Following BC business leader Nick Geer’s death on January 30 in a car crash in California, former colleagues recounted their memories of working alongside him to
Insurance Business Canada.
Geer, a chartered professional accountant, headed the Insurance Corporation of British Columbia (ICBC) and received credit for the insurer’s financial turnaround between 2001 and 2004.
“Nick was a strong supporter of ICBC and its people,” said Nicolas Jimenez, interim president and CEO of ICBC. “Many employees who were here at the time, myself included, will remember him as a personable and widely respected leader who brought vigour to the company.”
Earlier in his career, Geer was vice-president and managing director of The Jim Pattison Group.
Nick Desmarais, managing director, legal services, at the company, worked alongside Geer for over 12 years on acquisitions and says Geer was “an intelligent man and a big thinker.”
According to Desmarais, Geer’s favourite quote – that the easiest way of eating an elephant was one bite at a time - rings true.
“There was no challenge or project that he didn’t tackle with a lot of energy and creativity, and as a result, we got a lot of stuff done,” he said, describing Geer as a principled, family man.
During his almost 20-year tenure at the company, Geer was the driving force behind many projects.
In 1993, The Jim Pattison Group assumed management control over Westar Group, which included Westshore’s bulk loading facility in BC. Westshore Income Trust was formed four years later after the then-largest IPO in Canadian history, and Geer played a central role.
“One of his biggest accomplishments was the Westshore Income Trust back in 1997,” says Desmarais. “He was definitely a key driver and architect behind getting that done and, as a result, it was a very successful project for the company.”
Geer was also well known for his work in the community. As one of his endeavours, he helped found the Collingwood School in North Vancouver in 1984. Geer then started the Scholarship Foundation so students without means could have the chance of a private education.
“His involvement with the forming of the private school was big for him,” Desmarais explains. “He definitely gave back. That was part of his mindset.”
Geer’s recognition for his community work didn’t go without notice. In 2003, Geer was awarded a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Medal, which celebrates Canadians who have contributed meaningfully to their communities.
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