The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
From farmyard to boardroom
Annette Verschuren succeeded in business by really trying
Annette Verschuren loves to talk.
She especially loves to chat about Cape Breton and is passionate when discussing the vast potential of her home island and its people.
And when she talks, people tend to listen because Verschuren is a successful veteran businesswoman who has always walked the walk.
Verschuren has been inducted into the Cape Breton Business and Philanthropy Hall of Fame for a second time. She was made a laureate of the business side of the hall in 2013 and recently joined the philanthropy side. It's more recognition for the 65-yearold who was raised on a farm just outside North Sydney.
“There's no greater honour than to be recognized in my hometown by my home community,” said Verschuren, whose other honours include her 2011 appointment to the Order of Canada.
She has also been inducted into the Canadian and Nova Scotia business halls of fame, co-chaired the 2012 Governor General's leadership conference and was named distinguished Canadian retailer of the year in 2005.
CURRICULUM VITAE
Verschuren's resumé is a long read. After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University in 1977, she worked with the Cape Breton Development Corp. as a development officer before moving to the Canada Development Investment Corp. as executive vicepresident. She also worked for a large holding company called Imasco Ltd., which specialized in financial, retail and food services.
By her mid-30s, Verschuren's business acumen resulted in her ascension to president and co-owner of Michaels of Canada. During her four-year stint with the arts and crafts retailer, she was credited with opening 17 stores over a 26-month period.
Verschuren's next position was president of Home Depot Canada, a position she held for 15 years during which she oversaw the company's expansion from 19 to 180 outlets between 1996 and 2011. She also led Home Depot's entry into China in the mid-2000s. Wait. There's more. Since 2012, Verschuren has served as the chair and chief executive officer of Nrstor Inc., an energy storage venture that plans and develops new technologies for energy storage parks around the world. She also serves on several company boards and is the chair of Habitat for Humanity's national leadership council.
FAMILY INFLUENCE
So, one might wonder how a farmer's daughter from Cape Breton became one of Canada's most respected business leaders.
Verschuren doesn't hesitate when asked about her ascension to the top ranks of corporate Canada.
“I may not have known it at the time, but my family gave me a solid foundation from which to build on while growing up on the farm,” she said.
“I have been very influenced by my family. My mother was extraordinarily organized and disciplined while my father was the creative guy, and I got a bit of both in my upbringing.”
Verschuren's parents, the late Tony and Annie, left the Netherlands for Canada in 1951, when they were in their mid-20s. Their village was liberated by Canadian soldiers after being occupied by Nazi Germany for five years.
“They loved Canada for that,” said Verschuren, who is one of five siblings, including a brother who still lives on the family farm.
LIFE ON THE FARM
After starting their new life on a mainland Nova Scotia farm, the Verschurens moved to Cape Breton, where Dutch friends helped with a down payment on a farm in North Sydney.
“They bought a rock pile, but my father saw a vision of a farm and it went from 10 acres to 150 acres,” she said.
“But then my father suffered a heart attack when he was 42, and although he lived another 18 years he wasn't the same physically. So we all had to work really hard and carry a lot of responsibility at a young age. When it came to work, my parents didn't distinguish between boys and girls, we all had to participate and work.
“That's the way I was brought up and it made me realize I could do things just like anybody else. I could drive a tractor, I could pull a calf from a cow, I could do all those things.”
BUSINESS ACUMEN
Verschuren also took on the world armed with more intangible traits: vision and courage. Again, she credits her father and his character and persistent attitude.
“His innovation stuck with me. I remember that he couldn't get money from the Farm Loan Board for his liquid manure system because no one had done it before. He was so brave. He found a way to do it because he wanted something better than shovelling s--t, which is really, really hard work, especially for kids,” she said.
“He was very determined and was thinking more broadly than other people. I am fortunate that I often see things before others. I also have a big appetite for risks. I am not afraid to make mistakes.”
If Verschuren has made mistakes, they have long been overcome. Today, along with her work in the energy storage sector, she serves as chancellor of Cape Breton University. The campus is home to the named-in-her-honour Verschuren Centre for Sustainability in Energy and the Environment. Established in 2009, it became autonomous from the university in 2020 and is considered a not-for-profit, standalone research and technology organization that assists with the commercialization of the latest technologies.
“I may not have known it at the time, but my family gave me a solid foundation from which to build on while growing up on the farm. I have been very influenced by my family. My mother was extraordinarily organized and disciplined while my father was the creative guy, and I got a bit of both in my upbringing.”
Annette Verschuren
MAYORAL TRIBUTE
CBRM Mayor Amanda Mcdougall may be one of Verschuren's biggest fans. Mcdougall first met the iconic business figure during her days at CBU. Today, she considers Verschuren to be a friend and an inspiration.
“She personifies positivity, optimism and enthusiasm,” said Mcdougall.
“Annette has a special way of bringing out the confidence in people, in the community, while focusing on how to make it better and doing it with just the best attitude.”
Verschuren has also been a benefactor to many community initiatives, including Cape Breton Voices Women in Business 2019, Cancer Care and Mental Health at the regional hospital and the Highlands Art Theatre.
She and husband Stan Sibinsky reside in Toronto but spend considerable time at a second home in Long Island, Cape Breton.