Donald J. Evans - President, DJE Holdings Ltd.

Don established DJE Holdings Ltd. in 1998 following his retirement from the telecommunications industry, where BC Tel employed him for over 31 years. His goal with DJE Holdings is to assist businesses and community organizations in the development of their strategies, people skills, service culture, board operations and management systems. This fulfills a dream of Don’s since his graduation in 1993 from Harvard Business School - to apply his leadership skills to help other organizations, and to operate his own business after 31 years of corporate life.

Don started with BC Tel in 1966 as a shopman, first repairing telephones in the company’s Burnaby shops. Not content with this, he attained significant technical and business training over the years to develop skills for promotional opportunities. First moving into management in 1973, he progressed to the executive level by 1989. His telecom experience continued in VP level positions until his retirement in 1998. Don’s extensive practical leadership experience brings a unique strength to his leadership development and strategy workshops, which are known for their success in implementation and the ability to create lasting change in organizations.

Don’s work today focuses on helping businesses and non-profits around the world with business strategy, individual and team leadership skills, board governance, customer service excellence, and performance management. His work has taken him throughout North America, to China, much of Europe, and a unique project as part of the peace process in Northern Ireland working with the Police Service on their leadership skills and conflict resolution. Don’s clients have found that the direct application of these techniques to their businesses helps them turn "vision into reality”, delivering measurably improved results in performance.

Also active in the community, Don is a Past Chair of the Board of E-Comm Corporation (Emergency Communications for Southwest B.C.). He has been active in Rotary for more than 25 years, and is Past President of the Rotary Club of Vancouver and currently Strategic Planning Chair for Rotary District 5040. He is a member of the Vancouver Board of Trade and the North Vancouver Chamber of Commerce. He has a major passion for railways and railway preservation, and serves as President & CEO of the West Coast Railway Association and as an Advisory Board Member of the Association of Railway Museums. He was awarded a Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Medal in 2002 for his active community involvement and was named 2006 Business Person of the Year by the Squamish Chamber of Commerce for his work with the West Coast Railway Heritage Park in that community.

A resident of North Vancouver, Canada, he is married to wife Deb, has two children from a previous marriage, and enjoys classic cars (a one owner 1967 Nova SS!), hiking, photography, cycling and playing piano.