Table Talk with ABFI

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May 2026

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Table Talk with ABFI Host: Matt Knight, Executive Director of Alberta Business Family Institute Dive into the world of family businesses with "Table Talk with ABFI." Hosted by Matt Knight, this unscripted podcast spotlights Alberta's entrepreneurial families and we'll talk about many aspects including: -Origins & Evolution: Discover the foundation of family enterprises and their transformative journeys. -Personal Triumphs: Hear heartfelt stories of individual ambition and resilience. -Family Dynamics: Navigate the intricate interplay of relationships, transitions, and generational handovers. -Growth & Motivation: Uncover breakthrough moments and strategies propelling these businesses forward. Join the conversation and be inspired by tales of tenacity, innovation, and family legacy.

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25 recent

May 26, 2026Episode 2453 min

Two Families, One Roof: Ken and Bianca Barry's RGO Edmonton

What does a family business look like from the family that didn't start the company? In Episode 24 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with father-daughter duo Ken Barry and Bianca Barry of RGO Office Products Edmonton, a family business story that doesn't fit the usual mould.In 1996, Ken left a corporate role at Steelcase Canada in Toronto, moved his young family to Edmonton on a handshake deal with RGO founder Ross Glen (Calgary), and built the Edmonton branch from scratch. Nearly 30 years later, that operation has grown to 60 employees serving Northern Alberta across workplace, healthcare, education, and government. Bianca grew up running through RGO's hallways: playing receptionist, getting hired by her dad as a "sanitary engineer", but deliberately built her career outside the business first, spending four years at Steelcase and POI in Toronto before the pandemic brought her home in early 2021.What makes this conversation especially rich is that the Barry family's first-to-second generation transition is happening alongside a second-to-third generation transition in Calgary, where Cathy Orr now leads RGO and her daughter Sarah and niece Cassandra are stepping in. Two families, two different stages, one enterprise and a founder, Ross Glen, who passed away just a year ago.Ken and Bianca dig into the impact of that loss, what it took for Bianca to earn credibility coming back as the boss's daughter, the future of work and the WorkBetterLab they helped launch in the Pendennis Building, and the small acts of intentional welcome an envelope of childhood notes left on a desk, introductions to Edmonton's women business leaders, that show what next-gen onboarding can look like.For any family business leader considering partnerships, building credibility across generations, or navigating succession in real time, this episode offers a rare conversation between two generations early in their respective transitions.Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about RGO Office Products at https://rgo.ca/This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

April 28, 2026Episode 231 hr 6 min

Connecting the Dots: Tom McCollough's Northwood Family Office

What do you do when you're wealthy, surrounded by specialists, but still can't get a straight answer to what your family should actually do? That frustration sparked one of Canada's most influential wealth management stories.In Episode 23 of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Tom McCollough, founder and chair of Northwood Family Office, author of three books on wealth, and often called "the godfather of family offices in Canada." After 20 years at RBC, Tom left in 2003 to build something he couldn't find as a consumer: an integrated advisor for his own family's wealth. Twenty-three years later, Northwood serves more than 100 families across the country and has effectively built the multi-family office profession in Canada.The conversation unpacks why vertical specialists — accountants, lawyers, investment managers — solve vertical problems but leave families without anyone connecting the dots. Tom lays out his "general contractor" model for integrated wealth, explains why goals should drive investments (not the other way around), and shares why he proactively stepped back from the CEO role to let Northwood's next generation lead. This episode matters for any family navigating wealth, succession, or the search for trusted advice. Tom offers frameworks Canadian business families and advisors can put to work tomorrow and a candid look at how the family office landscape is changing and where it's headed next.Tune in to hear how one frustrated consumer kickstarted an industry in Canada, and what that means for your family.Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about Northwood Family Office at https://www.northwoodfamilyoffice.com/.This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

April 1, 2026Episode 2255 min

Buying the Big Fish: Ted and Sean LeLacheur on Risk, Legacy, and Four Generations

Ted and Sean LeLacheur join Matt Knight for a rare father-and-son conversation about leading a fourth-generation family business that has been moving Canadians across western Canada since 1906. Ted shares the story of restarting Western Moving from an empty warehouse in 1995 and the relationships that helped rebuild the company from scratch. Sean reflects on leaving to try his own ventures before returning to the business and eventually leading the acquisition of a competitor three times their size. Together they discuss generational leadership, navigating risk differently across eras, the evolving role of technology and AI in logistics, and why the moving industry will always remain a people business. This episode is a candid look at succession, entrepreneurship, and what it takes for each generation to reimagine a family enterprise while staying true to the values that built it.Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightThis video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

March 17, 2026Episode 211 hr 4 min

Learning from Beau's Brewery: Steve Beauchesne on Family Business and Peer Groups

He quit his job, sold his house, and moved his young family into his parents' home to build a brewery with his dad. Beau's All Natural Brewing became one of Canada's most recognized craft beer brands — and then Steve Beauchesne and his father had to sell it.Steve joins Matt Knight for a candid conversation about what it really takes to build a business with family: the governance lessons, the employee ownership plan that backfired, and the convergence of financial strain and personal tragedy that led to the sale. He also shares why those hard-won experiences now shape his work as CEO of Family Enterprise Canada and why peer groups may be the most important investment any family in business can make.Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightThis video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

March 3, 2026Episode 201 hr 4 min

Shawn Kanungo - AI Agents Are Here: How Leaders Should Think Bigger Now

Innovation strategist and keynote speaker Shawn Kanungo joins Matt Knight for a candid conversation on disruption, succession, and what the AI era means for business families. Shawn shares the personal story of stepping into his late father’s accounting practice during tax season and the lessons it taught him about systems, continuity, and why succession planning matters before you think you need it. From there, the conversation moves into the “AI paradox” in family enterprise, why trust and legacy may become the strongest moat left, and how AI agents are shifting work from planning and decks to real execution. If you want a clear-eyed, practical, and motivating take on how leaders can use this moment to think bolder and move faster without losing their humanity, this episode is for you.Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightLearn more about Shawn Kanungo at https://shawnkanungo.com/ This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta.For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

August 11, 2025Episode 1950 min

Radical Love in Business: Sean Schoenberger’s Sunco Communications Journey from Cable Puller to President

What began around a kitchen table in 2000 is now a national integrator keeping 16,000 Canadian businesses online, secure, and talking. In this Table Talk episode, host Matt Knight sits down with Sean Schoenberger, President (and former summer-student cable-runner) of Sunco Communications & Installations, to unpack a 25-year growth story powered by technology, family, and “radical love.”Sean traces Sunco’s evolution from pulling wire in local ceilings to delivering SD-WAN, SASE, cloud voice, and managed IT coast-to-coast. He credits two turning points: adopting the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) in 2017 and embracing strategic acquisitions, moves that helped Sunco leap from a small crew to a 70-person, multi-city team. Sean also reflects on partnership dynamics with CEO (and cousin) Mike Schoenberger, and why clear boundaries protect both family chemistry and business momentum.Key insights include:Leadership – shifting from a “hard-D” DISC profile to collaborative, idea-driven management.Culture – embedding “radical love” so every employee feels like family, even across provinces.Technology – why VoIP’s rise rivals today’s AI wave, and how Sunco pilots new tools on itself before clients.For family-business leaders, Sean’s story offers a blueprint for balancing growth, governance, and kinship while remembering that telecom’s real job is to let customers forget it’s there.Listen in for practical takeaways on acquisitions, next-gen grooming, and setting “work stays at work” rules that stick.Time | Topic0:00 | Intro – The “sound you never see”: making business communications seamless.2:20 | Decoding telecom jargon – Sean explains SaaS, SD-WAN, SASE in plain English.5:45 | Sunco origin story – founded by uncle & cousin; Sean’s first cables at age 14.10:30 | From cabling to sales – deciding ceilings weren’t the long-term future.12:50 | The EOS “hockey-stick” – implementing Entrepreneurial Operating System (2017).18:00 | Leadership wake-up – shifting from “hard-D” directive style to idea-driven team.24:20 | Radical Love culture – open-door policy, Thursday “30 Minutes with Mike,” and volunteer days.28:45 | Tech shifts – pagers to smartphones, VoIP to AI; why experimentation starts in-house.34:10 | Acquisition strategy – Isosceles (2022) & Zayo PBX (2024) to enter new markets fast.39:30 | Work-family boundaries – strict 8–5 rule, unplugging at the lake, keeping weekends clean.44:15 | Grooming next-gen leaders – empowering employees, planning beyond current ownership.48:30 | Rapid-fire advice – set business hours, embrace collaboration, lead with heart.Learn more about ABFI at ww.abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknightLearn more about Sunco Communications at www.sunco.caThis video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

July 21, 2025Episode 1854 min

Legacy in Action: Geoff Badger’s Mission to Move Families from Intention to Implementation

A startling fact shapes this episode: just one in four business families has a written legacy plan. Geoff Badger, wealth advisor, family enterprise researcher and leader of Badger Investment Group at Canaccord Genuity, joins host Matt Knight to unpack why so many families hesitate and what advisors can do to spark progress. Geoff traces his 31-year career from Bay Street to Edmonton, the ICU phone call that crystallized his purpose, and his pursuit of the FEA and a doctoral degree focused on “the moment of decision” in family legacy planning.He explains how teaming, a proactive structure, and evidence-based facilitation can safeguard wealth and family harmony. Listeners gain three big takeaways:Legacy clarity beats legacy sizeTechnical excellence must be matched by emotional governance, andCollaboration among advisors is the future of wealth management.For family-business leaders, this episode offers both a case for urgency and a roadmap toward action.Show Notes & Timestamps0:00 Intro1:22 Geoff’s advisory journey and the client call that changed everything5:26 Founding Badger Investment Group: solo practice to collaborative team8:47 The CFA: How deep technical chops build long-term client confidence11:34 FEA experience & the group project that flipped Geoff’s career path15:48 Inside his research, “Why do families say yes (or no) to facilitation?”18:50 Human, intellectual & financial capital23:54 Early research insights & the power of controlled conversations27:15 Positive case study: benefits of facilitated change management31:00 Advisor take-away34:30 Geoff on ABFI partnership and the role of community in raising legacy39:00 Future look: tech, transparency and the rise of the generalist advisor Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/Learn more about Badger Investment Group at https://www.badgerinvestmentgroup.ca/2025 Signature Event tickets are now available https://abfi.ca/signature-eventsThis video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

June 26, 2025Episode 1759 min

Fair Terms: Collins Brothers’ Transition from Family Succession to Employee Ownership

What does it take to execute not one, but two successful transitions in a family business? In this episode of Table Talk, Matt Knight speaks with Jason and Ryan Collins, brothers and second-generation leaders of Collins Steel.After joining the company and working alongside their father, Jason and Ryan led the business through its first major transition: succession from their parents, who started the business in the early 1980s. That transition was structured with terms that balanced the value of the company and the fairness of potential inheritances for their siblings not involved in the business. Jason and Ryan took over in 2012 with a clear exit strategy in mind, aiming to sell the business within 10 years.Over the next decade, they transformed Collins Steel from a successful fabrication shop into a $52 million industry leader in Western Canada, maintaining a focus on Lean manufacturing and supported by a loyal team, peer groups, and an external board of advisors. In 2017, they executed their second transition by selling to their management team. This move was again guided by the same core value of fairness that had defined their earlier succession.The brothers’ approach demonstrates that family business succession doesn’t require choosing between family harmony and business continuity when structured thoughtfully. This episode offers practical insights for family business leaders navigating the balance between family dynamics and strategic planning. Their story also highlights the importance of peer learning communities in helping leaders stay grounded and gain perspective.Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/ Learn more about the Alberta School of Business at https://www.ualberta.ca/business/This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

June 2, 2025Episode 1654 min

Redefining Family Business: Dr. Vikas Mehrotra's Global Perspective on Succession and Strategy

In this thought-provoking episode of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Dr. Vikas Mehrotra, Dean of the Alberta School of Business, to challenge fundamental assumptions about what truly defines a family business.Dr. Mehrotra brings insights from research spanning continents, revealing how traditional definitions based solely on ownership percentages may be fundamentally flawed. His work explores innovative succession practices from Japanese adult adoption – where every single Suzuki CEO has been adopted into the family – to arranged marriages in South Asia, demonstrating how families maintain control with minimal ownership stakes.The conversation centres on what Dr. Mehrotra calls the "lamp post fallacy" – how researchers have been looking for family business characteristics where data is easiest to find rather than where it's most meaningful. His five-part definition moves beyond ownership thresholds to emphasize succession intention, family embeddedness, and "familyness" as the true distinguishing factors.A striking revelation emerges from his Japanese research: adopted heirs consistently outperform blood relatives in business performance. Meanwhile, companies like Microsoft, despite Bill Gates' substantial ownership, were never truly family businesses due to absent succession planning, while firms like Casio maintain their family dynasty across generations despite diluted ownership.The discussion explores critical future challenges, including rising supply chain costs forcing family businesses toward vertical integration and the role of AI and data analytics in attracting next-generation family members. Dr. Mehrotra reveals why Alberta family businesses, particularly in agriculture and energy, are uniquely positioned to leverage these technological advances.For family business leaders, this episode offers essential insights on succession planning beyond bloodlines, understanding true competitive advantages, and preparing for an increasingly complex global business environment.Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/ Learn more about the Alberta School of Business at https://www.ualberta.ca/business/This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca

May 21, 2025Episode 151 hr 2 min

Cleaning Up the Competition - Russell Hay on Tech, Succession & the Scandi Family

In this dynamic episode of ABFI Table Talk, host Matt Knight sits down with Russell Hay, CEO of Scandinavian Building Services (SBS), who shares the remarkable journey of transforming a small Edmonton janitorial company into a national powerhouse that cleans over 160 million square feet daily with more than 8,000 cleaners.Founded in 1956 by two Scandinavian brothers, SBS was purchased by Russell's parents, Terry and Wilda Hay, in 1982. What began as a single truck operation has evolved into a coast-to-coast service business now expanding into the U.S. Russell recounts how his father, coming from property management, recognized the opportunity to revolutionize an industry plagued by inconsistency, poor quality control, and inefficient communication.The conversation reveals how strategic innovation has been a cornerstone of the company's success. Russell details SBS's pioneering technology initiatives, including their proprietary ScandiTrack quality assurance system and their position as Canada's largest user of cleaning robotics. This technology focus, balanced with strong family values, has allowed SBS to maintain exceptional service standards while scaling dramatically.A pivotal moment in the company's evolution came with the appointment of its first non-family President, Mamdag Do, a 25-year company veteran. Russell explains this strategic succession decision, emphasizing that "it's not about the Hay family, it's about the Scandi family," highlighting their commitment to empowering talent regardless of bloodline.The discussion also explores how the COVID-19 pandemic, while challenging, accelerated the company's growth plans and brought well-deserved recognition to their essential workers. Russell shares valuable insights on maintaining a family-oriented culture during rapid expansion, the critical importance of mentorship programs, and the intentional succession planning that keeps SBS at the forefront of the janitorial industry.For family business leaders, this episode offers a masterclass in balancing innovation with family legacy, strategic succession planning, and maintaining core values while pursuing aggressive growth.Learn more about ABFI at https://abfi.ca/, connect with Matt Knight at matt.knight@ualberta.ca or LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattknight/. Learn more about Scandinavian Building Services at https://scandinavian.ca/This video podcast series is proudly produced by the team at Road 55 - located in Edmonton, Alberta. For more information, please visit: www.road55.ca