Keith Labbett is quintessentially Canadian — sporty, outdoorsy, civic-minded, and really, really nice. He is the founder of Osprey Executive Search, our Toronto-based partner. In the course of three decades, Keith has helped countless local and international companies establish themselves in real estate, financial services, industrial engineering, construction, infrastructure and natural resources. In his downtime, you can catch him on the ski slopes or in his studio. He is a proud alumnus of Bishop’s University in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

“Don’t ski faster than your angel can fly.”

Where were you born, and where do you live now?

Toronto, Canada

What did you study and why?

History. My father advised me to study something that I enjoyed, as I would be in business for a long time after school. He was right. It certainly helps you to take a long view of cause and effect, which is particularly interesting to me right now, considering where we are going in the digital era.

First job?

I was lucky to land a role with Molson Breweries (despite my last name being very similar to their major competitor) as a promotional rep for their Pro Fishing Tour and Client Charters. The job came with a centre console boat with twin Mercury 200s and a rig to pull it around southern Ontario’s many lakes. Yes, I was very lucky!

First car?

A powder-blue Datsun 250 King Cab 4x4 with a stick shift. I loved it, and somehow, both it and I survived.

Current car?

Mercedes sedan. My family all drive SUVs, so I decided to try a car this time around. It’s quite nice, but I still like to fill it with wood and tools like a truck.

What’s the biggest surprise about your job?

How much you can learn about a sector from interviewing its top industry players. In this game, you are not so much assessing whether a person has talent or not, as everyone we meet is successful. Our main aim is to assess fit for the client and candidate. As a result, meetings are very open and informative. They’re held in the strictest confidence, so a candidate has no reason to hold back. A major career move has a profound effect on their (and usually their family’s) life. We go deep to be certain of a good fit, which is the best guarantor of a positive experience and successful results for everyone.

What is the biggest risk you ever took?

Starting a boutique retained executive search firm in my mid-30s with two very young children in what was and still is a very competitive market. It turned out to be a fabulous adventure and became a defining time of our lives.

What makes you feel better on a bad day?

My quick fix is music (most genres)

My most redeeming quality is…

I enjoy making people happy.

I have learned to come to terms with…

You can’t make everybody happy.

What’s the thing that people are most surprised to learn about you?

That I produce sculptures that people buy. Surprises me as well!

In the last month, what was the most interesting conversation you had?

With the head of the Competition Bureau of Canada.

Last (or most loved) holiday?

In the spring of this year, I travelled to Jamaica with my mother and wife, Cynthia. I never thought I would be in a rustic mountain bar with my mother, enjoying nature and the dizzying array of Jamaican fauna, particularly the amazing ginger flowers.

Best book you’ve read in the past year?

The History of Moral Revolution, David Brooks’s touching and thought-provoking look at the life of the late historian Gertrude Himmelfarb. She became famous for her anti-utopian argument, “that a great deal is lost when a society stops aiming for civic virtue and is content to aim merely for civility.”

What have you binge-watched recently?

Abstract: The Art of Design on Netflix. A documentary series highlighting current artists and designers, their path to commercial success, and their impact on the world. I found their stories fascinating and inspiring.

Best gadget?

My angle grinder, which I use as a wood/material carving tool for sculptures. It is also very practical and has many uses.

How do you relax and unwind?

Friends, sports, nature or working with my hands to create something.

Charity/ cause closest to your heart?

The Princess Margaret Cancer Centre is an excellent cancer research facility and hospital. It is also close enough to home that you feel like your efforts are making a contribution. I also support several programmes aimed at helping “at-risk” youth by exposing them to sports and other positive extracurricular activities.

I have a collection of… military and sports items with an ancestral connection.

In my fridge, you will always find… homemade hot sauce.