Ryan Gibbard

The proverbial “they”  say you can never go home again. Here’s another 40 under 40 Rising Star in Business saying it just ain’t so.

Ryan Gibbard, a geotechnical engineer and branch manager at McElhanney Consulting Services in Cranbrook, grew up in the East Kootenay. He went away for education and training experiences but decided to come back home for the famed Kootenay people, lifestyle and landscapes.

Jonathan Scott who nominated Gibbard said that the engineer was a good businessman who helped him obtain a building permit. “His staff was very helpful and clearly respected and trust him.”

How did you come to choose this line of work?

I was always very interested in math and earth sciences, which eventually led me to geotechnical engineering. Then, through my engineering work, I developed an understanding of the business and management side of things and developed into the branch manager role as my former manager retired. McElhanney has been very supportive as I’ve developed into this role over the last five years.

What is it about your work that has you excited to get out of bed in the morning?

Working with great people makes it easy. I enjoy my job; I have the flexibility to structure my days to suit my clients and the branch as needed. Some days I’m out in the field working on projects, and other days I’m in the office working on reports, doing analysis, writing proposals, co-ordinating staff, communicating with clients, and all of the other little things that come along with being a branch manager. Some days it really feels like I’m a juggler, with many different tasks and roles in play. It is an exciting and dynamic environment that challenges me every day, and McElhanney is a great company to be a part of.

What’s your focus for 2016?

We have two very strong senior managers in our office now in Keith Ekman and Brad Nelson who joined us within the last two years and who complement our diversely skilled engineering and land surveying team. With the anticipation that the local market will be tightening a bit, our primary focus will remain on our clients, continuing to provide a high-quality product and service while maintaining those strong relationships. This has been the key to McElhanney’s ongoing success.

Why did you decide to become an entrepreneur in the Kootenays?

I grew up here and love the East Kootenay lifestyle, people and natural beauty. We moved back 11 years ago because we missed Kootenay life. We want to work here, play here and raise our family right here!