I WAS NOT SURPRISED to learn that one of Jim Shaw’s role models was former U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
In his time, Churchill was considered a political outsider, a brash maverick, seemingly unwavering in his convictions, fiercely loyal to his homeland and someone who inspired similar loyalty in so many others. Along the way of course, Churchill was exactly what his country needed at the time and he found enormous successes – but his sometimes irascible nature also antagonized more than a few.
For those of us who have been in the cable industry for a while, there are many Jim Shaw stories, of all colour. Did you hear the one about how Jim made a bet with Ted Rogers over the two companies’ internet sales back in broadband’s early days, where the winner got a steak dinner? Shaw won and Jim needled the Rogers founder about it so Ted responded by sending a live, 800-pound steer to Shaw’s Calgary home.
Not to be outdone, Jim later had a 500-pound bull statue made of iron by Saskatchewan artist Joe Fafard delivered to Ted while he was in a meeting – with the note attached “Shaw is the beef. Rogers is the bull.”
He was a rare CEO, to be sure.
As a son of the founder who shunned formal education after high school Shaw, who died January 3rd at the age of 60, was often underestimated through much of his early career rising through the ranks of Shaw Communications. While he was not an outsider, having watched his father JR build the company, Jim’s journey to CEO saw him start at the bottom in 1982, as a cable installer on Vancouver Island. He then held a wide variety of positions working his way to the C-suite, taking over as CEO in 1998.
“In Victoria, I said ‘geez, look at all these trees, how do you ever get the cable through’?” Jim Shaw told me back in 2001 in the pages of Cablecaster (from which the photo above is taken). His boss then told him “you tie your pliers to the end of it, hurl it through the trees and pull your wire through. Then you do it again and again.
“That’s when I figured I better hit the management trail pretty soon.”
While he didn’t have the sheepskin, something which likely helped make the insider seem like an outsider, he knew every bit of the business, he knew and protected the Shaw customer and he knew how to make things happen – in part by keeping the number of senior management small, and empowering them to do their jobs by setting a vision and making decisions quickly.
“We really shook his peaches.” – Jim Shaw
For example, most CEOs of multi-billion-dollar companies employ a pretty extensive roster of communications folks – professionals who worry about the brand and sending the correct message. Shaw Communications under Jim Shaw had none. When the company issued a press release, whether it was the quarterly results, an annual general meeting, an announcement of a new bit of technology or the acquisition of a small cable company, the official spokesperson was either CEO Jim Shaw, or his long-time president Peter Bissonnette.
When we reporters needed more answers, we talked to the guys in charge – and to tell the truth, we loved it. Who was better to hear the company direction than the boss? Jim Shaw had a razor-sharp wit, too, which he wielded with gleeful abandon, able to deliver one-line zingers that could put anyone back on their heels.
When Shaw out-bid CanWest for WIC-Western International Communications in 1999, Jim said of then CanWest CEO the late Izzy Asper: “We really shook his peaches.” Later, when Bell launched ExpressVu satellite TV out west, Shaw responded with the barb: “Big hat, no cattle,” winning him the day’s headlines over a new competitor.
Every once in a while though we absorbed a few of those sharp pokes because the other side of that double-edged sword means when there’s a disagreement over something we printed, the CEO called to register his chagrin. There were no handlers to soften the blow.
Most of the stories we’ve witnessed – and many we’ve heard of over the years – revolve around Jim Shaw’s plainspokenness, his combativeness or competitive spirit, his playfulness, and his ability to both work hard and play hard. That maxim is even part of his official obituary, found here.
Under Jim Shaw, however, the company was an undeniable growth machine, which helped make him beloved by employees, shareholders and customers. During his 12 years as CEO, the share price of the company rose at an annual growth rate of 11%; revenue grew from $646 million in 1998 to $3.7 billion in 2010, driven by organic growth and acquisitions. Over the same period, EBITDA grew from $272 million to $1.8 billion. Basic cable customers increased from 1.5 million to 2.3 million, internet customers went from 46,000 to 1.8 million and home phone went from zero to 1.1 million customers by the time he was replaced by his brother Brad in the fall of 2010.
“He was a lot smarter and a lot more incisive than people initially gave him credit for.” – Phil Lind, Rogers Communications
He had many admirers, too. “He was one of a kind in many ways. He was his own voice and he fashioned himself as a bit of a western cowboy – but he was a lot smarter and a lot more incisive than people initially gave him credit for,” said Rogers Communications vice-chair Phil Lind in an interview last week.
“He was sometimes not the collegial guy everyone wanted to see, but on the other hand, he got things done… and what he got done during his time was really quite incredible.”
Added Darren Entwistle, Telus’ CEO: “Jim was a terrific competitor throughout a sea change that transformed Canada’s telecommunications and cable sectors. He leaves behind a lasting legacy for our industry and for Western Canada.”
“I have not only lost a brother, but a great friend and mentor. Our lives will not be as complete without hearing Jim’s laughter or getting the benefit of his counsel or his insight,” said Jim’s brother Brad, the company’s current CEO. “Jim’s countless contributions to our company are integral to Shaw’s long-term strength and growth as a Canadian industry leader. As an operator, a deal maker and a strategist, Jim continued building the foundation started by our father, JR, to create a Canadian business leader and household brand across Western Canada.”
“I am saddened at Jim’s passing but grateful for 60 years with my son,” said JR in the family’s statement. “Jim is loved by so many for his unique sense of family, his courage and willingness to take on all challenges with dignity and commitment.”
Jim Shaw is survived by his wife Kathryn, his mother Carol, his father JR, his children Haley (Fred), Parker (Megan), Kennedy, Kathryn’s children Monty, Katelyn, Carly, his mother-in-law Janet, his sisters Heather (Jim) and Julie (Terry), and his younger brother Brad (Michelle), as well as his many special nieces and nephews and friends.
Friends and family can celebrate Jim's life on Friday, January 12, 2018 at the Calgary Stampede Big Four Roadhouse, 1801 Big Four Trail in Calgary, Alberta, from 1-4 p.m. with the program starting at 1:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, any donations or volunteer actions that support his charitable interests would continue to fulfill his hopes and vision for helping others. Jim was committed in his support of The Mustard Seed, The Food Bank and The Calgary Women's Shelter.
