It's tough to imagine a challenge that Laurel Sim could encounter and not simply quash through sheer personal strength and single-minded focus.
Sim, who lives near Ponoka and is a partner and VP with the Calgary-based Taleo Project Services Inc., has certainly made her mark in the corporate world helping companies navigate all kinds of obstacles and issues that impede their success.
It's no surprise she has landed recognition over the years - within the scope of her work and beyond - including being named as one of 'The Most Emerging Women Leaders of the Year' in 2024.
She is also recognized as one of the top portfolio leaders in North America.
And on Feb. 23, she will be receiving the King Charles III Coronation Medal during a ceremony in Red Deer. This recognition is the result of Sim's dedicated efforts in the development of 'Noah's Law,' which seeks to see changes to Canada’s Criminal Code in terms of increasing the monitoring of sexual offenders.
(On Sept. 16, 2021, Mchale Busch and her son Noah McConnell were killed in their Hinton apartment by a convicted sexual offender who lived next door to them.)
"The family (affected by the tragedy) needed someone with a business mind to help them navigate their trauma, and to help bring something special like this forward," she said.
It all speaks to Sim's intuitive sense of knowing what matters most, and what to apply her skill set to at any given time.
She's been influenced by a strong work ethic instilled in her growing up on a farm east of Ponoka - which she still helps operate along with her two brothers and her husband.
And then there are the varied challenges of being part of the Taleo Project Services Inc. team. Not to mention running a business called 'Tooth Travellers' with her niece which helps deliver dental hygiene services to those with less access.
"We also go to small communities that don't have dental services like Bashaw or Alix, and help them thrive with dental care. My niece is the practitioner, and I'm the 'business' side."
Ultimately, Sim has an inspiring entrepreneurial vision that taps into everything from the latest trends in business consulting to a strong interest in agriculture; from building a virtual reality game that teaches project management to young people called 'Task Titans,' to spending quality time with friends and family.
Sim specializes in management consulting, business advisory services, the building of strategic plans, coaching, and helping teams function better.
"Today, I would say more than any time, people have a lot more on their plates, and have higher demands, and are still being paid the same," she explained.
"They struggle with not only keeping the lights on, but actually turning new 'lights' on. So they will bring me in, and I'll help to turn those new lights on," she said, referring to fresh, innovative ways of doing business and making an impact.
Sim earned a degree in computer science, and it was through that experience that she landed opportunities to work with a number of organizations.
"I think there are a couple of types of people in the world. One are the curious types - they really want to understand the business. There are the people who go in 'deep,' and those who go 'across.' I'm the person who goes 'across.'
"I want to understand that business, and help them to figure out what their problems are, versus deep-diving into issues like IT or into accounting to solve those problems.
"That is why I have worked in 17 different industries - it's given me that opportunity to experience all of that."
Those experiences were largely garnered during her time as a management consultant with KPMG (a full-service audit, tax and advisory firm).
"I was travelling all over the place, learning about different industries, and helping them to solve problems," she said.
Those experiences also helped establish a foundation for where she is today with Taleo Project Services Inc.
She is thankful for her line of work, as it suits her so well.
"I do get bored easily," she added with a laugh. "Often, I would go into an organization and say I can only stay here 13 to 16 months, because I will get too bored, or I will become too operationalized for you, and I won't function at the same level you need me to.
"I like learning. And the second that I have learned everything that I can, I need to go on."
But back to those formative years.
"I think there are a couple of things that come up when I look back - there's a pride in growing up in the area that I did. There is that sense of community.
"It was unreal, when my father passed away, how many people showed up to support the re-growth and re-birth of our farm - making sure we were stable and could continue on. So that is one thing - that community aspect of supporting each other.
"The other part I would say is hard work. (Farming) is a prime example of that. Like today - equipment isn't working (due to the cold), animals need to get fed, and in this cold, nothing wants to be your friend right now. But we will figure it out. We will be creative in how we get things done - on a very cold day!
"I fundamentally believe that procrastination stops most innovation. Someone might say, 'I have this brilliant idea, and I don't know how to get it going, and so it's probably not that good of an idea.' They will start to question the concepts of the idea, just because they don't know how to turn the engine on."
Sim is kind of person who sees the possibilities - right from the get-go.
"I'm built to turn engines on, so if I get an idea - I think, well, that is what we are going to do," she said.
"I'll build a prototype, and if the prototype doesn't seem too daunting, then I'll say, okay! Let's go for it!
