40 Under 40: Brian Stephenson

The Kelowna Chamber of Commerce has launched its “40 Under Forty” for 2020.

This is the Kelowna chamber’s sixth year of searching for the city’s high achievers and bringing their stories to the public.

BDO Canada LLP will make up the independent panel of judges.

There will be a wrap-up celebration for recipients once the program has concluded.

Brian Stephenson’s career experience began with a myriad of part-time jobs while in high school at OKM and subsequently while attending UBCO.

One of these jobs included being employed as a Bellman turned Banquet Server at Manteo Resort, which is where Brian first met his wife and love of his life Shanna.

After graduating from UBCO, Brian moved to Vancouver to obtain his law degree from UBC Law before returning to Kelowna to work with Pushor Mitchell LLP first as a summer student, then as an articling student, and finally becoming an associate in 2016 when he was called to the bar.

Brian’s time these days is divided between his legal practice, which is focused primarily on real estate transactions, commercial financing, and corporate transaction, and his role as director of business dDevelopment for the firm which has external brand promotion components but is largely an internal mandate focused on assisting our lawyers in the growth of their practices.

One unexpected impact Brian has had on the Okanagan is that during his undergrad he wrote a thesis on the impact freemasonry had on the development of early communities in B.C. He has since been informed by local Masons that this thesis is used to help educate their newest members as to the history of the organization.

The role of director of business development was one that never existed at Pushor Mitchell LLP prior to 2019 when Brian advocated for the creation of the position. The impetus such a creation stemmed from the fact that industries and professions such as law have a heavy emphasis (as they should!) on the technical elements of the work that professionals do; however, there is a distinct lack of education, attention, and support given with respect to the business side of the profession and the training that should be provided with respect to growing and maintaining a business. Brian believes that his greatest show of leadership, and the greatest experiences he has gained, has come from his motivation to fill a vacuum and create a business case for the creation of a Director of Business Development role designed to lead, by example and by coaching, his fellow lawyers and support their business development and marketing endeavors.

Brian has been a member of the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce ambassador program.

He is also the vice-president of the Downtown Kelowna Association, and continues to be involved with the Okanagan Young Professionals as a member of influence supporting initiatives to attract and retain young professional talent to the region since 2015.

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