26 - Sunday, January 28, 1990 - North Shore News AFFLUENCE qe \NFLUENCE Businessman or environmentalist VENTURE CAPITALIST MAGINE SOMEONE who rides the bus to work every day, takes his coat hangers back to the dry cleaner and brings home the vroceries in his own canvas bag, and, beheve it or not, you have conjured up an im- age of one of the most successful venture capitalists in Canada. West Vancouver's Mike Brown, founding partner of Ventures West, is the synthesis of a driven businessman and a passionate en- vironmentalist — a combination of roles that, society-wide, is soun- ding tess discordant than perhaps it once was. Although Brown is committed to environmental action in his per- sonal fife, he is the first to recognize the incredible range of business opportunities the newly flourishing environmental move- ment is providing. ‘4 don't think that one should look at cleaning up the environ- ment as just a cost,’ he said from his office in The Landing recently. “In other words, there are benefits, and the benefits probably are in many new businesses that don’t exist yet. But (when) they do exist, and if they are offering per- manent solutions to environmental problems, those are the best long- term job security things | can think of. Those are the best jobs in the long term to have.”’ Brown is one of the volunteer businesspeople helping with the plans for the upcoming Globe 90, an open-to-the-public international conference and trade show designed to bring together members from the business, en- vironment and government sec- tors. ‘‘There are a lot of businessmen like me who are say- é. yt For venture capitalist Mike Brown, founding partner in Ventures West, forecasting the future is a big part of sOTH . can NEWS photo Neil Lucente the job. Perhaps that’s why he’s so cager to promote environmental action now. ing this is so important that, so it costs me an hour a week for six months, who cares? It doesn’t matter. That's Mickey Mouse compared to the benetits.”’ Brown says that Ventures West is looking forward to investing in and building up environment- oriented companies — and not for reasons of conscience. Our years of experience handling injury and accident claims will help you obtain the award your case deserves. * Free Consultation * Percentage Fees Available Derek Cave Dennis Quinlan Martha Konig GB7I-3O216 FERGUSON GIFFORD - Barristers & Salicitors Suite 500 - Park Place. 666 Burrard Street Vancouver, Canada V6C 3H13 “We're doing it as an absolute straight business decision, no question about it.” Such hardlined business acumen is a must when you're a venture capitalist responsible for the in- vestment of over $700 million, money that has been entrusted with the company from pension funds, life insurance companies, large institutions and the ‘‘occa- sicnal very wealthy individual.”’ Brown readily admits that his company makes its share of wrong decisions when deciding which business ventures to finance. “‘In several ways it’s like playing foot- bail. When you throw a forward pass, three thisiy; can happen and two of them are bad. in our CaRAVAn IMPORTS Vancouver’s largest selection of HANDSPUN WEAVINGS 1433 Lonsdale Ave., N. Van. business, you Make sume invest- ments acd lots of things can hap- pen and most of them are bad.’ he says. AS is typical tn the business, Ventures West ‘‘wins’’ on only about 30 per cent of its invest- ments. It is, however, the largest firm of its kind in Canada, because, according to Brown, its ‘focus 1s $0 much on (techno- Jogy-based businesses) and so much on getting into companies right when they begin. We'll invest in two and three-person com- panies and try to see if we can get them up to 500-person com- panies.” Perhaps inevitably, Brown ends up taking the stress of the workplace home with him and spends more than a few sleepless nights mentally wrestling with business problems. Relief from job-related stress comes from play- ing golf along with his wife, Ena — “she’s about as nutty about it as | am‘’ — escaping to their rustic getaway on Nelson Island, or get- ting together with their family of six daughters. But, come Monday morning, it’s back to business — seeking out new opportunities and capitalizing on current investments. “We really spend time trying to build the companies up," Brown says. ‘We're really more com- pany builders than investors, and we spend a huge amount of time trying to understand what the companies are doing, trying to make sure they’ve got the best possible management team, and doing whatever else is necessary to turn a little company into a big one.”’ — Peggy Trendell-Whittaker iss 980-7655