Sequus International THE MIM CONNECTION

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on: September 12, 2002

The Manitoba Institute of Management (MIM) has its origins in a study of Manitoba's economic future carried out in the 60's. Rolly Grandpre was the founding Executive Director and the person most responsible for establishing MIM as a vital player in its community. Like most founders, Rolly was a charismatic individual with boundless energy and enthusiasm for the task at hand. Rolly single-handedly introduced many Winnipeg employers to the power of management training through his own exciting seminars and through the seminars of the super-stars of the day such as Earl Planty, George Odiorne, Fred Hertzberg, and others. Rolly went on to become Associate Dean at Vanderbilt University where he helped establish an executive MBA program. He then came back to Winnipeg as Dean of Administrative Studies, a position he retired from in 1989. At last report, he was enjoying life as a ski instructor at Park City Utah. Glen Husack took over the reigns at MIM in 1977 and immediately set out to create a team of Rolly Grandpre's. His vision was to have a group of independent leaders, one for each field that MIM entered. His role would be to lead in his own field, relate to the board of the Institute and provide the glue that would hold the parts together. Under this new vision, MIM exploded with new activity and energy from every part. SMALL BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT: Glen's field was small business development. He and Gord Kraemer and later Ralph Brown built that side of MIM into a world-renowned source of expertise. Associates including Don Brown and Walt Pedersen found themselves living in Africa full time! PUBLIC SEMINARS: George Heaton, an Industrial Engineer and Wage and Salary specialist thrived under the new model. He took over MIM's flegling public seminar business from Bill Neville who semi-retired. George soon opened MIM offices in Vancouver, Toronto and Minneapolis and pushed the consulting staff out of MIM's head office into new space on Portage Avenue. Under George, new stars were added to the list of resource persons attached to MIM including Dru Scott, Ken Blanchard, Bill Onken, Hal Burrows, Lance Secretan and others. IN-HOUSE MANAGEMENT TRAINING & DEVELOPMENT: Al Holmes and later Brian Trump built on Rolly's work and took the lead in developing the management training and organization development side of MIM. They were later joined by Heather Erhard, Helen Maupin and Allan Johnson as Program Directors and dozens of Associates working part-time including Jerry Gray and Fred Starke from the U of M; Joanne Klassen, Sheryl Feller, Lynne Forbes, Jack Lutes, Ed Reimer, Bill Regher .... INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT: While Rolly was around for the first assignment in the Caribbean, it wasn't until long after he left that MIM became a major player in the international development field. Its first ventures were in Small Business but soon was exporting all of its programs through CIDA, development banks, UN divisions and later as partners with other organizations or as direct suppliers to offshore clients. Every one of MIM's regular staff plus most of its associates were dragged into this exciting world and before long it became the dominant part of its business. THE END OF AN ERA: In 1994, after serving Winnipegers, Manitobans and the world for almost 30 years, MIM closed its doors forever. Its staff went off in several different directions. Heather Erhard formed Erhard & Associates and still works with her clients in the non-profit sector. Al Johnson carried on in the computer business, moved to Ottawa and is still in the management consulting field in partnership with Ed Buller. Helen Maupin is a self-employed consultant. Gord Kraemer works with Trade and Tourism. George Heaton his a hand in the public seminar field and offered programs created at MIM, such as "How to" and "Advanced Leadership". Bill Neville passed away in 1994. Glen Husack, Ralph Brown, Brian Trump and Al Holmes continued on as "SEQUUS", the 'next' great adventure offering the programs and services they developed together over 20 years at MIM and adding many new ones.