Meet CapU’s first Executive in Residence: Keith Cross

Graduate with a business degree, work hard, climb the ladder and the sky’s the limit? As it turns out, it’s not that simple.

Reality is much more rigorous, uncertain and full of setbacks, demanding resilience, initiative and humility.

“Sometimes young people think finding success as an entrepreneur is a straight line,” says Keith Cross, Executive in Residence (EIR) at CapU’s Faculty of Business and Professional Studies.

Connecting theory to real-world challenges

As the first EIR at CapU, Cross gives business students the opportunity to catch a first-hand glimpse of business practices and corporate culture that they might not otherwise be exposed to until much later in their careers.

He is a business leader who has served on faculty boards at UBC’s Sauder School of Business, UVic’s Gustafson School of Business and SFU’s Beedie School of Business. He is currently the chair of Connect Health.

As part of his role, Cross visits with classes, participates in roundtables and engages in networking sessions to engage with CapU students. He also helps faculty members strengthen their expertise in relation to ever-evolving business issues and trends.

He aims to reach students with the learnings and experiences he had working for Canada’s top telecommunications companies before co-founding a management firm that today boasts employees in 37 countries across five continents.

“This program introduces students to real business world experiences to learn what to expect and navigate them,” says Geoffrey Rosen, the founding sponsor of the Executive in Residence program, which brings in seasoned executives for a two-year term. Rosen is also Chief Operations Officer at Quay Pacific Property Management and has a long history of working with CapU when he was a student and now as an alumni.

Having watched his own father influence students as an Executive in Residence at Edmonton’s then-Grant MacEwan College (now MacEwan University), Rosen is well-acquainted with the dynamic way that these programs boost students’ confidence by exposing them to real-world business experience. That experience inspired him to sponsor a similar program at CapU.

Laura Kinderman, Dean of the Faculty of Business & Professional Studies at CapU, says students want to know how to navigate the volatility of business environments and hone their skills to the essential areas and competencies they need to be successful. An expert with Cross’ credibility and track-record gives them that edge.

“The voice that Keith brings to CapU has relevance and value for learners today,” Kinderman says. “Keith offers his perspective in a way that enables students to better recognize and develop their potential.”

“I have heard Keith say, ‘You know, I wouldn’t necessarily worry about that thing – I would think about it from a different perspective. There is a lot that you can learn from all leaders, the good, the bad and the ugly …’ As our Executive in Residence, Keith tells his story and asks questions for the benefit of students in a way that is both generous and unassuming,” she says.

“We were all exceptionally hungry”

In meetings with students and faculty, Cross reflects on his experiences working his way up as a young businessman in other companies before launching his own with three partners, RLG International.

The partners shared a sense of urgency, but the venture also involved a lot of sweat and worry.

“Most of the time as an entrepreneur I was constantly aware of threats to the business,” he says, reflecting on the launch of RLG International in the early 1980s. “You’re wondering if there’s going to be enough business, or if you’re going to keep the bank happy.”

“But at the same time, the best days as an entrepreneur were when I sat down with my partners to figure things out,” he says. “We had different personalities, but we were very similar when it came to our values and principles. We were all exceptionally hungry.”

Cross recognizes that in his role as a mentor for students, he can help instill the confidence to bring their ideas across to those in power or authority.

“I tell them all the time, ‘yes, this person may be your boss, so you need to respect them, but you don’t need to be intimidated by anybody,’” he says.

“Know that your opinion is important, your contributions are important, and that you can make a difference.”