photos by Ryan Wilson IWK
At the height of the Covid pandemic Jean du Plessis took up sailing. The sport was ideal for someone with an obsessive need to understand how things work. To sail is to appreciate the complicated interaction of forces, to be able read and adjust to ever-changing conditions and to work cooperatively and cohesively within a team.
In a whirlwind of a first month as VP, Corporate Programs & Chief Financial Officer (CFO) at IWK Health Jean finds himself navigating different waters.
“The best analogy I can think of is that I have been asked to take the helm of a racing yacht in the middle of a race,” says Jean. “All the while learning the workings of the boat, not having a full understanding of the course, and simultaneously getting to know the crew.”
Jean’s experience as an accomplished finance professional encompasses a wide range of industries, including services, retail, forestry, transportation, construction, and industrial manufacturing, in both public and private sectors.
Joining IWK Health, however, is more than another career step for him.
“I have a personal connection to the IWK as my son has been a patient here over the past year,” he says. “I have nothing but the utmost respect and appreciation for everyone that works here, both front line and support staff, and I consider this opportunity such an incredible privilege. Taking this role for me was more than a job, but an opportunity to use my skills to contribute to an organization whose mission and purpose my family has been on the receiving end of.”
Most recently, Jean served as Director of Finance Shared Services at J.D. Irving, where he modernized treasury operations and drove efficiency in procurement processes.
“Despite being an industrial conglomerate in a completely different industry, there are some core similarities, especially in my areas of expertise,” Jean says. “Accounting, finance, treasury and procurement have a lot of the same processes, controls and challenges.”
Decisions at Irving were generally made very quickly, with a high expectation of showing measurable results equally fast. A poor decision at Irving might result in a financial hit but given the size and momentum of the organization there are few financial hits they can’t absorb, learn from, and move on from.
“While some strategic decisions can be made quickly at the IWK, the stakes are different,” says Jean. “At the IWK people’s lives and wellbeing are at stake, and the decisions that are made carry significantly more consequence if we get it wrong.”
Jean has held formal and informal coaching and mentorship roles throughout his career and is a strong believer in building high performing teams built on trust. He puts people first and attributes his success throughout his career to the teams and individuals that have supported him.
“Much of my success I attribute to having great teams that I have been able to build up and empower to make data driven decisions,” he says. “My approach is focused first and foremost on recognition of the critical role that relationships play in achieving success and ensuring that I understand the motivations and rational of everyone involved so that we can align those motivations to achieve common objectives. When this is combined with managing to objective metrics it has rarely failed.”