8 minute read
FUSION
news. people. events.
PROFILE ASHWIN KUTTY
Atlantic leader
By Margaret Jetelina
Ashwin Kutty loves the easy pace of Halifax, Nova Scotia, but it doesn’t stop him from running an internationally successful marketing consulting firm, WeUsThem Inc., from the Atlantic province. Kutty has worked with the likes of Fortune 500 companies, to foreign governments like Egypt, Guyana and Saudi Arabia, to Canadian institutions like McMaster University. He is also an adjunct professor at Dalhousie University and serves as director of the Canadian Council for Small Business. Recently named Business Person of the Year at the Halifax Business Awards, Indian-born Kutty shares his journey to success with Canadian Immigrant.
Why did you choose Halifax when you came to Canada? Halifax chose us to be quite honest. When we immigrated as a family to Canada, this was our first port of call and we haven't moved since. My parents were in search of a city that provided my sister and me with the education horizon that we needed. Even after having travelled across the country, we are collectively quite pleased with the choice we made at that time.
Are there challenges in trying to run a high-end communications firm from a smaller province? Absolutely. Competition in the local market is fierce and we have seen quite a few friends that have had to close down their shops after quite a few years due to it. There are competitors now entering our local market from other provinces and countries as well, and that tends to be tough as well.
Our secret to success, however, has been the quality of work and service we deliver and the relationships we build with our clients through each engagement. In fact, we have changed our language to call our clients “our partners,” over time which is probably reflective of the fact that 80 per cent of our business comes from direct referrals and 20 per
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“The Skills Connect for Immigrants Program is part of the WelcomeBC umbrella of services, made possible through funding from the Government of Canada and the Province of British Columbia.” cent from traditional procurement processes. We are proud of this statistic as it has taken us the world over with a client base that is enviable not just in our slice of heaven, but globally.
How have you established an international presence for your firm? It’s not easy. We may be quite successful in what we do and how we do it and may have a lot of referrals, but we have to prove to our clients why we are better than someone they can just walk down the road and meet with in person. We have done this quite successfully and have managed to retain relationships that are surprising to some.
I and my business partner, Faten Alshazly, also have a deep network of professional friends and colleagues who have referred us due to our years of working with them and knowing our work ethic and quality of work that we produce. Relationship management is no. 1 in our studio and we ensure we go the extra 10 miles (not just a single mile) for each client partner.
What qualities are important for an immigrant business leader in Canada? As big as Canada is in terms of landmass, it still is quite a small community. We have found that people know about us in the West Coast even without us having known them simply because someone happened to be talking about our work to them. Coming from heavily populated cities and countries, this was certainly a foreign concept to me when I first started my career, but no longer. There is a family atmosphere in the Canadian business market, and the more you build these relationships the better your business prospects as there is always someone who knows you within your network.
What makes Halifax a place to call home for you? It’s small but not too small, and big but not too big. It allows us to
Ashwin Kutty runs a global marketing firm, and is quite happy doing so from his hometown of Halifax.
have the right pace for a lifestyle, but also be a launching pad for business across the globe.
We are always looking to continue our organic growth and that may happen, but if I ever leave Halifax, there would need to be a darn good reason for it and I can't think of one for now.
Any advice for other immigrant entrepreneurs? Canada is different from the lands you hail from. There is a different business climate and culture that you need to understand and acclimate to. Trying strategies that may have worked from countries you called home here does not always work; in fact, in most cases, they do not. Get to know the people, they are very helpful. Even potential competitors are willing to talk to you and give you the honest truth about business. Even if they do not, it’s a learning experience. There is a great power in experiential knowledge and the more you gather this and do your homework, the more you are prone to be successful.
Canadian Immigrant magazine and Scotiabank are presenting Halifax’s 1st Annual Career, Education and Settlement Fair taking place on Sept. 8 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.) at the World Trade and Convention Centre (1800 Argyle St.). In partnership with Fusion Halifax, the free event includes a tradeshow of exhibitors targeted to newcomers, including international students and temporary workers, as well as an educational speakers’ program. The speaking sessions are as follows: 12-12:45 p.m.: Prepare Better with Road to IELTS Speaker: Yania Lucas, British Council-IELTS
This interactive session is going to take the audience through the material right from the Road to IELTS website, allowing the audience to ask questions on how best to prepare for the IELTS. 1:15-1:45 p.m.: Immigration Options to Canada and Nova Scotia Speaker: Suzanne I. Rix, partner with Cox & Palmer’s Halifax office
Led by an immigration lawyer, this information session will provide an overview of the options available to immigrants to come to Canada and Nova Scotia permanently. Topics will include the streams of the Nova Scotia nominee program, the federal Express Entry program and family sponsorship options.
2:15-2:45 p.m.: Job Seeking: Are There Things You Can Do In Lieu of Just Professional Experience?
Speaker: Sharlene Rozario, research assistant at the Centre for Research in Family Health We have all probably heard about the key things you can do to acquire skills before trying to apply for a job. This talk will focus on some of the most popular ones like volunteering and networking, as well as some new strategies that are important today. 3-3:30 p.m.: Career Opportunities at Scotiabank Speaker: Bruce Smith, senior manager, talent acquisition, Scotiabank This session will touch on an overview of Scotiabank, what it's like to be a Scotiabanker, and some of the career opportunities that may be of interest to you, as you begin your job search. 4-4:30 p.m.: Building Your Story: Finding Success as a New Immigrant Speaker: Nic Fieldsend, VP, director of client services, Journeyman Film Company Arriving in a new place can be a daunting prospect. Yet this fresh start provides an opportunity to reinvent yourself and write a new chapter in your life. This session will offer advice about how to build a compelling story that will excite and engage, and help to establish yourself and find success in your new home.
Learn more about the Halifax fair at canadianimmigrant.ca/careerfair/ halifax. 8
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