Congratulations to Mike Chowen on his promotion to the newly created role of Regional Director for Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Northwest Ontario. A man of few words and significant actions, Mike is known for his stoic nature and ability to "get things done" efficiently, effectively and reliably. He brings 25 years of experience and a proven track record of excellence in the electrical industry to the new role, plus a strong acumen for sales, projects, and customer relationships. As Regional Director, Mike will be directly involved in Gescan's strategic planning, setting organizational goals, and guiding his teams and the company's success.  

Mike began his career in the warehouse of a competitor and worked his way through various positions, including Shipping and Receiving, Inside Sales, Quotations and Outside Sales, before becoming a Branch Manager at age 26. At 28, Mike joined Gescan as our Branch Manager in Winnipeg, which he successfully lead for five years before leaving to start his own agency business. Five years later, Mike sold his growing business and returned to Gescan to rebuild the Saskatoon branch to what it is today and become Regional Manager for Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Thunder Bay. "Having previous experience with my agency in Saskatchewan and being born in Thunder Bay, I was very familiar with the whole region, which was instrumental in helping me transform the Saskatoon branch." Mike continued, "A lot of success comes from being in the trenches with our customers, vendors, and associates, and understanding each region's marketplace and customer needs." Mike’s region has seen multiple award winners in the past few years, including Operational awards, Marketing Awards and even La Reference award given to the top Branch in Gescan West. 

Having studied Business Administration, Commerce Sales and Marketing, Mike always had a passion for business. As a result, he was drawn back by Gescan's culture, which encouraged his entrepreneurial drive, "Being an entrepreneur is part of Sonepar's DNA. Here, you can have that spirit and do what you love and enjoy while working for an organization. You have the opportunity to work on things that you think are important and to take them to the next level." Mike continued, "When you can own a decision like that, you will ensure you're making the best one you can and be passionate about it. Gescan is full of passionate people. They care so much about the business, their job, what they're doing and our customers." 

He was also impressed with the company's growth and innovation, "Things were changing. The marketing campaigns and different things the company was trying and doing have become the differentiator between us and our competition. They weren't afraid to think outside of the box." Mike added, "Our founder had a quote on adapting, and it's 100% true. He said, 'what lasts is what counts, and to last, you have to adapt.' As soon as you get stuck in your ways, you'll get left behind." 

Being in the industry for 25 years, Mike had witnessed Gescan's evolution from when he started to today firsthand, "There's a lot more cross-collaboration between departments. Our whole team supports the customer; Whereas it used to be one sales rep or manager, now it includes everything from marketing to back office to the branch. It's a whole machine with multiple service divisions driving our customer service and looking after end-users." 

What hasn't changed is Gescan's commitment to truly understanding customers' needs to deliver solutions that make their lives easier. Mike said that developing and maintaining excellent service combined with intimate customer relationships truly sets Gescan apart as an electrical wholesaler: "We're in a long-term business, and it isn't transactional. We generally deal with the same customer for 30 years or more. Having a satisfied customer is so much more important than getting an order. Ultimately, we're only going to be successful if we make our customers successful. So, we're in it together long term."  

Creating genuine intimate connections with customers and vendors is one of Mike's best strengths and rewards, "With my regional role, I travel a lot, and I always try and meet one or two vendors and as many customers as I can every trip. I get together for breakfast, lunches and dinners with customers and find out their needs and what we can do to serve them better. I'm very fortunate that I've met so many great customers that have turned into great friends over the years." 

When Mike's not busy strategizing in the office, he's out strategizing on the golf course or enjoying other outdoor activities with customers, friends and family, “I love to golf and fish and so do most of our customers, it is always fun to experience the great outdoors with our valued clients.”