With three decades of corporate leadership and extensive board experience, Bryan Held has unique insights into the challenges and opportunities that come with career transitions.
Drawing on more than 30 years of corporate leadership and extensive board experience, Bryan Held has a firsthand understanding of the challenges and opportunities that come with career transitions. As a MyNextSeason Advisor, he helps senior executives pivot from a career centered around productivity and results to a uniquely designed and purposeful next season.
Bryan is an accomplished public company leader with financial, operations, human resources, and international management expertise in the retail, manufacturing, aerospace, and automotive sectors. After retiring, he served as Interim CEO of Vicwest Income Fund, Canada’s leading manufacturer of metal building products. Prior to this, Bryan was President and CEO of SMK Speedy International Inc., overseeing 4,000 employees and 1,100 stores.
His additional executive roles have included Senior Vice President and CFO of Derlan Industries Limited, CFO and Interim CEO of Tip Top Tailors, and Vice President of Finance and Administration for Spar Aerospace Limited. Bryan is a chartered accountant and started his career with Arthur Andersen & Co.
Over the past 25 years, Bryan has also served on numerous public, private, and not-for-profit boards, including his current role as Trustee and Corporate Governance, Nominating and Compensation Committee Chair for BSR Real Estate Investment Trust. He also served on the boards of The Second Cup Ltd., Vicwest Income Fund, Stephenson’s Rental Services Income Fund, William Osler Health Centre, Automotive Industries Association, and the Ontario Chapter of the Institute of Corporate Directors.
Bryan is an Institute-certified Director and holds a B. Comm. from the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa. He has lectured on various topics for diverse audiences throughout South Africa and Canada. Bryan and his wife, Barbara, live in Ontario, Canada, and have three adult children.
Advisor | Former President & CEO, SMK Speedy International Inc.