Genstar’s new president bullish on firm’s prospects in Western Canada’s ‘young cities’
Paul Boskovich has stepped into the lead role of a company that’s been developing communities in Western Canada for more than 60 years. The 37-year-old, who has worked for Genstar Development Co. for 11 years, is the company’s new president. He’s held the positions of development manager and senior development manager for its Calgary operation, and was most recently vice-president at the provincial level. The announcement of Boskovich’s promotion is part of the unveiling of a new executive team for Genstar, which includes Marcello Chiacchia as vice-president of its Calgary office. Genstar is also active in Edmonton, Winnipeg, and parts of the United States. “We have been hiring and promoting throughout this process to stay strong, and the outcome of our succession planning has been very rewarding,” says CEO Frank Thomas. “Along with a talented team, Paul brings a pragmatic and decisive leadership style to the Canadian regions.” Boskovich says he’s “excited by the opportunity and humbled by the history.” “We’ve got some great leaders in the company but we’ve also got a tremendous team of people,” says Boskovich. “We have a tremendous portfolio and the opportunity really is to leverage that portfolio across North America and use that portfolio as a stabilizing force to allow us to move forward, acquire new assets and grow the company. “I’m very fortunate to have tremendous assets, tremendous people working within the company and we’re able to really put our focus on leveraging that portfolio and looking for new opportunities.” Genstar’s Edmonton-area projects include Aspen Trails in Sherwood Park, Lacombe Park Estates and Riverside in St. Albert, and Crystallina Nera in northeast Edmonton. The company’s Calgary presence includes Savanna in Saddle Ridge in northeast Calgary, Carrington in the northwest, and Walden in the southeast. “We put a lot of focus on the details in each one of our projects,” says Boskovich. “Whether it’s an 80-acre development like Carrington (in Calgary) where we’ve put a lot of effort into urban design and connectivity to the natural topography of the land, or a larger community like 620-acre Walden where basically every phase has access to a (pathway) that connects you to shops and services. We really put a lot of emphasis on the details to accomplish that. “We feel strongly that there’s a very good story to be written in Western Canada,” says Boskovich. On the Calgary, Edmonton, and Winnipeg markets, Boskovich says “you’ve got young cities where people are wanting to raise families and grow and create a life for themselves. Generally along with that comes housing demand. “That speaks to our focus in Canada, and as a company, it speaks to an unabridged 60-year commitment to ... investing in these cities.”