Four Key Lessons: Recap of Speaker Series with Mike Gerbis

March 26, 2019
Four Key Lessons: Recap of Speaker Series with Mike Gerbis

Mike Gerbis is a BSc’ 90 grad, and current CEO of GLOBE Series & The Delphi Group

In the month of March, the Centre for Social Impact had the pleasure of hosting Mike Gerbis as part of its Speaker Series. Mr. Gerbis is a BSc’ 90 grad, and current CEO of GLOBE Series & The Delphi Group. With a focus in the impact of climate change on future business leaders, Mr. Gerbis lead us through his own journey in the private sector. 

Kind enough to give advice to a room full of unsure students, Mr. Gerbis offered four key lessons that he has developed over the course of his career.

Be Curious & Continuously Learn

Throughout his career, Mr. Gerbis has demonstrated the exceptional motivation that comes with being a lifelong learner. That is the key to finding success – or, as we tackle the largest problem to face our generation, this is the key to finding a place to start when it comes to climate change.

It wasn’t until he was well into his master’s degree that Mr. Gerbis began to gain an interest in the business side of engineering. While studying waste reduction technology, he set himself on a path that lead to his involvement with Quality Engineering Solutions. Some time after, he found himself taking a 50% pay cut to move to Ottawa and begin work with the Delphi Group, where he was placed in the entirely new world of marketing research. 

As you are surrounded by a community of people who have taken upon themselves to seek higher education in areas of passion, it is up to you to soak up as much information as you possibly can. This is the time to listen to diverse perspectives, make genuine attempts to understand them, and connect with the organisations that can lead you to the experts in your field of interest.

Another key to continuous learning – remember that nothing gets done alone. Mentors come in all shapes and sizes. They could be your housemate or your neighbor or a professor that you were sure despised you. In any case, mentors will become a crucial part of your journey, and may have already cemented themselves in your life. They will provide advice in hard times, uplift you when you find good things, and learn just as much from you as you end up learning from them.

Speak Up & Get Engaged

It often feels like the world is on the shoulders of young people, and like we are ill-equipped to handle the responsibility. Mr. Gerbis took a moment to remind us that any major change has come from youth. Youth bring energy. They are not jaded. They are (mostly) not tired. They have new ideas and new ways of thinking.

Mr. Gerbis showed some frustration at the fact that people like him have been talking about climate change for twenty years, but it was quite easy for a young person to see that they were framing it wrong. It is not about the environment. The Earth will live past us. It will recover. Climate change instead threatens our social and economic infrastructure, and should be treated like a socioeconomic issue.

In the conceptual stages of ENACTUS, Mr. Gerbis connected with the young CEO of the company, and watched as he launched his method for northern communities to grow highly nutritional greens. Combining environmental science and business expertise, Growing North now produces 20,000 pounds of produce annually, all while cutting down on emissions associated with transporting produce, and empowering indigenous communities through self-reliance. 

That sounds like a lot. But it is not about where you end up, it is about where you begin. You can begin with a conversation in the ARC on the merits of reusable water bottles. You can begin with encouraging your housemates to compost. You can begin by joining one of the numerous environmental advocacy groups here on campus. You can do all these things at once, or something entirely different, but you should always aim to do something

It is your job to listen, inform, and inspire. We often only hear about the extreme left or right, but it’s the thousands in the middle that really matter. Don’t let your voice fade. 

Vote! And Don’t Give Up

Young people have the lowest voting rates among the general population. It can feel like your vote is lost, and it is often easier to not vote at all. Mr. Gerbis reminded us to look at the south for the negative consequences of political apathy. 

Your vote is your ticket to engage the leaders who are responsible for crucial regulation. As much as corporate social responsibility is exploding, the reality is that corporations will only do so much beyond what is expected of them. Regulation creates necessary standards, and drives the innovation necessary to both meet and exceed these standards. 

Even if you are already an active voter, take the time to encourage your friends to vote as well. As we near the federal election, it might be time to become thatloud and annoying Facebook friend. 

Connect and Open Doors for Others

Being at Queen’s affords you some level of privilege. Being a human being means you don’t have access to each and every perspective. The great part is, when you combine these two factors, you have the power to make space for others. You have the power to step aside and uplift voices that will bring new solutions to difficult issues. 

Of course, this doesn’t only apply to climate change. As CEO of GLOBE Series and The Delphi Group, Mr. Gerbis is currently in the process of mentoring younger staff members to take over the organisation in the long-run.

You will have no problem building your network as you move through different stages of your career. The best use that you can make of this network, especially once you have established a place for yourself, is use it to provide opportunities for passionate individuals that can continue the work that you have begun.

We greatly appreciate Mike Gerbis for taking the time to visit us here at Goodes Hall. We were incredibly inspired by his thoughtful advice and encouragement.

The time for action is now.

Written by Alysha Tabassum, BCom 2022