2004 ALUMNI RECIPIENTS

Colleen Morris, 39

Biggest achievement: My contribution to the development of the proprietary ClementineTM product line. It's a "plug-and-play" sewage treatment plant in a standard shipping container.

Best skill: Creative problem solving

Most admired businessperson: Gilles Turcotte, our CEO. He is extremely intelligent, very capable and acts with integrity.

Biggest business lesson learned: Businesses exist to generate profits. I grew up in a family-owned small business. I think that upbringing, with total dependence on the success of the business, drives home the fundamentals better than an MBA or any other experience. Since then, I have worked within organizations where some individuals have had agendas other than the success of the enterprise. The challenge is aligning people to focus on business profitability. In the final analysis, that's what counts.

Favourite charity: Big Sisters/Big Brothers. It is a very proactive charity that provides great value for the dollar, makes a real difference in the lives of individuals and does it almost entirely through the efforts of a wonderful group of volunteers.

Professional recognition that would mean the most: Being named Canadian Business Magazine's Entrepreneur Of The Year.