now PCL’s executive vice-president, expects PCL to secure about $7-billion worth of new contracts for long-term projects this year.
One key move in bolstering PCL’s business, he said, was focusing on shoring up its balance sheet so it could become a powerhouse in public-private partnerships. This style of business took off about six years ago, which was when he began to focus on ensuring PCL had sufficient bank facilities and adequate bonding to give governments the comfort necessary to work with it on big projects.
The CFO of the Year Award was established in 2003, and recognizes the best in financial leadership. The award carries a $5,000 contribution to a charity chosen by the honoree. Mr. Maron will be feted at a Toronto dinner on April 28.
