2015STAFF NEWSLETTER Q4 2015 CANADA

IN THIS ISSUE22345556

In 2014 the Canadian finance team was restructured to provide better support to WESCO businesses across Canada. Today, the finance team plays an advisory role and provides financial insight into many areas such as variance analysis for actual results, monthly forecasting, annual budgets, business case preparation and ad-hoc analysis when required. The Canadian finance team is focused and hard working. The overriding goal of the team is to aid the business in decision-making and to enable the Canadian team to be as successful as possible; be it at the branch or management level. The group works closely with the corporate accounting and finance teams in Pittsburgh.

Currently, there are 18 members on the Canadian finance team, supporting WESCO Canada, its acquisitions and EECOL. There are 3 members based in Calgary, 4 at the Toronto DC, Roger Rees at Head Office in Markham and 9 supporting the Hazmasters business.

Roger Rees is the VP of Finance for Canada, having joined WESCO in February 2014; he is responsible for WESCO Canada, its acquisitions and EECOL. Roger is a member of CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants) from the UK. In his current role, Roger supports Nelson Squires (Group GM & VP Canada) and liaises very closely with HQ in Pittsburgh on a few areas such as Financial Planning and Analysis, Accounting, Compliance, Tax and Insurance.

Doris Gibson, in charge of EECOL Canada Payroll also reports under Canadian Finance and is a part of the Corporate Payroll team based in Pittsburgh.

THE CANADIAN FINANCE TEAM

Head Office in Markham, Ontario

Finance Team Cont.

Balanced Health

Interview with Nelson

LEAN

Charity

HR News

EFC Scholarship Award

Coping with Stress

Read moreon the next page for

the rest of WESCOCanada’s Finance Team!

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Roger Rees - VP of Finance

Allan Lam - Director of Finance

Blaine Miciak - Director of Finance

Shawn Herman - Director of Finance

Peter Stephenson - Director of Finance

THE CANADIAN FINANCE TEAM continued...

Calgary, AlbertaShawn Herman is the Director of Finance supporting Prairies, B.C. and the Canada Utility businesses (Brews, LaPrairie & Trydor). Shawn joined WESCO as a part of the Brews acquisition in 2011 and has a CPA, CA designation. Assisting Shawn, is Cynthia Qi, who joined WESCO Finance late last year, and was transferred from a Financial Services role in Calgary. In addition to the business support role, Shawn and Cynthia also fulfil the role of consolidating the total WESCO Canada financials, including Actuals, Forecasts and Budgets. EECOLBlaine Miciak is the Director of Finance supporting the EECOL business. Blaine is an integral part of the Senior Management team at EECOL assisting Darren Buium, President of EECOL. He supports the six regions covering predominantly the Western Provinces. Blaine’s accounting background helps to ensure that the balance sheet accurately represents the current state of the EECOL business.

Achievable Balanced Health - Ken Ballard, Director, Global Accounts Canada

Mississauga, OntarioAllan Lam and his team reside at the Mississauga DC in Toronto. They are responsible for supporting the Ontario/Atlantic region, Quebec region as well as TVC Canada, Al Boch, Marc Forand and Luc Morissette respectively. Reporting into Allan are Wendy Feng, John Wilson and Veeda Mirza (currently on maternity leave). Unlike Shawn’s role, Allan has more month-end accounting work as TVC still operates off-system and is not on Wesnet. Allan joined WESCO in 2012 and has a CPA, CA designation.

HazmastersPeter Stephenson is the newest member of the Canadian Finance Team, having joined in August 2015. He is the Finance Director for Hazmasters and supports Roger James as his right hand person from a finance perspective. He has the dual role of financial planning and analyses as well as ensuring the accounting transactions are booked accurately. He has a team of 8 people who are responsible for Accounting, Accounts Receivable, Accounts Payable ad-hoc business analysis and driving the forecast and budget processes. Of the 9 Hazmasters finance team, 7 are based in Ajax, 1 in Burnaby and 1 in Montreal.

There are two key elements to achieving balanced health; intentions and inspiration. The focus is on all around health, but most importantly the state of one’s mental health. Some factors that will benefit your health and wellness plan are meditation, laughter, relaxation and participation in activities you are

most passionate about. A simple way to look at this is, you need to rest, restore, rebuild and return after pushing yourself mentally or physically.

Engaging in activities you enjoy will help you boost your immune system. Whether it’s swimming, meditation, yoga, biking, hiking, weight-lifting or getting together with friends. These activities, all promote a healthy, balanced and positive way of life.

Another key element is healthy eating. It is extremely important to spread out the right meals throughout the day. Small amounts of healthy foods during the day including snacks like almonds and apples, rejuvenate the body and mind, so you can perform at your best.

Balancing your all around health is achievable every day. It’s important to measure and monitor your progress by setting and tracking your goals each month. Did you eat well, get enough sleep, exercise? If not, set action items in your calendar, change or create eating plans and encourage yourself to stay active. Following these steps will help you achieve, improve and continue your journey to a healthier you!

CA

REER

INTERVIEWwith Nelson Squires

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Nelson Squires - Group Vice President & General Manager, WESCO CANADA

Achievable Balanced Health - Ken Ballard, Director, Global Accounts Canada

CA

REER

PERSONAL

HEALTH & WELLNESS

JUST for FUN!

“Near term, we clearly have a slowing economy that we have to deal with.

We should be spending money like it’s our own, meaning we have to be great stewards

of our company’s money and resources. At the same time, we should be investing in

areas that will help us for the long term. Our people excite me. At every level I

have already experienced people willing to help and go the extra mile to help each other, our customers and the

company. That has impressed me a lot.”

I do like to golf (trying to get my family to play regularly).

I watch sports and do some reading.

I also enjoy cooking.”

Why did you decide to move to Canada?

What philosophy have you lived by that’s allowed you to grow and succeed?

What one word describes you?

What is your favourite sport; to watch and to play? Are you currently playing any sports?

What is your biggest pet peeve? What would you do with a million dollars?

What is the one thing you would like to cross off your bucket list?

In the last 3 months, name something that you learned? How did it benefit you?

Give an example.

What one person has influenced your life

most and how?

What is your work/life balance strategy?

How do you cope with stress?

What gives you energy?

What is your biggest accomplishment in your career?

What concerns and excites you most about your new role?

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

Is there anything you can share with us about being Captain in the U.S. Army?

Why?

What did you learn?

“The opportunity to work for a great company like WESCO does not come along that often. The opportunity to lead the entire business in Canada

was a nice step for me in terms of personal development. In addition, my family and I were ready for a change after 26

years with my previous company. Finally, my wife is Canadian by birth and we have many relatives in B.C., Alberta and in the GTA,

so Canada is already a part of us.”

“I can’t say just one person. It’s been many. My science teacher in grade 7 and my first commander

in the Army. I’ve learned a lot from many.”

“For me, it starts and ends with family. My wife and I have two boys, ages 10 and 13, and pretty much everything we do, we do for them. I think it’s important to have a balance, and one way for me to do that is to be home at a decent hour when I’m not travelling. I also stay involved with them in their activities, for example, our older son and I just started working out 2 nights a week with a trainer (to keep us motivated!).”

“It’s a tough way to make a living. I spent my years in the Infantry, and the physical and mental demands were beyond anything I’ve

experienced before or after in my life. It makes you appreciate the simple things, even something as simple as a cold pop. Whatever your personal beliefs are regarding the military

and use of force, we all should be grateful for the people who serve today.”

“Being able to adapt to many different roles.” “In every case, I had to learn something new and demonstrate competency, typically sooner versus later.”

“That I am comfortable with change, and that it is important to continue to challenge myself.”

“I’m fortunate to be someone who doesn’t stress out too much. If I feel that I have done everything I can do in a situation, I won’t be stressed out.”

“My family and our customers.” It’s that simple. The opportunity to help my family in any way that I can and the excitement I get seeing us take care of our customers is the entire energy source that I need.”

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Keep learning and asking questions. Set meaningful goals. Self-evaluate your progress. Ask for help when you need it. Focus on things that will move the ball forward. Keep it simple.”

“Self-starter (sorry, two words).” “I guess I would say that I stay motivated and positive all of the time, always willing to lean in to figure something out.”

“Baseball.”“No, but I just started a workout program.”

“People who say one thing and do another.”

“Fund college for our boys (it may take that much!!)”

“We would like to experience an African safari. One that respects the animal’s habitat and

provides a great learning experience for all of us. In the meantime, we are

thinking about experiencing the polar bears and beluga whales in

Churchill, Manitoba next year.”

“I/We learned a lot about immigrating to Canada from the states. If someone from WESCO goes down a similar path, I want to provide a benefit to them, learning from our trial and error.”

”“Don’t

sweat the small stuff. Keep learning and asking questions.

The question in the Kamloops branch was, how do we increase employee awareness of the location of Safety Equipment, and First-Aid Kits? The warehouse, counter and office areas also required safety-related visual signs. To address the issues, all branch employees were involved in the Kaizen (led by Dan Courneyea) and were given the opportunity to discuss the current situation, priorities and possible solutions.

As a result, all safety locations and visuals were identified. The Kaizen team created and installed visual signs showing ‘SAFETY Reminders’, ‘DANGERS’, ‘REQUESTS’, ‘FIRST-AID KITS’, ‘EYE-WASH Station’, ‘Safety Glasses’, ‘Gloves’, ‘Ear-Plugs’ and ‘MSDS Information’. This exercise involved everyone and significantly increased safety awareness in the branch. All of the new visuals continue to reinforce safety awareness by reminding employees the importance of safety in the work environment. Dan Courneyea, Kaizen Leader said, “The team members in Kamloops are very safety aware with all this information. During their shift, they are very aware of the safety reminders and this encourages discussion. There are casual conversations and serious ones that make others STOP and think before reacting. Staff members look out for one another to ensure there are no accidents. They now have knowledge as to where all safety-related equipment is kept”.

How do we raise safety awareness, and create safety rules for customers and visitors trying to enter the warehouse? This question became an objective for a small Kaizen conducted by a team at the Lloydminster branch (led by Lisa MacDonald). Employees were concerned that there were no boundaries set between counter and warehouse areas. Rules set for customers were unclear. The team worked to develop and implement all safety elements. Now, if a customer needs to enter the warehouse, there is a bright red frame at the counter with ‘Visitor Safety Rules’. The team also added clear signs and floor markings to indicate entrances to areas for ‘Employees Only’.

Lisa MacDonald stated, “Since, implementing these Safety Features, it became almost automatic that customers adhered to the rules set forth. We have seen a decrease in the number of customers who enter restricted areas. At our Quarterly Safety Meeting, I review the procedures and set expectations for the branch to follow the policy. Customers are to sign in and they are escorted everywhere in the warehouse.”

This edition of our LEAN article highlights Health and Safety Kaizens from several WESCO Canada branches. These examples demonstrate how you can use structured LEAN thinking and approaches to address safety concerns. Safety Kaizens can be large or very small, but no matter the size – the key thing is to involve a team which will work together to resolve safety concerns.

Both Safety Kaizens are well documented with all the forms, signs, ideas and are easily available for all branches to implement. All Project Tracker users in your branch can access these implementation tools for you, by clicking here. We even have a sign print shop in the Hazmasters branch in Edmonton where all safety signs can be printed.

These and other safety-oriented Kaizens are reminders that the power of LEAN thinking together with continuous improvement and involvement of all employees can be applied to any field and any process driving great results.

Using Kaizens to Improve Health & Safety

Safety Rules for Customers Increasing Safety & First Aid Visibility

Rhea Ross with the Visitor Safety Rules Frame (which sits on our front desk for customers to see). Rhea stands under the sign “Authorized Personnel Only”, and a brightly painted orange floor sign - “Employees Only” is behind her.

Visitor Sign In/Out Sheet and a Visitor Safety Rules Form that repeat customers can sign acknowledging branch safety rules when entering the warehouse (some customers are grandfathered to enter as long as they sign the form).

Warehouse entrance with safety reminder visuals – MSDS, safety posters and fire extinguisher signs.

Kamloops branch

Eye-washing and First Aid stations made visual.

Lloydminster branch (Kaizen 3268) Victoria branch and Kamloops branch (Kaizen 3844, 3870)

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Along with many of the contributions to various charities from WESCO Distribution and its employees, we would like to congratulate Nan Panesar for completing and achieving his charitable goals during the Ride to Conquer Cancer event, August 29-30, 2015. Here is his story:

Saturday started with rain showers & we were all soaked before the ride even started. Once we crossed into the U.S. the winds picked up & it became a survival to the finish. The 80 km/h winds knocked many people off their bikes into ditches & fields and knocked down trees into houses. The insane winds

made biking a huge obstacle; going downhill you had to pedal in the easiest gear to even move.The strong winds knocked me off my bike on a fast downhill decent into Bellingham. Thankfully helmets & gloves prevented some very serious injuries. Shaken up, bleeding & badly bruised I continued with my team to the lunch stop at the 75 km mark. There the organizers stopped the ride for the remainder of the day due to severe weather conditions.

All riders were shuttled to the campgrounds by bus only to discover that all the tents at the campsite had been blow down. Some people put the tents back up while the majority of riders, my team included, slept in sleeping bags on a concrete floor in a barn; definitely not comfortable.

For Sunday morning the organizers had to make changes to the route due to fallen trees & damaged power lines. The

route was increased from 115 kms to 135 kms with a lot more hills added. We were all sore & some riders were dealing with injuries, but we all started the ride at 7:15 am. The weather wasn’t a factor but it was a very long & strenuous day; my team & I finished the ride 10 hours later. The support throughout the event was something to experience as everyone encouraged each other, including many volunteers.

This was the most physical thing I’ve ever done and I’m very proud of my team for completing the ride. The conditions were definitely against us but we all pushed our limits.

I dedicated this ride to Lionel Niven, Jasbinder Sanghra & two of my friends’ mothers who all passed away from cancer. With thousands of other riders, my team & I rode bicycles for two days; this pales in comparison to what individuals with cancer must go through.

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The Benefitness website provides great resources every month to bring awareness to national health observances. Check out healthy workplace resources to keep your workplace happy and healthy. Visit the Benefitness website for more details at wesco.healthyreturns.ca

The scholarship, which is part of the Electro-Federation Canada Scholarship Program, is awarded to a Canadian citizen who completed their first year of study with a higher-than-average academic mark. Preference is given to those who identify the electrical industry

as a career path in such fields as electrical engineering, electrical technologist/technician, certified electrical technologist, industrial distribution, and/or business administration.

WESCO Distribution Canada named Chetan Sahni as its 2015 Student Achievement Award recipient. He will receive $3,500 toward his education at the University of Lethbridge. Now in his third year at Lethridge, Sahni is pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business and supply chain management. He plans to graduate in December 2016, and has an interest in working for an electrical/electronics company.

To read the full story click here.

ELECTRO-FEDERATION SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

HR NEWS

Chetan Sahni, WESCO Canada’s Student Achievement Award Recipient

Nan

WESCO Distribution Canada LP is the Canadian operating arm of WESCO International, an industry-leading fortune 500 distributor. WESCO provides electrical, industrial, and communications MRO and OEM products, construction materials, and advanced supply-chain management and logistics.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, WESCO operates full-service distribution centres and branches throughout North America and around the world. Major markets served include commercial, institutional & industrial construction, industrial processing & manufacturing, government, electrical utility, communications & security, and property management (power & lighting controls). WESCO’s speciality is global accounts support & integrated supply.

EDITORIAL CONTACTSHave a story to share or a topic for

future editions?

We welcome your comments or suggestions.

WESCOCanadaMarketing@wesco.com

Coping with StressWhile some workplace stress is normal, excessive stress can interfere with your productivity and impact your physical and emotional health. Finding ways to manage workplace stress isn’t about making huge changes or rethinking career ambitions, but rather about focusing on the one thing that’s always within your control: YOU.

Learn to manage job stress: Reduce excessive job & workplace stress:1.

3.

4.

2. • Take responsibility for improving your physical and emotional well being.

• Avoid pitfalls by identifying negative attitudes that add to the stress.

• Learn to communicate better to ease and improve relationships with management and coworkers.

• Create a balanced schedule. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, daily tasks and prioritize.

• Delegate responsibility when help is needed.

• Find a balance between work & personal life.

• Improve communication by listening. This can foster teamwork, and develop stronger decision-making and problem solving skills.

• Share information with employees to help reduce uncertainty.

• Clearly define employee roles & responsibilities.• Consult your employees by giving them

• Regular exercise is a powerful stress reliever. Try walking to increase your energy and mood.

• Healthy eating can help you get through a stressful working day. Eating small portions frequently can help your body maintain an even level of blood sugar.

• Getting enough sleep is a key factor in coping with stress.

Time management tips for reducing job stress:

How managers can reduce job stress: opportunities to participate in decisions that effect their jobs.

• Provide opportunities for career development.

• Show employees that they are valued & appreciated.

• Be sure that the workload and project deadlines are realistic and achievable.

• Set clear expectations with your team.

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