For Beau Jarvis, president and CEO of Wesgroup, having a lasting impact on his community has always been at the heart of both his professional and personal vision.
The Whistler-born-and-raised executive was recently named one of B.C.’s most influential business leaders on the Business in Vancouver BC500 list. With more than two decades of experience in real estate development, Jarvis champions a people-first approach to housing—and gives back through initiatives like the Old School Initiative, his work with the Whistler Development Corporation, and most recently, his appointment to the Resort Municipality of Whistler’s (RMOW) housing strategy committee.
Pique caught up with Jarvis to talk about the accolade, his leadership values, and why Whistler remains central to his life. The interview has been edited for clarity and length.
Pique: Congratulations on being named to the BIV BC500 list. What does this recognition mean to you at this stage of your career?
Beau Jarvis: It's always nice to be recognized—I’m not going to deny that. But I haven’t been paying too much attention to it, because there’s a lot going on in our industry right now, which is extremely challenged. And then I’ve got five kids and a non-profit that we run in Whistler.
You’ve spoken in the past about your non-profit work through the Old School Initiative. How have those Whistler ties influenced your leadership at Wesgroup?
Everything in Whistler was—and still is, I would say—very entrepreneurial. My parents were entrepreneurs there. People hustle. The Old School Initiative came out of a need, and we seized on it, growing our ability to support local athletes and programs in Whistler and Pemberton.
That entrepreneurial spirit is probably the biggest thing that’s shaped how I operate and lead. I encourage people in our organization to be quick-moving, adaptable and entrepreneurial. Change is the only constant, and we try to embrace that—even when it’s hard.
Your hustle includes giving back to Whistler in other ways. Council recently appointed you to the housing strategy committee?
That’s right. I’m also on the board of directors for the Whistler Development Corporation and the housing strategy committee. I’d say 100 per cent of my volunteer time goes into Whistler. It’s my home. I feel fortunate—I’ve had a moderate level of success, and I just think it’s really important to give back to the community that gave so much to me.
How does your experience in the private sector inform your work with the WDC and the RMOW committee?
We’re one of the largest home builders in Western Canada—maybe even in Canada—so I think I can help bring that experience to the table. The housing strategy committee is tasked with planning for Whistler’s future housing needs.
What I do every day is figure out how to navigate the ecosystem in this country to deliver more housing. Obviously, the Whistler Development Corporation is focused on affordable and employee housing, which is a unique challenge. But all housing needs to be financed, project managed, and navigated through a complex system—and I think I can help with that.
