PBN CEO Excited about Opportunities
- EFN Staff | November 12, 2013
Name: Julie Wriston
Age: 35
Family: husband, Jay Wriston, and two children, Alexander and Gabriella
Community: Saskatchewan because I live in Hepburn, my kids go to school in Martensville, I work in Saskatoon and Pinehouse Lake, and my husband used to work in Osler.
Current profession: Chief Executive Officer, Pinehouse Business North Development Inc. (PBN)
How long: since January 2013
Previous positions: Aboriginal Business Development Officer, Business Ready Investment Development Gateway (BRIDG) Program at Westcap Mgt. Ltd, Director of Communications, Métis Nation - Saskatchewan
Role Model(s): my Baba, who taught me the importance of culture, gratitude and survival; my mother, who taught me strength, perseverance, and to aim high; and my children, who help me to stay grounded and remind me of who I am at the very core of my being.
Mentor: Vern Bachiu, CEO Muskowekwan Resources Ltd. who spent 30 years with MLTC and was the driving force behind the BRIDG program at Westcap Mgt. Ltd., taught me humility, to be driven by intention, and gave me the right perspective to work for a community. He’s the biggest coach of my life.
Interests/Hobbies: I enjoy reading and learning (I’m currently finishing my MBA in Community Economic Development). I have recently adopted and love the weekend lake-goer lifestyle. I also enjoy yoga, as it provides the balance of life.
About Pinehouse Business North Development Inc.: Pinehouse Business North (PBN) is a northern Saskatchewan Aboriginal owned and operated company specializing in construction, labour services and environmental services.
What brought you to PBN?
My passion for community growth and development. I’m invigorated and excited by the strides First Nations and Métis communities are taking in business development, and I can see the long-term payoff for the province in engaging in this work – enough that I’ve banked my career on it.
I spent a little over two years developing a relationship with Pinehouse through BRIDG and fell in love with the community. When they asked me to come join full-time, there was no hesitation.
What appealed to you about joining the company?
The challenge of providing opportunities, and the challenge of building a foundation that would result in hope (for the community).
How has the company grown or changed since you joined?
We are really building a solid backbone structure to sustain growth well into the future, so we’ve been involved in creating processes, policies and consistencies to get us to where are right now.
It all began on May 17, 2007. A few guys got into their pick-up truck and drove to a Cameo mine site to find jobs painting. They were told to stay for at least a month because they couldn’t pay them right away. Fast forward to now, and PBN is a multi-million dollar company.
How do you see it growing or changing in the future?
Taking a long, hard look has given us the opportunity to know who we are, what we want and how to find the tools to get there. This will make us that much stronger, to have that direction.