Knowledge Exchange:

Mr. Rayburn Doucett made his mark in politics, to which he devoted more than 28 years of his life. He sat on his municipal Council, the Legislative Assembly, and the New Brunswick provincial Cabinet, holding the positions of Minister of Commerce & Technology, Minister of Regional Development Corporation and Chairman of NB Power.

Following his retirement from politics he sat on a number of Boards, including the Board of Export Development Canada. Mr. Doucett was Chairman of the Belledune Port Authority (BPA) from 2000 to 2004 and rejoined the BPA as President & CEO in 2005. He has been named by Atlantic Business Magazine as Top 50 CEO for the 2nd consecutive year.

The Port of Belledune is a world-class deep-water facility situate on the Chaleur Bay in north-eastern New Brunswick. It offers some of the shortest routes between strategic ports in Europe and is a key inter-modal exchange point in North America. Under Mr. Doucett’s direction, the Port is currently in the midst of a $61.2M infrastructure expansion expected to be completed in the spring of 2011 and a $13.2M construction of a Modular Component Fabrication Facility.

We’re very pleased to have Mr. Doucett give us his thoughts on business innovation and longevity, and provide some insight into the issues he’s most concerned about.

KL: How important is innovation (i.e. new ideas and creativity) to your organization?

RD: New ideas and creativity are very important factors in our fight to stay abreast with a very competitive global market.  The newest technology allows us to remain competitive with emerging markets.

KL: What are some of the most important things a CEO can do to foster longevity in an organization (i.e. business sustainability)?

RD: One of the most important things a CEO can do to foster longevity in an organization is to have competent, motivated, enthusiastic and dedicated personnel that are going to bring their very best aptitudes and experience to the table, and take a project and turn it into a reality. His/her vision must extend far beyond the time in this position and look towards the future.

KL: The Port of Belledune is very active in the surrounding community. How do you think business benefits from being an active part of the community?

RD: The Belledune Port Authority often requires special permits and other authorizing documents and it has been our practice to include the public opinion as it is easier to achieve the required results.  Community support & involvement is very important to us.

KL: As a successful business leader, from where do you draw your inspiration?

RD: I believe the people in northern New Brunswick provide the greatest inspiration as they have always been very supporting and it is my way of working with them to ensure and secure a better future and achieve our goals and common vision.

KL: Looking out into the future, what issues are you most concerned about as a business leader / CEO?

RD: The fact that a lot of our good paying, long-term jobs are going off shore and leaving us with the mediocre jobs is a major issue in my opinion.  We have to start now to prove to the world that we can do the job in our home area and secure these jobs here.  The United States have lost many of their manufacturing jobs and are now trying to reverse that trend; we in Canada have to do the same.

KL: What’s the best business advice you’ve ever received?

RD: The best business advice I received was to know your capabilities and to do your homework.  Present yourself as a well-prepared individual that understands the need of the customer.  I can also add to keep business practices/dealings clear and concise.

To learn more about the BPA and the work Mr. Doucett is leading, please visit www.portofbelledune.ca.

Much thanks to Mr. Doucett for his time and thoughts!