New leader wants to bring ‘surprises’ to Baffin chamber of commerce

When things go south in the North, technically speaking, the metaphorical superhero who often saves the day is your friendly neighbourhood information technology specialist.

“IT expert” is the alter ego of bespectacled Tony Rose, who on Nov. 12 took on the role of Baffin Regional Chamber of Commerce executive director.

“When things go wrong, you need to know that your IT person has got things under control,” said Rose, whose company, Nunageek Solutions Inc., has provided IT management to clients, including the chamber, throughout Nunavut for 17 years.

“I’m going to bring the same approach to [the role of executive director] that I brought to my business. I really worked to understand the clients’ needs and I think I’ll be applying the same skills here at the chamber.”

The chamber has a mandate to advocate for business development in Nunavut’s Qikiqtani Region.

Most recently, Rose served as Nunavut’s acting chief electoral officer and electoral transition adviser.

Outgoing executive director Chris West is sticking around, Rose said, to assist with preparations for the first Aqsarniit Trade Show and Conference, in collaboration with Makivvik Corp. The event is scheduled to run from Feb. 17 to Feb. 20 at the Rogers Centre Ottawa.

Plans for the Aqsarniit trade show emerged in late October after the Baffin and Labrador chambers cancelled their Northern Lights Business and Cultural Showcase over controversy with the involvement of NunatuKavut Community Council.

As for the future, Rose said he seeks to observe how the chamber accomplishes its goals effectively “and then go along and, kind of, add my own little flair to it.”

What does Rose’s signature flair look like?

“My flair, I think, is going to be on attention to detail and building personal relationships,” he said, “And a lot of surprises every once in a while. I’m going to try to build something interesting into each event that I work on.”

Rose grew up in Iqaluit, and returned to the North after receiving his degree in journalism and communications from the University of Regina. He went on to earn a diploma in environmental technology from Nunavut Arctic College.

The Qikiqtani Region has opportunities for small businesses to “pop up” and fill in some of the gaps in the booming construction industry, as well as the tourism and mining industries, he said.

Creating new training opportunities tailored to these specific sectors of the business community will be a priority, Rose added.