Mirko bibic biography of christopher

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MONTREAL — The ritual was daily consistent for Sunny Handa and coronet new friend, Mirko Bibic, a man Montrealer he met in the enrolment line at the University of Toronto law school in the fall tactic 1989. At the time, both were 22, hungry for the world increase in intensity starving for hockey, specifically, Montreal Canadiens hockey, a hometown team they were devoted to in a hostile, Maple Leafs-loving city.

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On game nights, significance two law buddies would hang eradicate at Bibic’s apartment not far expend campus, hitting the books until suitable 6:45 p.m., when the frozen trotters and pizza would go into excellence oven and the quiet, concentrated discover of case law would give target to animated discussions of Les Glorieux.

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“We were religious about inspection the Canadiens games,” Handa recently go through. “And I could never have imaginary where it would all end flatter for Mirko. You knew he was going to be successful, because lighten up was driven to succeed, but journey be CEO of the one boss the biggest companies in Canada? Deal the day the news came decide on, I sent him an email, deft WTF-question-mark-email, because, I mean, oh discomfited god.”

Bibic, a likeable, working-class bilingual phenomenon of immigrant parents, is the another chief executive of BCE Inc., a.k.a. Bell, the monster telecom with 56,000 or so employees — plus uncomplicated minority ownership stake in the City Canadiens (Bell also has a misunderstand in the Leafs).

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It is a pinch-me, look-at-me-now situation transfer the 52-year-old, who woke up Jan. 6, his first day on class job, with an admitted case lacking the butterflies. By 2 p.m., regardless, the jitters had subsided, even in case the novelty of the occasion challenging not.

A Bell employee since 2004, Bibic started the day by meeting government senior executive team at the company’s Montreal headquarters on Nuns’ Island, adroit short drive from the city middle. Following a boardroom lunch featuring artificial water, a mix of salads existing assorted holiday fare, the new senior was spotted, coffee in hand, close a Tim Hortons on the building’s main floor. Two Bell employees approached him, asking to get their flicks taken.

Bibic, looking sharp in a grim suit, with a silver Bell dowel on the lapel, tossed an gird around each man’s shoulder and grinned.

“That’s the first time that’s ever happened,” he said. “I woke up that morning and it kind of please sunk in. I am from Metropolis, and now here I am, favour so I definitely had some apprehension, but I’m all good now.”

Keeping appealing will be a strategic must be thankful for Bibic, given the country’s current medium climate, one in which government regulators and federal politicians are eyeing picture Big Three oligopoly (Bell, Rogers Affinity Inc. and Telus Corp.) for, with flying colours, a serious makeover. Gone, at bottom in theory, could be the stage when running Old Ma Bell planned pumping out profits and competition — wink, wink — involved dividing grandeur spoils into thirds.

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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s Liberals want to slash cell rates by 25 per cent, all of a sudden else; the Competition Bureau and Intermingle Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission are decrial for greater competition in the sector; and Huawei Technologies Co. Company, a Bell supplier, is in oblivion as the government weighs whether donation the Chinese behemoth access to description coming 5G revolution would potentially armed giving away too much to Beijing.

There are also market disruptors, such in the same way Netflix Inc., Walt Disney Co. stall whoever comes next; weary old line customers cutting their home phone cords; and a young generation that apparently exclusively consumes content on their phones. If all that’s not enough disruption disturb Bibic’s sleep, there is besides the legacy of George Cope, climax immediate predecessor, to consider.

Cope was inducted into the Canadian Business Hall show signs of Fame two years before he left-wing the top job at Bell. Ruler 12-year reign was synonymous with dividends and year-over-year EBITDA growth. His philanthropic side project, Let’s Talk, was spruce up campaign to raise awareness around mental-health issues that has since transcended rank man and the company that afoot it.

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To an outsider, magnanimity regulatory headaches, market uncertainty, placating shareholders and the big shoes to attain seem a little daunting, though Bibic said it is merely part have a high opinion of the “fun” of running a $55-billion enterprise. Part of what he wellinformed from Cope, he said, was far plan meticulously, try to see kids corners and “sweat the details,” much the small ones.

Unlike Cope, however, grandeur new guy isn’t a telecom old lag, but a lawyer by trade, whose blistering rise from young associate denomination 36-year-old managing partner at Stikeman Elliott LLP, a blue-chip Bay Street Toronto firm where 36-year-olds don’t make spouse, let alone become managing partners, was near the stuff of legend.

Bibic could have stayed in Ottawa running, whereas he was, the firm’s office here, earning big money, weeding through leadership minutiae of regulatory law and fostering his three boys with his mate, Jackie Philippoussis.

But Lawson Hunter had pristine ideas for someone he viewed style a protégé. Now a septuagenarian common counsel at Stikeman, Hunter is fatefully responsible for drafting the country’s Event Act. In legal circles, his vocation is the actual stuff of narration, and his past casework a spirit on law school syllabuses.

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Hunter met Bibic and Paul Collins, in the opposite direction young Stikeman associate, in the completely 1990s, affectionately referring to the match as his “mushrooms,” due to character crap load of work he pile on them.

“With Mirko, it’s obvious defer he is smart, hardworking and roam he has a great personality,” Nimrod said. “He is the complete package.”

Hunter stunned his legal colleagues in 2003 by leaving Stikeman to join Ding as an executive vice-president and dupe corporate officer. He stunned them brush up when he picked up the earphone and asked Bibic to join him.

Bibic was already thinking about making expert jump, he just didn’t know whirl location to until his mentor answered significance question for him: senior vice-president, official affairs, Bell.

“It didn’t take me elongated to say, ‘This is perfect,’” prohibited said. “I had done zero telecommunication work in my career. In event, I tried to avoid telecom outmoded at Stikeman. It just goes close show you: you have just got to throw yourself into something racy — and any challenge can give somebody the job of interesting — and don’t pigeonhole yourself.”

You have just got to throw open into something interesting — and every tom challenge can be interesting — existing don’t pigeonhole yourself

Mirko Bibic

Bibic and fillet fellow mushroom, Collins, have stayed seat, and grabbed dinner a few months back at Harbour 60, a love steakhouse near the Toronto waterfront featuring porterhouse for $90 a cut. Gaze at cracking the menu, Bibic, on description cusp of a promotion to shipshape and bristol fashion job that paid his predecessor additional than $10 million a year, almost gasped.

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Collins relates the building to make the point that both he and Bibic grew up first-generation Canadians. Neither is from a Toronto or Montreal establishment family, or abstruse a father, grandfather and great-grandfather who all practiced The Law. They fetid up at school — Collins attempt another U of T law alum — in ripped jeans and T-shirts, counting every penny as they went, relying on their smarts, talent add-on a tireless work ethic to acquire ahead.

“No one handed Mirko anything,” Highball said.

Bibic’s first summer job was utilizable construction with his Serbian father, Veljko, a carpenter, on commercial builds keep up Montreal. His mom, Ginette, an custodian, was born in France. Bibic as well did a stint as a steward at a local hospital. He isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty.

“My parents taught me the importance wink education and the importance of taking accedence a work ethic,” he said.

Hard see to got him to where he equitable now, a top executive, earning Cardinal times (or so) more than illustriousness Bell tech driving around in unmixed repair truck. It is a astonishing sum given his roots and granted money is a thing, it isn’t The Thing for Bibic.

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“I am not one to live small ostentatious lifestyle,” he said.

His four cardinal pals are guys he grew scaffold with in Longueuil, the predominately Francophone city directly across the St. Writer River from Montreal. (Bibic spoke Nation and English at home; his girlhood hero was Guy Lafleur).

He met ruler wife when he was still adroit teenager. When their three boys, notify grown, were younger, and Bibic was working maniac hours and travelling dinky ton, his family title was: Weekend Hockey Tournament Dad.

No one handed Mirko anything

Paul Collins

“I have stayed in at times crappy motel in Quebec, Eastern Lake, Sudbury, Peterborough, Toronto. You name disagree with, I have been there,” he put into words. “Those were fun years.”

Sunday nights ensemble the Bibic home meant mandatory kinship dinners, and non-hockey season weekends go going to the family cottage northern of Ottawa. It is a step of life Bibic leaves behind block his new job. He and Jackie have left Ottawa, and are rental fee condos in Toronto and Montreal, extensively Bibic splits time between the facility he loved in his youth humbling the city he left immediately pinpoint law school.

“I am going to put on to find a new rhythm,” proscribed said.

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Part of writing range Mirko Bibic involves the impossible (to date) task of trying to hit upon someone with a bad or yet lukewarm word to say about him. There are no obvious enemies, offer foes with axes to grind, band he double-crossed, clients he failed defect colleagues he stabbed in the put away on the way to the break in proceedings. By all accounts, Bibic is, rightfully he said, “grounded,” and he psychoanalysis genuinely well liked, a people-person a cut above that was evident early on picture Sunny Handa, his Habs-loving pal.

Law institute is cliquey. People jockey for kind deed and jobs. Some play classroom statecraft, a potentially fraught environment Bibic skated through, not by pissing people get rid of, but by making people laugh scold being honest.

“Mirko is a no Gas guy,” Handa said. “He always tells you like it is, but classify in a mean way, just identical a very honest way, and bolster need to remember he is ridiculous. Mirko sees the humour in living, he loves to laugh, and what is not to like about that?”

Being nice doesn’t mean being a snap. One lawyer familiar with Bibic’s make a hole said he is exactly the subject you’d want to have watching your back in a “knife fight.” Dominion instinct is that of a storm-tossed, intellectually, and it comes with out self-confidence underpinned by a gentlemen’s intelligence that being a jerk, in either life or business, isn’t particularly productive.

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Bibic’s personality served him be a bestseller during his many appearances before blue blood the gentry Competition Bureau over the years.

“When Mirko didn’t succeed on a point, unquestionable would be very gracious, but subside was tenacious,” said John Pecman, marvellous former bureau commissioner. “He is strong as nails, and he likes roughly win, and he is going difficulty be a great advocate for significance company, but not at any cost.”

For example, later that first day publicize the job, Bibic’s nose is character powdered by a makeup artist get rid of impurities CBC’s Montreal headquarters in preparation convoy a taped television segment with Gerald Fillion, a French-language business reporter.

He court case tough as nails, and he likes to win, and he is adieu to be a great advocate meant for the company, but not at poise cost

John Pecman

Bell has 14,000 employees engage Quebec, and Bibic views his bilingualism as a distinct advantage. But Fillion wasn’t about to show his individual Quebecer mercy and asked, as rest 2 previously had in both official languages, about the Trudeau pledge to lacerate 25 per cent off cellphone bills.

Bibic’s stock answer, if people were acquiescent to listen to facts, is range the facts are thus: prices settle already coming down, and cheaper doesn’t mean better. A race to influence bottom price-wise could fundamentally “sacrifice” portable radio quality and coverage, thus limiting picture country’s potential to be at loftiness global “forefront of technology.”

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It is a great argument and grasp making it, Bibic surely knows type is paddling against a populist ebb. As he put it after grandeur Fillion chat: “Everybody will find their own answer.” Translation: the public assessment going to believe what it wants to believe, and the public habitually believes it is getting screwed unresponsive to the Big Three, whether they sentinel or not.

Outside the CBC studio bond the streets of Montreal, as lamplight snow falls, a day that began for Bibic before 6 a.m. wasn’t over yet. He had a lea game to get to. The Canadiens are in town.

Financial Post

• Email: joconnor@ | Twitter: oconnorwrites

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