Building a Career Change

After more than 25 years in the business, this interior designer went back to school for an MBA. Here's a look at a typical day in her new job

by Julie Ireton

Julie Ireton
Kasian Architecture Interior Design and Planning
University of Manitoba (Asper)
MBA class of 2007

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Going back to school, even for a part-time MBA, is a major decision. Before I went back, I was a partner in an architectural practice and already experiencing a very full workweek. School added 30 to 40 hours per week to my very jammed schedule. But it was worth it. I had hit the ceiling in my company, and I wanted more. I was a business owner, I sat on boards, I chaired a foundation, but knew I was lacking in the fundamentals.

After my degree at University of Manitoba's Asper School of Business, I became the vice-president for operations at Kasian Architecture Interior Design & Planning in Vancouver. I am now responsible for developing operational strategies and structures aligned with the firm's organizational needs and growth, domestically and internationally.

This is a new position, so my job has evolved over the past several months. However, since I've been in my industry for more than 25 years, I had a fairly good understanding of what this position would entail. What I wasn't clear on was the significant impact of working in a global market. (Kasian is a firm of more than 320 people with offices in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto, Waterloo, Dubai, Mumbai, and Shanghai.) Given the scale of our company, coordinating the logistics across multiple time zones is always a challenge.

A Typical Workday

7:15 a.m.—I walk out the door, stroll over to my bus stop, and usually catch a bus within a minute or two. Six minutes later, I'm over Lions Gate Bridge, through the causeway in Stanley Park and at my office. It's hard to imagine an easier commute. I feel good about having reduced my environmental footprint. My new bus pass also comes with federal tax credits at the end of the year. Cool.

7:30 a.m.—Given the geographic locations of our other offices, e-mails arrive 24/7, at least 100 per day. I take this time to eat my "breakfast in a bowl" and answer as many of the e-mails as I can.

8 a.m.—Our office officially opens, and there's a flurry of meetings. Representing global operations, I sit in on seven regularly scheduled meetings to launch new initiatives. My meeting with Dubai occurs early in the day because it's already late evening for our principal in the Middle East. We also meet regularly to discuss how we can continue to expand our Canadian offices, the markets we should pursue, and new acquisitions that may be on the horizon. Our business is about building relationships and strengthening our networks—and it definitely seems to be working...

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Ireton develops operational strategies and structures for Kasian Architecture Interior Design, and is a 2007 MBA graduate of the University of Manitoba (Asper).