Bridgitte Anderson: First woman to head Vancouver Board of Trade
Credit to Author: Denise Ryan| Date: Sun, 01 Dec 2019 21:21:34 +0000
Thirty years ago when Bridgitte Anderson was travelling she found herself in Berlin at the intersection of history. The wall between east and west was coming down. Through a chink in that wall she could see the guards of the German Democratic Republic as they watched the joyful reclamation of unity.
“It was a pivotal moment for me,” said Anderson, who is the first female CEO of the Vancouver Board of Trade in its 132-year history. She keeps a small piece of the wall she picked up that day as a reminder of the power of democracy and unity.
Unity is a thread that seems to run through her life — and it’s something she’d like to foster to strengthen the region’s position as the Pacific Gateway. The former journalist who was once press secretary to Premier Gordon Campbell, and most recently served as general manager of Edelman Canada, said: “My top priority is regional competitiveness. Many of our municipalities operate in silos and I’d like to see that change.”
The board of trade represents nearly 6,000 members, 80 per cent of whom are small-business owners.
Affordability is another key issue for members, said Anderson, 52: “What I’m hearing from business owners and CEOs is that it’s more and more difficult to attract and retain talent in the city and the region.”
Anderson said, “I saw the issue myself among the best and the brightest on staff at Edelman, many of whom were living outside of Vancouver and commuting to the downtown core while trying to raise young families. We need to continue to have this conversation.”
Anderson sees other challenges ahead: “We are potentially facing an economic downturn and slowed growth. I think we need to become much more competitive and that means taking a multilayered approach to issues around taxation and regulation across the different municipalities.”
Anderson said she hopes to build on the success of her predecessor, Iain Black, and grow the relationship with Indigenous communities and leaders.
“I’m looking forward to deepening our engagement with Indigenous communities and learning how we can help and support and learn from them,” said Anderson. Those efforts will include fostering education opportunities around Indigenous ways of knowledge, and seeking opportunities to support partnerships, she said.
Anderson has always been outspoken in her support and advocacy for a free press: “I’m saddened by the erosion of journalism. Our democracy depends on making unbiased information available to the public, and it’s more important than ever during this era of divisiveness and in the face of the rise of populism.”
She cites Michelle Obama as in inspiration. Anderson met Obama when she hosted an onstage interview during Obama’s visit to Vancouver in 2018, but was particularly touched by watching the former U.S. first lady interact with staff backstage.
“Her warmth and authenticity are what make her a great leader,” said Anderson. “Authenticity is something I take to heart and it’s at the core of the things that I value.”
She pauses for a moment to reflect: “Who you show up as in your life is who you show up as in the office.”
Anderson hits the hiking trails every weekend with friends and her rescue mutt Lola, and depends on her two teenagers to occasionally update her music playlist.
“I’m into old-school country, or ’70s bands, Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, Elton John,” she added, with a laugh, “but they (my teens) keep me up-to-date.
“It’s the mountains and the ocean that are my touchstones,” Anderson said. “One of the things I love the most about Vancouver is it feels like a small city in this beautiful region, and we want to make it work for everyone.”