When Brian Chafe Helped Sell PAL Group to a Winnipeg Firm, It Was So He Could Create a Stronger Local Company

When Brian Chafe helped sell PAL Group to a Winnipeg firm, it was so he could create a stronger local company. He includes employees and clients in his definition of family— and invests in them and their communities accordingly. And, he’s determined to take PAL Group into the stratosphere of aviation and aerospace defence by staying firmly grounded in Newfoundland and Labrador. Yes, Chafe’s career has been one of consistent growth for PAL, but also of doing the right thing, for the right reasons— proving once and for all that big business can have a big heart.

By Stephen Kimber

42 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2017

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 42 2017-06-21 12:06 PM COVER STORY

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ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 43 2017-06-21 12:06 PM f you had asked Brian Chafe at 10 a.m. on own employees it was good for them? November 12, 2014, where he’d rather be, he might Chafe understood many of those have answered anywhere but where he was— employees, especially the lifers I who had worked for PAL their entire which was standing on a stage inside Hangar 1 at professional careers, would be the St. John’s International Airport in Newfoundland, skeptical. Perhaps most concerning preparing to explain to 200 uncertain-faced employees to the still largely Newfoundland- that the PAL Group of Companies (the venerable, hugely based work force was the reality the new owners were from “away.” successful 40-year-old aviation company they all Would they decide to shift the worked for) had just been sold. company’s corporate headquarters westward? Did they intend to centralize, to consolidate, to cut Exchange Income Corporation of fixed-wing search and rescue and chop, to seek the sort of big- (EIC), a publicly-traded, Winnipeg- aircraft. picture corporate “synergies” that based firm that already owned six Brian Chafe’s reticence had would ultimately disappear PAL’s other Canadian aviation companies nothing to do with the terms of the successful collection of semi- and boasted revenues north of sale. As PAL’s CEO for the past year, autonomous, inter-connected parts one billion dollars annually, had Chafe was without-doubt convinced into a mash-up company in which officially agreed to fork over the sale represented an excellent they would no longer feel welcome? $246 million in cash and stock to deal not only for Gus Ollerhead And if that did happen, what would acquire the PAL Group. (PAL’s long-time owner, key then happen to them? PAL, the brand umbrella shareholder and driving force) and Chafe had answers—reassuring for the legal entity known as for EIC, but also for the PAL Group answers—for all of their questions. Provincial Aerospace Ltd., was and its employees too. The reality, he could tell them, for definitely a worthy prize. Though He wasn’t the only one. Wings, instance, was that PAL was already Newfoundland-birthed-and- Canada’s aviation magazine, praised poised for a new and exciting next headquartered, it was also a PAL’s founders for having “built a stage in its existence, including globally evolving $185-million- wonderful company [that has] gone having built its own first-class a-year company whose various global.” Thanks to the new deal, management team that could moving pieces now numbered not it added, PAL “has more financial lead the way into that future. But only a successful scheduled regional resources to really dominate reaching that next stage, he would airline and an aviation services its market segment… Under its need to explain, would require division, but also an innovative current CEO, Mr. Brian Chafe, there significant investment and even aerospace unit with worldwide is nothing the company cannot more corporate patience. While sky’s-the-limit potential. To achieve in its markets with the Gus Ollerhead’s smarts and passion make the company an even more financial support of EIC.” for the business had brought the attractive prize, PAL had announced Chafe was also certain of the company to the enviable place it only the month before that it had deal’s win-win-win-win, in part, was today, Ollerhead had other teamed up with Airbus Defence and because he himself had worked business and personal interests. Space to bid on a lucrative, long- “hand-in-glove” with Ollerhead to He wasn’t prepared to sit back for term Canadian government contract put the details of the sale together. 10-15 years until those next-stage to replace this country’s aging fleet But could he now convince his PAL investments could bear fruit.

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ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 44 2017-06-21 12:07 PM In 2013, Ollerhead had decided it mom-and-pop ventures of the last that day, he also admits, “I was very was time for him to sell. half of the twentieth century to a nervous.” Which had been when he and new generation of well-funded, That was, in part, because of Chafe quietly began to look for a professionally managed 21st century the corporate culture that had buyer. Not just any buyer, to be corporate entities. developed within their privately- sure, but one who understood and What made EIC’s bid especially owned company during the decades appreciated the company’s history interesting to Chafe and Ollerhead, since its founding. “Gus is a very and strengths, and also “supported however, was that EIC’s “acqui- private person. I’m very much that the owner’s vision moving forward.” sitions strategy,” publicly laid out way too.” And, of course, not to forget finding on its corporate home page, was Although speculation about a a buyer who could (and, more not only to “target strong niche possible sale had been rife within importantly, would) willingly reach businesses with strong cash flows” the gossipy aviation community into its own deep pockets to make (check!) but also, and perhaps for months, a PAL spokesman vision reality. more important, “to retain the key had insisted to a CBC reporter as Ollerhead and Chafe invited management personnel following recently as a month before the several potential suitors to kick acquisitions.” Double check! announcement that he was “not PAL’s tires, considered competing “We don’t buy damaged compa- aware” of any plans to sell the bids and eventually “down- nies,” Mike Pyle, the CEO of EIC, company. “We kept it all pretty selected” until they’d found what explained to the CBC after the sale. close,” Chafe acknowledges they considered “the best fit for “We buy strong performing compa- today with a mix of pride and the people who remain, and for the nies and then hopefully give a little embarrassment. In fact, he adds company.” extra access to capital and those with a laugh, PAL—not counting its The company they’d found, of kinds of things to enable them to airline division’s public charitable course, was Exchange Income grow perhaps a little faster than giving and community ventures—is Corporation, “a diversified, acquisi- they could under private owner- Newfoundland and Labrador’s “best tion-oriented corporation focused on ship… [EIC’s motto is] don’t change kept secret.” opportunities in… aviation services the culture of the company you buy.” No more. “Now suddenly, we and equipment, and manufacturing.” In other words, EIC was willing to were going to be a public company EIC had become the pointy end of let PAL be PAL. that reported and was reported on,” a broader movement to consolidate While Brian Chafe harboured no Chafe says. “We had to embrace Canada’s aviation industry as it doubt he had an exciting, upbeat that, including me personally.” transitioned from the pilot-driven, story to share with his employees And he had to start embracing it

Congratulations to Brian Chafe, Atlantic Business Magazine’s CEO of the Year.

We’d like to extend our congratulations to Brian Chafe on his outstanding accomplishments. We wish him and everyone at PAL Airlines renewed success and we look forward to our continued partnership. Our compliments as well to all the other nominees, from all of us at TELUS.

telus.com/business

46 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2017

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 46 2017-06-20 4:07 PM Dalvay today, beginning with reporting to the company’s own employees, Sydney to explain to them who their new Charlottetown Hospitality... Like Never Before! Moncton owners were, that their jobs were Stay Includes Complimentary: Fredericton safe, that EIC had bought them • Snow removal from your vehicle** because they were successful • Bottled water in guestroom Saint and only wanted to give them the • Soup & evening snacks in lobby* John • Beverage upon arrival • Breakfast* Halifax necessary tools to become even • Parking • Shoeshine • Wi-Fi /DPMurphyHotels /DPMHotelsandResorts more successful. Convincing them *Most locations. **Seasonal. www.DPMurphyHotelsAndResorts.com of that was critical, Chafe knew,

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND NEW BRUNSWICK NOVA SCOTIA because “we would need buy-in from our employees” if the sale’s promise was to be realized. DALVAY CORNWALL CHARLOTTETOWN SAINT JOHN MONCTON MONCTON MONCTON DIEPPE FREDERICTON HALIFAX SYDNEY So Brian Chafe stepped up to the microphone.

he company that would eventually become the PAL TGroup was born in 1974 Your business doesn’t stand still. when St. John’s entrepreneur Tom Collingwood helped launch Why should your technology? a modest St. John’s-based flight training school and charter service known as Aztec Aviation. Auto Attendant Hunt Group By 1983, it had changed its name to Atlantic Airways and begun operating scheduled services to a dozen destinations in Atlantic Call Pull Canada, as well as to the French Dual Persona islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon. In 1988 as part of its corporate growth strategy, Atlantic scooped Extension Dial up Eastern Flying Services Ltd.— another flight training and air courier operation, this one based in Nova Scotia and helmed by Gus Ollerhead—and changed its name again, this time to Provincial Airlines. During the following decade, Ollerhead would become the company’s chief decision maker and Collingwood would fade into a key shareholder role. Internet of Things Although it was best known for Data Centre and Cloud Networks for Business Security its network of scheduled regional air services, Provincial had also, by the mid-1980s, slipped beneath Is your business bound by technology that can’t adapt, evolve and grow? the radar, so to speak, and almost The key to success today is mobility. That’s why we developed Rogers UnisonTM, accidentally found itself in the Canada’s only truly mobile business communications solution1. It gives employees aerospace business. the freedom to work how and where they want, with all the features of an office The back story: every year, phone system available on every device2. It’s how we’re helping businesses thousands of icebergs, some embrace tomorrow, today. weighing more than one million tons, sheer off from glaciers on Discover how your company can become truly mobile Greenland’s west coast and begin at rogers.com/discoverbusiness their random, dangerous, often untracked trek south down through what’s known as Iceberg Alley. The Alley is a huge swath of key North Atlantic ocean that includes the fish-rich Grand Banks, the vital Oﬀ ers subject to change without notice. 1 Refers to integration of mobile phone numbers as extensions directly Great Circle shipping lanes and the in the system, without forwarding calls from landlines or using additional apps to receive calls on mobile devices. then-increasingly important oil and 2 Service subject to certain important 9-1-1 emergency callback limitations. © 2017 Rogers Communications. gas fields off Newfoundland and Labrador.

48 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2017

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 48 2017-06-20 4:07 PM What if the company could come spotting capability allowed it to not “but we had to.” He joined Loomis up with a way to spot and track only solidify its relationship with Courier in St. John’s, and was soon icebergs from the air? fisheries (it’s landed the fisheries promoted to increasingly important Provincial already had begun to patrol contract five different jobs in Halifax, Hamilton and work with the federal department times since 1990) but also to win eventually Mississauga. of fisheries on an ad hoc basis to surveillance and reconnaissance Which was where Provincial troll the coastal skies off Canada’s contracts with other federal Airlines finally tracked him down in east coast, monitoring foreign departments, including environment 1998. The airline had had business vessels illegally fishing in Canadian and the military, and, of course, with dealings with Chafe through Loomis territorial waters as well as spotting oil and gas companies exploring off and were clearly impressed. So Canadian vessels catching out of Newfoundland and Labrador. The was Chafe. “What I remember is season. company was on its way. that [Provincial was] very customer In 1985, Ollerhead devised focused. If there was a problem, a scheme to install military- they would bend over backwards to grade radar (the kind used to rian Chafe, it is fair to solve it.” track submarines) on the belly of acknowledge, was not a CEO So, when the airline “gave me a Provincial’s King Air 200 patrol Bto the airline born. call and asked me to come home,” aircraft so they could more easily The son of a longtime Pepsi-Cola Chafe didn’t hesitate. “To be able to identify and track icebergs and distributor and his work-at-home come back was a big deal.” other objects in the water while wife, Brian was born in St. John’s At the time, Provincial was they were conducting their fisheries in 1969, five years before Aztec looking for a chief financial patrols. But when he approached Aviation launched. After graduating officer who could not only sort the manufacturer to inquire about from Brother Rice High School, he out the books but who was also buying the defence-related radar attended Memorial University where operationally focused. “By then, I’d technology, the manufacturer he earned a commerce degree with had experience running branches, initially refused to sell. Provincial a specialty in accounting. so I also understood business, not persisted and eventually the Like many Newfoundlanders of just how to produce books.” company agreed to sell it. his age and the island’s economic That said, Chafe’s initial job as Though it might not have seemed stage, his early 1990s career CFO was to get the systems in place like it at the time, that became path soon led him away from that would allow the company—it one of the key turning points in home. “No one wanted to leave had just 170–180 employees at the Provincial’s evolution. Its new Newfoundland,” Chafe recalls, time—to better understand the state

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ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 49 2017-06-20 4:07 PM of its own business and where to go the time came. When he returned next. “We were coming out of a bad to the fold with his freshly minted Culture of time and had to set the standard for degree in 2004, Chafe was rewarded the future.” with a new title: vice president of community While many, including some in the finance and administration. PAL Group donates organization, considered accounting Why was he so keen to push approximately $800,000 “as an after-thought,” Gus Ollerhead his career beyond his accounting a year to community and “included me, supported me.” expertise? “The excitement,” he says charitable causes. Recent At the time Chafe joined the today. “There’s something new every partnerships include a two- company, he confesses now, “I day. You’re building, you’re looking year sponsorship of the didn’t realize the challenge it toward the future. I always wanted Children’s Wish Foundation would be to build a successful to be involved in developing strategy, of Newfoundland and company in Newfoundland in those dreaming of what we could be.” Labrador and a provincial tough economic times. It was the One of his first jobs with the partnership with Ronald toughest environment for an aviation company, in fact, was negotiating McDonald House NL. company.” What got the company an innovative partnership between “At PAL, we have always through those times, according to Provincial and the Innu Economic put people first and our Chafe, was Ollerhead himself. “The Development Corporation to create investments in communities ownership was unwavering. We Innu Mikun Airlines to provide are no exception,” says CEO were never going to fail. The owners passenger and cargo services to Brian Chafe. “We support instilled that in me, in a lot of us, remote and far flung communities in local charities and programs and built a foundation. Gus would set Labrador. that positively impact the goalposts, and as soon as I got What the company could become the health and wellbeing close, he would move them.” Chafe in the larger world of global aviation of families, particularly laughs. He means that, he says today, became clearer in the early 2000s children and youth, in the in the best possible way. “He became when Provincial decided to market communities we serve. my mentor.” itself internationally, piggybacking Our employees are the Ollerhead, in fact, encouraged on the experience and expertise driving force behind our Chafe to return to school to earn an it had gained during 20 years of community giving.” MBA at Western University’s Ivey providing maritime patrol services School of Business so he’d be better in Canada. “We took [potential equipped to lead the company when international clients] on special

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50 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2017

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 50 2017-06-20 4:07 PM mission flights, displayed our creating a new source of revenue for operations stations in St. John’s, proven product and it was quite a the company moving forward. Goose Bay, Halifax and Montreal. success,” Chafe told the Globe and By then, Provincial Aerospace PAL Aerospace very quickly Mail at the time. Ltd. was effectively operating became a “global leader” in the That paid dividends in 2006 three different companies (PAL maritime surveillance market when Provincial Aerospace bested Airlines, PAL Aviation Services niche, developing a “vertically other, larger competitors to win a and PAL Aerospace), each with its integrated aerospace and defence $150-million, 10-year contract to own distinct revenue stream, but business,” that provided clients provide surveillance services for all connected under one branded with “intelligence, surveillance, the Netherlands Antilles and Aruba corporate umbrella. reconnaissance and maritime patrol out of Curacao. “That gained a lot of PAL Airlines, which had been the aircraft operations and systems,” attention for us worldwide.” foundation upon which the whole including modifying, maintaining Three years later, Chafe headed enterprise was built, had quietly and operating those aircraft and up the company’s 15-member become eastern Canada’s second systems. negotiating team that struck an largest regional airline after Air In the end, the aerospace even bigger deal against “heavy Canada Express. Every week, it division and its exponential growth competition”—a $370-million provides more than 200 scheduled potential is what convinced EIC’s contract with the United Arab and charter flights throughout Mike Pyle to buy PAL. “With many Emirates to modify and operate two Atlantic Canada and into Quebec. parts of the world facing increased DASH 8 Q300 aircraft to patrol that In addition, the company operates threats of economic instability, country’s offshore with “the most air ambulance/medevac services for conflict, terrorism and pandemic technically advanced maritime governments and health providers disease management, security is patrol program in the world.” in Newfoundland and Labrador, New of a paramount concern for many “It needed a lot of patience,” Brunswick, Nova Scotia and Quebec. countries,” he explained in a Chafe says of the deal, “but it was And its important partnership with statement. “Outsourced maritime worth it. There was a lot of money Innu Mikun Airlines continues. surveillance, which is in its at stake and you had to prove you PAL Aviation Services provides infancy in world security, will can deliver. You had to earn the everything from catering, to play a growing part in fulfilling customer’s trust.” ground services, to de-icing, to these needs.” PAL, he said, is “well The result was that Provincial maintenance, to even hotel room positioned to take advantage of “established itself as a serious player bookings for commercial, corporate these growth opportunities… [but] in this defence business segment,” and military clients from fixed base it is the strength of the management Fox Harb’r welcomes you home Own a residence in Canada’s premier ocean-front resort

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ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 51 2017-06-20 4:07 PM team led by Brian Chafe that is truly exceptional. They have built a labour force that is as good as any we have ever seen and we believe will be the engine to grow PAL in the future.”

rian Chafe’s meeting with employees on the day of the Bsale to EIC went far better than he’d anticipated. “I tried to address the concerns I thought they would have.” While the company’s employees appeared to feed off his enthusiasm for their new future, Chafe and his management team also understood they had now committed themselves to creating a new and very different corporate culture of communication moving forward. “Communication breakdowns can be devastating,” Chafe says, but “when we are communicating well, everything just clicks.” With 800 employees now spread around the world, the company reinstituted an internal newsletter, The PAL Flyer, “so all employees felt more informed, engaged and connected.” It created an employee engagement committee to ask staff members for their “ideas and inspiration to help us make PAL the best place to work.” And it brought in 50 key leaders from various company offices around the world for a three-day retreat to collectively “review the strategic direction of our company for the next five years.” These days, the head office leadership group meets weekly “to discuss company direction and current issues. Our senior management group meets twice annually, in a retreat-style environment, to discuss goals, share experiences and challenge each other to drive collective success.” More tangibly, Chafe announced last year that PAL was introducing a maternity leave top-up program and improved retirement benefits for staff, as well as a scholarship program for employees’ children and—now that it is a publicly traded company—“a competitive stock Fish the Queen Street Grand Falls option plan so that all employees Atlantic salmon Dinner Theatre Golf Club have an opportunity to become an Over 45,000 salmon running Step back in time and If it’s golf you like, our club is through our back yard each year enjoy some great tunes and one of the best in the province owner and directly benefit from the even better food growth of the company.” Explains Chafe: “We want to be able to say to people, ‘Come, work Grand Falls-Windsor, Newfoundland & Labrador for us and be here for your whole P.O. Box 439, 5 High St., Grand Falls-Windsor, NL A2A 2J8 career.’” tel. 709-489-0407 • [email protected] • www.grandfallswindsor.com It does seem to be working. The

52 Atlantic Business Magazine | July/August 2017

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 52 2017-06-20 4:07 PM PAL Group, which now boasts close wing search and rescue aircraft PAL’s leadership team “at tables 30 to 850 employees, is continuing to replacement program contract and 58—the true leaders that drive grow. to the consortium of which PAL our business,” he spoke about his Last year, it acquired Halifax- Aerospace was part. PAL will be own personal mantra, learned at based CarteNav Solutions, an responsible for the in-service the feet of Gus Ollerhead. “I know aerospace software development support and maintenance for the I’m not just responsible for over 800 company that has created new aircraft for up to 20 years. employees. I am really responsible “cutting edge software used for Says Chafe: “We want to double for them and their families, which intelligence.” our size in the next five years to makes somewhere between It also established a dedicated be one of the largest airlines in 2,400 and 3,000 people I feel research and development division Canada and to be the premier accountability to. In tough times, to push innovation, including aerospace and defence company that has kept me up at night.” the use of unmanned systems for in intelligence surveillance and Following his short speech, airborne special missions. Although reconnaissance in the world.” Chafe sat down for a brief on-stage the company already had a history No surprise then that Brian interview with the evening’s of innovation, the new R&D group Chafe, the CEO of the PAL Group emcee, comedian Mark Critch. has taken an additional step of of Companies, is Atlantic Business It was intended to be a light, inviting employees to submit their Magazine’s CEO of the Year for 2017 friendly interview with softball, own ideas and “get access to the occasionally humorous questions. required support and resources” to Chafe handled himself well bring them to fruition. hen he walked up enough, but it was clear there were PAL also opened a business on stage at the St. John’s moments—Critch’s interview itself, development office in Ottawa WConvention Centre on for example—when Chafe wished to both be closer to potential the night of May 17, 2017 to accept he could simply return to being that partners in the aerospace and his award, Brian Chafe began by private person he had once been. defence industries and also to be conceding, “I’m not great at this Coming to the end, Critch asked “more centrally located to chase stuff.” him what had been his biggest national and international business As had been the case back in challenge as a CEO. opportunities.” Hangar 1 on November 12, 2014, Brian Chafe didn’t hesitate. “This In December 2016, one of those however, Chafe need not have could be it,” he answered with a opportunities became reality worried. smile. when Ottawa awarded its fixed Graciously deflecting attention to Not even close. •

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atlanticbusinessmagazine.com | Atlantic Business Magazine 53

ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 53 2017-06-20 4:07 PM Q&A Celebrity emcee Mark Critch giving Atlantic Business Magazine’s 2017 CEO of the Year Brian Chafe (CEO, PAL Group) the 22 Minutes treatment, with a fun and informative impromptu interview at the awards gala

On joining PAL… “ I didn’t realize the challenge it would be to build a successful company in Newfoundland in those tough economic times. It was the toughest environment for an aviation company.”

Culture shock… “ Gus (Ollerhead, former owner, PAL Group) is a very private person. I’m very much that way too. Now sud- Moving target... denly, we were going to be a “ The ownership was unwavering. We were never going to fail. The public company that reported owners instilled that in me, in a lot of us, and built a foundation. and was reported on. We had Gus (Ollerhead, former owner, PAL Group) would set the goalposts, to embrace that, including and as soon as I got close, he would move them. He became my me personally.” mentor.”

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ABM V28N4 2017 64.indd 54 2017-06-20 4:07 PM The most important quality for a leader to have… “ The ability to listen and connect with others: leaders have to do less talking and more listening to understand where others are coming from. You don’t have to always agree but you do have to understand and empathize. You hire smart people for their talents and abilities so you need to harness that and listen carefully. To plan and execute successfully, you have to get alignment—you have to ensure everyone is in the same boat and rowing in the same direction!”

Serious business… “ I know I’m not just responsible for over 800 employees. I am really responsible for them and their families, which makes somewhere between 2,400 and 3,000 people I feel accountability to. In tough times, that has kept me up at night.”

What he loves about his job… “ There’s something new every day. You’re building, you’re FEEDBACK * [email protected] looking for the future. I always wanted to be involved in a @AtlanticBus; @skimber; @PalAirlines; developing strategy, dreaming of what we could be.” #2017CEOoftheYear

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