2005 RECIPIENT PROFILE

Chris Courneya, 34

Education: Bachelor of Science and Agriculture (Honours), University of Guelph (1994)

Success Story: Chris has played a key role in taking prairieFyre from a self-sustained startup with 13 employees into a multi-site corporation with 38 employees and 2,500 installations worldwide. The company is now positioned for growth of nearly 40 per cent per year. PrairieFyre’s continued expansion and successful cultivation of new profit opportunities are directly attributed to Chris’ strategic leadership, vision and perseverance.

Source of Motivation: My greatest source of motivation is the outstanding individuals that are closest to me. These people inspire me in the way they live their lives: my wife Sonya, my dad Paul, and my business mentor Clarke La Prairie.

Best/Worst Character Trait: I have the ability to motivate people by instilling confidence in them and their skills, while building strong relationships using a positive attitude, humour and a fair, direct approach. I think my worst trait is that, at times, I can be all work and no play.