Next-gens: Jonathan Westeinde of green developer Windmill, on finding his own path
‘The biggest pressure I felt was to not harm the goodwill my parents had created, and hopefully build on it.’
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This series explores how next-generation members of enterprising families are making a name for themselves.
While many succession stories are straightforward – a patriarch or matriarch hands the reins down to their child or children, teaches them how to walk, then canter, and soon leaves them to ride in their own style – often colts and fillies like to run free from an early age. Many next-gens find their own direction away from the family business, sometimes for business reasons, and sometimes with intention to take the pressure off of what their family name might mean.
While some younger members of enterprising families step smoothly into roles in the family business or related roles, other next-generation members choose to create their own way in life.
“There are a multitude of reasons for next gens to go their own path,” says Gerry Meyer, founder and chief executive of Vancouver-based Meyer Advisory Group.
“Some families actually require it as part of their family employment policy: In order to work in the business, next-gens need to work elsewhere for a few years.
“Perhaps the next gen wants to ‘prove themselves’ independently, to show they can be a successful entrepreneur like the parent(s).
“Sometimes, the career interests of the next-gen do not fit within the opportunities inside the family business.
“Infrequently, the next gen may not be a good fit within the family business, and the family encourages them to ‘seek their happiness elsewhere.’”
Here, Jonathan Westeinde, part of the family that founded Ottawa-based Westeinde Construction Ltd., talks about his own business journey.
Jonathan Westeinde, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Toronto-based Windmill Development Group
Tell us a bit about your family’s business history.
“My parents ran a successful construction firm, Westeinde Construction, together as partners for over 25 years. They were one of the largest commercial construction firms in Ottawa and eventually expanded across Canada with the construction business, an asbestos removal business and a real estate development firm under the Westeinde Group umbrella.
The bigger impact, however, was from the volunteer and community work both my parents did. My father was on the board of the Canadian Construction Association for many years, the Ottawa Construction Association, and many other initiatives. My mother participated on many volunteer boards in the community and achieved many ‘firsts,’ including the first female chair of the Canadian Construction Association.
They built up tremendous goodwill in the industry, really one of the biggest assets you have when dealing in the construction and real estate industry. In 2003 my parents sold their construction business to Aecon Group Inc., as neither I nor my brother or sister ultimately were interested in taking the reins of the construction business.”
When did you decide to carve out a path for yourself away from the family business?
“While we grew up in a well-off environment, my parents strongly encouraged us to have many jobs as teenagers and make money, as opposed to just providing us with the things we wanted. This encouraged a strong work ethic, an entrepreneurial spirit and a sense of independence – skills I am very grateful to my parents for developing in us.
My parents exposed me to their business by giving me the opportunity to work on a construction site as a teenager over many summers, where I gained enough exposure to the business that at the time, I decided I never wanted anything to do with the construction industry – it is a challenging business.
I pursued an economics degree and got a job in management consulting as my first job out of school, largely thanks to my sister, who had chosen to not join the family business and pursued her own career in management consulting. During this time my parents had also branched out into real estate development, which was interesting to me. After four years of management consulting, I decided to try working for my parents’ business on the real estate development side of things.
Real estate development … was a very small part of my parents’ business. I also could not tame my entrepreneurial itch and, in parallel, started a business called the Shopping Centre Bulletin Board in 1995, which was a very early (arguably too early) internet startup to provide an online leasing service for commercial real estate.
These were both fantastic experiences, but I knew I wanted to be exposed to more. I was very interested in the environment, and particularly the oceans, so wanted to go back and get a master’s degree in marine biology. But, for various reasons, in 1999 I completed my MBA at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, instead, with the intent to work my way into the business of the environment.
After my MBA I spent several years in the technology space and eventually I and two partners started a venture firm in partnership with Gowling legal firm called Venbridge focused on providing seed capital to early technology start-ups. During this time, I also saw the first firms getting funded that could provide both a great business but also be a benefit to the environment (at that time, solar and wind companies etc.).
When it came to my parents looking for a succession plan in 2002, it had become clear a succession of the business to myself or my two siblings was not in the cards. This ‘failed succession’ had a lot to do with my parents encouraging us to pursue our careers based on personal passions and interests and not out of obligation to the existing family business.
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The opportunity developed to further scratch my entrepreneurial itch, merge my sustainability and real estate interests and benefit from the tremendous goodwill my parents had created in the development and construction industries.
As a result, in 2003 Windmill Developments was born as a startup real estate development firm focused on being the leader in sustainable real estate development in Canada.
Windmill is now coming on 20 years old, and we have successfully created the first LEED Platinum [sustainable building certification] neighbourhoods, LEED Platinum mixed used buildings and One Planet Living [sustainability framework] communities across Canada. We recently closed the One Planet Living Real Estate impact fund, which is now driving a $1 billion portfolio of One Planet Living communities in central Canada.”
What challenges did you face in following your own path?
“No path is easy, and I always felt I had the full support of my parents, even though it was not necessarily the type of business succession they had initially hoped for. Aside from the normal challenges of starting and running any business, if anything, the biggest pressure I felt was to not harm the goodwill my parents had created, and hopefully build on it.”
What lessons did you learn from your family?
“There is likely too much to cover here but at a high level I am forever grateful for the following skills and education from my family: A strong work ethic, along with demonstrating a confidence that with enough focus and hard work anything can be accomplished.
There are no ceilings – my mother particularly broke through many ceilings as a woman succeeding in the construction industry. Develop a great team, celebrate successes often and learn from failures.
Stress the importance of giving back and getting involved with the communities you are working in. Maintain a strong sense of adventure, never settle and always be curious.”
How has your family been supportive of your journey?
“My family has been incredibly supportive of my journey and my journey could not have taken me to where I am without their support. Although we are not a successful family business in the traditional sense of passing the business from one generation to the other, myself and my two siblings all have our own successful businesses that are directly a result of the upbringing we had as part of a family business. Our success is just building on the tremendous journey my parents initiated together.
My parents and family really encouraged me to follow the creative sparks that I was passionate about. Lack of support was only a factor when questioned whether I was working hard enough or trying hard enough.”
Can you offer any words of advice for other next-gens who want to pursue their own path?
“Of the lessons and education, I reflect on, the best advice I can give is to maintain a strong sense of adventure, never settle and always be curious.
Life is short, and the journey can be a lot more fun if your career interests and personal passions can work in harmony.
Whether it be family members or other peers and mentors, nurturing a strong support network is invaluable, as there will be lots of difficult days.”
Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and length.
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